Beer of the Week! 03/27/24
Ommegang / Brasserie d’Achouffe Gnommegang
Regularly $15.99 / Now on Sale for $14.96
Belgian Style Strong Pale Ale
One of the great things about the craft beer world is the prevalence of brewer collaborations. From what we’ve read, collaborations can introduce breweries to new markets, can give brewers a chance to learn from each other, can give friends a chance to hang out and create together, or can do any combination of the three. We’re always happy to see collaborations, because, in general, we’re more excited by acts of cooperation than competition. Every once in a while, though, there’s a collab that gets us especially jazzed. When we first heard that Cooperstown, New York’s Brewery Ommegang had collaborated with that gem from the Ardennes, Brasserie d’Achouffe, we squealed like the beer fan kids that we are.
Situated on an old hop farm, Brewery Ommegang put out its first beers in 1997. Leading with their amazing and (sadly) now defunct Abbey Dubbel, they were dedicated to making only Belgian style beers. Today, like many such Beligian-philic craft breweries, they’ve bowed to the shifting craft beer market and now regularly offer an IPA and a Pilsner. However, the majority of their beers are still Belgian in style and at heart.
Brasserie d’Achouffe began in a farm in the Valley of Fairies (we kid you not), in the Belgian Ardennes. Putting out their, now, legendary Chouffe Strong Belgian Pale Ale in 1987, Brasserie d’Achouffe has always been less bound by tradition than its fellow brewers. So, what’s up with the gnomes? Well, gnomes are to the Ardennes what leprechauns are to Ireland.
Brasserie d’Achouffe brings its yeast and expertise to this beer, while Brewery Ommegang does the formal brewing. Although the d’Achouffe yeast imparts fruit and spice notes along with alcohol, what stands out for us is just a touch of earthiness, giving the Gnommegang a firm bottom to its taste that strongly holds up the phenol-ridden off-dry malt. The flavor profile is complex while the overall ale remains light and refreshing. It’s two great breweries doing a great thing together.
(So, Brasserie d’Achouffe was started by two brothers-in-law — Pierre Gobron and Chris Bauweraerts — and coming up we have two more brothers-in-law behind Aslin. Look! It’s a mini-theme within our Beers of the Week!)
Bonus Beer of the Week (‘Cause we were told “brew” stood for “Better if Repeated in Every Way.”)
Aslin Pink Starfish
Regularly $15.99 / Now on Sale for $14.96
New England Style IPA
Brothers-in-law Andrew Kelley and Kai Leszkowicz founded Aslin Beer Company (named using their wives’ family name) in 2015 in Herndon, VA. Their very first beer was a New England Style IPA called the Orange Starfish. Since then, they have enjoyed riffing off of their original recipe. There’s been the Double Orange Starfish, the Green Starfish, the Triple Orange Starfish, the Infrared Starfish, etc. While Aslin has made many, many, many other hazy IPAs, the Starfishes remain their flagship IPA line as they harken back to the beer that started it all for them (which, incidentally, they still brew).
Where the Orange Starfish very happily lives off a duo of Galaxy and Citra hops, the Pink Starfish goes for a trio of fruit fascinators — Galaxy, Citra, and Strata. It’s hard to breakdown what’s going on with this brew as the blend of flavors is so tight. The Orange Starfish offers an accessible, easy-drinking juiciness. The Strata’s berry notes round out the Pink Starfish’s flavor in a very pleasing way. It’s like when your favorite duo adds a third instrument, and you’re, like, “Hey! It’s like their sound only more so but in a cool, different way!”
Remember!
You can see our entire beer inventory on Untappd.com!