Beer Spotlight!

Brouwerij Cornelissen Herkenrode Noctis

$15.99 for the 11.2oz bottle four-pack
Belgian Brown Ale

Herkenrode Abbey was a monastery of Cistercian nuns in the province of Limburg, Belgium, where Brouwerij Cornelissen now brews. Though the monastery was forcibly dissolved centuries ago, remnants of the buildings still stand and are being renovated by a Catholic women’s order. However, pieces of buildings are not the only things that remain of the sisters’ lives.

Robert Putnam (formerly of Cristal-Alken) and Patrick Gerits of Cornelissen joined forces to track down all of Herkenrode’s brewing recipes. They got them along with the license for Cornelissen to brew beers based on those recipes. Their Vesper Tripel has been a shop favorite for a while now. We also love its little sister, the Cister. However, pessimists that we are, we didn’t think the Noctis, their brown ale, could be as good. Who brews things right three times in a row? Eventually though, we gave into curiosity — and are we glad we did!

Brewed with Munich malt and English hops, the Cornelissen Noctis is light-bodied yet rich, giving you the full flavor that you want in a Belgian brown ale without feeling like it’s dropped a heavy load in your tummy.

You get a caramel sweetness right up front that fades quickly into grassy, herbal hops. Delightful. Three sips, and we’re sitting outside a café with a cheese plate and frites. No, no … it’s a happy place. Don’t spoil the dream!