effervescent refractions

Over a month ago, during my trip to Amsterdam I had the chance of visiting De Bierkoning, a store whose praiseful reputation is genuinely well founded. After gaping at the enormous selection found upstairs, I proceeded to the cramped lambic cellar where two gems caught my eye. On the bottommost shelf were two small sets of dusty bottles whose green glass still emitted a slight twinkle among the wrinkles of time. I grasped one by its neck and gently dusted off the label feeling like an archeologist in an ancient Egyptian tomb. “1998″. Ah! What a wonderful year marked by France’s win in the World Cup and as I was about to discover, the creation of an outstanding brew.

Back in Paris, the pour in my Rochefort glass produced an obfuscated crepuscular melon color with no visible carbonation. The head, of an off-white hue, was dynamic, its bubbles of varying sizes creating wondrous patterns. Raspberries emerged at the pop of the cork, filling the nose with a delectable fragrance. Fruits of all kinds flood the aroma, releasing apple, sour cherries, pineapple, passion fruit and with warming some wild strawberries. The incredible complexity is further augmented by the odors of Champagne, brown sugar, soap, vanilla, cider, rose and mint. An exceptional concoction that subtly cools the nasal cavity much like freshly crushed mint. On the tongue apricot dominates initially while sweet peaches deliberately appear with time. A complex Champagne flavor is emphasized while the liquid is still cool but spearmint is quickly revealed along with a citrussy combination of unsweetened grapefruit and lemon that lingers after the swallow. The carbonation is well preserved and feels surprisingly tingling as it complements the body perfectly before flowing into a velvety finish on the back of the tongue. One might compare the aftertaste to New Belgium’s La Folie, though the sourness is further accompanied by fruits, notably apricot. The ascerbity leaves a wide grin on my face, the final mark of a remarkable brew.