Gouden Carolus Hopsinjoor; a beer I wish I tried earlier. It seems that Brewery Het Anker is completely incapable of brewing anything less than fantastic.

In 1872 Louis Van Breedam purchased the beguinage brewery in Mechelen and built one of the first modern steam-operated breweries of that time. Late 1904 the brewery got a brand new identity and was renamed NV Het Anker (The Anchor), after the historic brewer from Mechelen Jan in de Anker.

Nowadays, Het Anker brews a wide range of beers, all much revered by beer lovers worldwide. Here at Kunstemaecker we serve Gouden Carolus Classic, Tripel, Ambrio, Hopsinjoor and Cuvée van de Keizer (Emperor’s Cuvée).

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This review is about Rodenbach Grand Cru and this is what beer critic Michael Jackson (R.I.P.) had to say about it: “Rodenbach Grand Cru, aged in wood for more than two years, is very tart. The most refreshing beer in the world. Also very good with prawns or pickled herrings.”

Rodenbach Grand Cru is a Burgundy ale from the south of West-Flanders. Yes, you read that right: Burgundy. Just like wine, it is matured in huge oak barrels, called ‘foeders’, during 2 years. After this one part young Rodenbach is blended in.

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What France is to wine, Belgium is to beer. And that’s exactly why Belgian brewers divide their beers into the same ’appellations’ the French have. There’s the Flemish Burgundy (e.g. Rodenbach, Duchesse de Bourgogne) but who could have imagined that someone would dare compare his beer to champagne?

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