Beer Spotlight!

Brasserie Dubuisson Refermentée

$5.99 for the 750ml bottle
Amber Tripel

Brasserie Dubuisson outside of Leuze-en-Hainaut in southwestern Belgium claims the distinction of being the oldest brewery in Wallonia (the southern, French-speaking part of the country). Joseph Leroy founded the brewery in 1763 after he and his crew left Count of Ghissegnies’ brewery and crossed a field to start their own. Eight generations later, those counts are gone, their brewery is gone, but Dubuisson is still making beer, still independent, and still family-owned. (We guess sometimes the barley is greener on the other side.)

In 1931, brothers Alfred and Amédée pretty much bet the farm by hanging up their part-time farmer hats and focusing entirely on beer. Two years later, Alfred launched an amber ale fashioned after the popular English style. That amber is now the Scaldis Caractère, the brewery’s flagship beer, which celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2008. For the anniversary, Dubuisson put the Caractère in 750ml bottles, added in some “natural yeast” and allowed the beer to referment in the bottle. They call it, the Refermentée.

Dubuisson characterizes the resultant Refermentée as an Amber Tripel, although beer sites call it a Strong Dark Ale. Not quite a Tripel’s flavor profile and not dark enough to be dark, we wonder at either designation. No matter what you end up calling it, the important thing is that you come to your conclusion over a glass.

Rich with a suspended “yeast cloud,” the Refermentée is sweet with a taste that hangs out between straight-from-the-orchard apple cider and brown sugar that has been melting in butter. (Yum!) Surprisingly, it manages to have depth within its very focused flavor profile. We had it very cold and wondered if it would be better a little warmer … but it never stayed in our glasses or in the bottle long enough for us to find out!