As a young boy of about 8 years old – now almost 30 years ago – I regularly went with my father to the store of Oevelen just across the border in Essen, Belgium. In our garage there were always 6 crates of beer: Amstel, Leffe blond, Duvel, Westmalle double, Westmalle tripel and Palm. You can tell where the passion for beer was born.
When we arrived at the liquor store, my father would unload the empty crates and an elderly man in a dusty coat counted the packaging. He then wrote the value on a note with a pencil which he then handed to my father. At the time – when my pocket money was (converted) 2 euros a week – I found it amazing that the beer was so expensive. With my weekly allowance, my father could not even buy 2 bottles of beer, how could he spend so much money on beer?
I was thinking about this moment when I was buying beer from a liquor store last week. I was in the mood for some nice IPAs. With the thought of spending a few weeks at home and the sun coming up, we had to make the best (and safest) of this situation.
With that in mind, I walked along the shelves at an appropriate distance, I was advised regarding my purchase and eventually settled on € 34.20. While I was on my way home I realized I had just paid € 34.20 for 6 cans, almost € 6.00 per can. Although I will undoubtedly love the taste of these beers, I couldn’t help comparing them with the classics like Duvel that my father and I still have in the garage. For a Duvel I usually pay around € 1.40 and yet I – and a lot of other people – are willing to pay 3 to 4 times this amount for a different type of beer. So apparently there is a market.
But why are people willing to do so? Is it an image / marketing thing? Is this the cool beer you enjoy looking at and which you want to be seen with? Is this brewer hip and happening at the moment? Is it a taste thing? Once you’ve tasted champagne, you don’t want to go back to a cava? Do people just have money to spend in times of economic growth and do they just not care, or is there a whole other reason?
Old school vs. new school
Personally I think you can compare it a bit with the wine market. A large number of suppliers ensure an ever growing diversity of products in all kinds of price and quality classes. In a bar you get a cheapish wine, a more expensive sauvignon blanc during dinner and a champagne with New Year’s Eve. I see the same thing happening with beer. For example, we have a regular beer at home when having a birthday party, a nice Leffe for after mountain biking and an IPA during the evening while watching Top Gear.
What I’m trying to say is that when the quality lives up to the price, I would gladly pay 6 euros a can!
Beer lovers of all shapes and sizes increasingly share their love for beer online. We like to see what others drink, so we regularly check social media. On the Belgian Beer Board group we came across a photo that triggered our curiosity, a US Marine with an obvious passion for Belgian beer. We reached out to him and moments later we got ourselves an interview.
Who is the man behind the photo of a cellar full of Belgian beers?
My name is Scott Patchcowski, a man of 49.9 🙂 in a month I turn 50, from Doylestown Pennsylvania. Former Marine and currently employed by the US Census Bureau.
Scott Patchcowski proudly next to his Belgian collectibles.
You stood out with an online picture of your beercollection, how would you describe your collection?
The collection is my attempt to try every Belgian beer I can get my hands on. It started as a way to decorate the basement, but has taken over. Most are empty bottles, but I do have the St Bernardus Collectors Editions Magnums (every year except 2016), and 3L 2015 Corsendonk Dubbel on display. I also have an extensive glass collection, as required to properly enjoy a Belgian Beer! In addition, I also have started buying a 12 pack of Orval every few months, drinking half, and stashing the other half in the basement to forget about for a couple years.
How big is your collection currently?
According to my Excel Spreadsheet (and I have a few in the beer fridge that haven’t made the list), I have 697 different beers.
A collection that you can be proud of!
What made you start collecting Belgian beer?
I met a beautiful lady at a local drinking establishment in 2011 that I started dating in 2012. No one could (and still can’t) figure out where her accent is from… well it turned out to be Brussels, Belgium! We celebrated our 5th anniversary in January.
She took me home to Belgium for the first time in 2013. I had always been a fan of craft beers and preferred stronger beers to the “Miller Lite” scene. From my first beer in Belgium ( I believe it was a Waterloo Tripel at the restaurant next to the Waterloo Battlefield), I was hooked.
She is not even a beer drinker (can get her to sip a framboise lambic on occasion, but that is about all), but we visited both Orval and Chimay on that trip to visit the Abbeys. We were at The Lambic Expo in Beersel and found out it happened to be the day of the Open Door reopening of ‘3 Fonteinen’. I met Armand (the Master Brewer) and was introduced to lambic beers and loved them as well. She and her father also took me to Brugge and Ghent. It was in Brugge that her father bought me “All Belgian Beers”, which at that time was a 1200 page encyclopedia attempting to list and describe every beer brewed in Belgium… The old US Marine in me considered that a challenge, and the collection began!
You are well on your way Scott!
I have been to Belgium 4 times to date and always come back with as many bottles as I can carry. My father in law visits once or twice a year (just got the devastating news his flight for next month is cancelled) and always brings new beers for the collection. I keep my Excel spreadsheet up to date for him and any friends that may be coming to visit us from Belgium. My wife’s friends have been absolutely great to me. For a wedding we attended in 2018 the groom gifted me 4 Westvleteren XIIs! They are aging comfortably in the basement…
Where do you purchase your beers?
It is obviously getting difficult to find new beers for the collection, but I’m always on the lookout. I get down to Monks Café in Philadelphia (about an hour away) a few times a year to enjoy harder to find beers and can usually find something new. Occasionally I’ll find a restaurant in the US with a good beer list.
What is the best place to buy your beer?
The best place I’ve found to order beer is online. I have ordered beers several times in Europe and often they charge Belgian prices. Despite the high shipping costs to the US, I think it is no more expensive than the price you pay at a specialty beer store. Moreover, Belgian beer is really difficult to obtain.
Do you have a favorite brewer/ favorite beer, both domestic as international?
My favorites are the traditional Trappist and abbey style Dubbels and Tripels, with a properly aged Westvleteren XII at the top of the list (shocker, I’m sure). For something more obscure, I love the Pannepot Fisherman’s Ales (the more age, the better). I mostly drink Belgiums, but I’m from Michigan, and enjoy a good stout such as CBS or KBS from Founders in Grand Rapids Michigan.
These beers are ready to drink, good choices!
Which beer is on the top of your wishlist?
A rare Cantillon.
With whom would you like to drink a bottle of beer and why?
I’ve tried to think of someone, but I’m not a starchaser… I just like drinking with friends or drinking with and where people are having fun!
What is the showpiece of your collection and why?
I’ll go with my 20+ Brasserie De La Senne beers. Not only were most of them fantastic, memorable beers, but the artwork is very cool as well. For full beer, it’s a a 25.03.18 Wesvleteren XII that is about to be enjoyed for my 50th birthday a few days after its 5th!
What would you give as advice to someone just starting to collect beers?
Try everything you can… Share what you love.
What do you think is the beertrend of 2020?
I’ve heard that sours are “The next IPA”… I hope that’s true… I sure know I can’t understand the IPA craze here in the USA.
Dear reader, if you know someone or if you have a Cantillon yourself, please send us an email to info@beerndx.com and we can put you in touch with Scott Patchcowski. It will undoubtedly get a nice place in his collection!
Good news for fans of matured beer. The creator of beer style Quadruple has released a special magnum bottle on the market in limited edition. The same beer, but in a larger, specially developed bottle.
The bottle – developed by the O-I factory in Rinteln Germany – was developed to allow the beer to mature. When the bottle and the beer do their best, the quadruple will develop further in the bottle, eventually making the taste rounder and softer.
Taste the silence.
Striking about the bottle are the details on the outside. For example, there is a bottling year on the side of the bottle and the expiration date is 10 years after production, while this is normally 3 years.
La Trappe Quadruple is already an excellent beer for maturing (and for drinking fresh), we are curious about the result and have some in the cellar.
A job application came in from Rob. Can I do an internship at BeerNDX? During the introductory meeting, we obviously could not ignore the question: “Do you drink beer? “Yes, preferably Amstel.” Do you also drink different beers? Our second question was. Yes, Jupiler. Since we had an excellent conversation with Rob, he began his internship at BeerNDX, provided he had to discover more of the beer world. So there was a beautiful Saturday in early March where Rob went to discover the (matured) beers of Hertog Jan, and what better place to taste these beers, then at the Bourgondische Bierkelder (Burgundian Beer Cellar).
On a beautiful sunny Saturday, Rob and our photographer entered the food halls in Breda. Crossing the food halls we came to a door that would lead us to the Burgundian Beer Cellar. The first thing you see as you walk down the creaky steps are candles on empty beer bottles and especially lots of full bottles of beers of all shapes and sizes. Inquiry with Bas shows that he now has a total of around 9000, mainly 75cl, bottles in Breda and Megen.
Today Rob joins the matured Hertog Jan tasting, with the following beers: The Hertog Jan Double from 2015 and 2019, the Hertog Jan Triple from 2015 and 2019. The Hertog Jan Grand Prestige from 2019, 2015, 2010 and to top it all off a ‘Hertog Jan Ongekend # 2’ from 2014. It can only be called ‘Burgundian’ if the tasty beers would be accompanied by some tasty food, and so during the tasting, several tasty things passed by. Including ‘bitterballen’ (look it up!) made from Zealandish bacon.
The beers for the tasting, next to each beer the matured counterpart.
Rob listens to Bas’s story with full attention. We start with a Hertog Jan Double from 2019 and he gets a leaf on which he can take notes. Fermentation? Aftertaste? Suddenly Rob looked as if he was reading Chinese, but with some explanation from Bas Schampers he did pretty good. In addition to the Double from 2019, a glass from 2015 was poured. Rob immediately started to take a big sip, but he saw the rest smelling the beer first, so he did as well. When asked what he smelled, he said: “The 2015 beer smells different from the 2019 beer, but I have no clue what I’m smelling. ”I do taste that the beer from 2015 is a bit more sweet, while the beer from 2019 has a more bitter taste”. It appears that the 2015 double has very little carbonation, Rob adds. Bas explains that the carbonation disappears from the beer over time, but that it also matters out of what bottle the beer is poured. The neck of the jug ensures that more air can enter, so that the carbonation disappears faster. “Learned something new” said Rob, who is passionately writing along.
Rob in action.
In the meantime, plates with mozzarella, Serrano ham, fuet sausages and much more are brought to the table. Time for the Hertog Jan Tripel from 2015 and 2019. First, Bas explains that this type of beer is generally not very suitable for maturing, but that it is interesting to try as an experiment. Rob likes the Tripel from 2019 a lot. He starts to learn how to taste and describes the aroma as spicy. The taste he finds pleasantly bitter along with some spices. He says somewhat proudly, “I find the taste of this beer complex”. The 2015 Tripel is immediately a lot less complex. The bitterness has almost disappeared, in terms of taste it becomes a bit more intense, but that is mainly because it has become a lot sweeter. Apparently not everything gets better with age.
The fellow tasters extensively test the Hertog Jan Triple.
It seems to be time for the final, the Grand Prestige.
But first, a plate full of all kinds of Syrian delicacies arrives. Since Rob’s head was still full of newly acquired beer knowledge, he was unable to remember the names, but it certainly was tasty.
Time for Rob, who until 4 hours ago would still see the Grand Prestige as a dark beer, to taste the holy grail of Hertog Jan. “This sight doesn’t immediately make me thirsty, it is really dark beer man.” While he then tries – as an accomplished taster – to find out which scents he can discover, the terms of the other tasters fly around in the cellar. “I smell raisins.” “Clear notes of liquorice and chocolate” the other shouts. Rob seems to summarize it all and notes “Sweet” with determination.
After reconsideration, Rob again compares the 2019 Grand Prestige with that of 2015.
The 2015 is then poured and many of the tasters in the hall are a bit disappointed. The carbonation has largely disappeared, but not much has changed in taste. Rob looks at me questioningly and says: “I don’t taste any difference at all, maybe a little less bitter ?!”. When Bas pours the 2010, the smiles return to the faces, the intensity in the beer has increased enormously. The beer has become fuller, sweeter and at the same time very pleasant. “I do taste a big difference here,” he says, while he expertly writes on his testform: “Sweeter”.
While the ‘bitterballen’ from Zealandish bacon are served (seriously tasty!) Bas serves us the closing, the ‘Hertog Jan Ongekend # 2’. It is a Grand Prestige that has been in a fermentation tank for a full year (!) Before it was bottled, that promises something. The year of fermentation has ensured that this Grand Prestige has become 10.5%. Looking at Rob’s tasting note, it quickly becomes clear what that extra year has done. “Sweet, licorice and spicy” is written on it.
The afternoon of tasting is over and we climb out of the cellar. When asked what he thought of it, he replied: “Heavy afternoon dude, did not know that there could be so much taste in beer. Particularly liked the Double, Triple and the food. I also got thirsty, so time to look for a bar to drink some beer.
A good glass of beer can be accompanied by a plate full of delicious food. The barbecue is not just a suggestion that you have to make in the summer. Joey Buys from BBQ Experience Center in Roosendaal is happy to explain why you can enjoy cooking in your garden all year round.
The BBQ Experience Center showroom has been located in part of the old juniper distillery Wenneker since last year. It only takes seconds to notice that the barbecue is not limited to a grid, some briquettes and a piece of meat. Barbeques in this shop come in all shapes and sizes. It is the largest kamado showroom in the Netherlands with brands such as Kamado Joe, Big Green Egg and Bastard. But open fire is also broad and clearly represented, such as the South African Braai, Arteflame and Ofyr. Pellet grills from Green Mountain Grills and Traeger, fireplaces from Bonfeu to electric, charcoal and gas-fired grills from Napoleon.
A (small) portion of the product range.
You have build a nice business here. Explain to us, why the full focus on barbecues?
It started with the passion for cooking, but at a certain point we wanted to use our “catering skills” in a different way. We want to help and inspire people to bring their cookingskills outside. Try to lift tasty and high-quality cooking to a higher level. We want to show them that there are other preparation techniques.
So no more burgers on the grid?
Look, the easy way of barbecuing is quick baking and fast food. We want to pay attention to high quality dishes, being outdoors and staying in touch with your guests. It is, of course, also a piece of garden design, because people have increasingly moved into the garden. We also have barbecues, which you can see as an outdoor kitchen, complete with sink and everything. Everyone can come to us to get inspiration or to seek advice. Our main concern is that we can share the passion for barbecuing with others, and to help those people further.
Speaking of inspiration … can you challenge us with a tasty dish, then we will try to select the perfect beer. Deal?
Necessities – Chicken container with moisture container
1 – Light your barbecue and prepare it for indirect heat at 190 ° C. We will prepare the chicken and later we will put it indirectly in the barbecue. This means not directly above the fire, but next to it or with a heat shield in between. 2 – Carefully remove the skin from the chicken by putting your finches under it, possibly using a glove for this. Spread under the skin so that it comes directly onto the meat. Also spread some rub on the outside of the skin. Fill the cavity of the chicken with the herbs. 3 – Heat the beer until it almost boils. Then pour it into a chicken holder and place the chicken on the stand. Then put it in the barbecue. 4 – Cook the chicken until the breast is 70 degrees and the thighs at least 85 degrees. This will take approximately 45 minutes. 5 – Remove the chicken from the barbecue, let it cool a little and grate lime zest over it.
Ter Dolen Armand in its natural habitat, next to a barbecue.
BeerNDX has a nice suggestion for a nice beer with Beercan Chicken: Ter Dolen Armand. This beer, named after the founder of brewery Ter Dolen, fits perfectly with this Beercan Chicken. The beer has flavors of citrus fruit and spices, which fits very well with the chicken. The taste is powerful, but not predominant, and the dry aftertaste makes you long for the next sip. Don’t forget the chicken!
