Brasserie De La Senne Taras Boulba - Beer of the Week

by Joshua M. Bernstein, Posted Sep 7th 2010 @ 4:00PM

Taras Boulba beer Photo: Bernt Rostad, Flickr

When the average drinker brings to mind Belgian brewing, they often think of monks merrily making ales as strong as they're sweet.

"The average drinker doesn't know crap about Belgian beer," says Dan Shelton, co-owner of beer importers Shelton Brothers.

Once upon a time, Belgium was known for its hoppy, quaffable pale ales, Shelton says. "There's this perception that Belgium is all about these big beers, but the big stuff is a recent mutation from the '50s and '60s," Shelton says.

But for Belgians Bernard Leboucq and Yvan De Baets, bigger doesn't equal better. As the brewers behind Brasserie De La Senne, Leboucq and De Baets have begun rebelling against sugared-up, barely hopped ales by crafting Belgian beers the way they were once made: low alcohol, highly drinkable and as bitter as old men.

Zinnebir (5.5 percent ABV) is a light, yeasty blonde ale with a pronounced hop bite. Stouterik (4.5 percent ABV) is a bitter, chocolaty beauty. And then there's my top choice, Taras Boulba, a pale ale whose name references a tale by Russian writer Nikolai Gogol.

In the story, Boulba is a Cossack general whose son marries a Polish girl -- the enemy. Dad kills his son. This drama is played out on the beer's cartoon-y label, depicting a brutish dad -- shouting Smeirlap!, which translates to fool! -- about to crush his cowering Flemish son with a beer barrel. His crime? Marrying a French-speaking Wallonian girl. Got that? Good.

Now about Taras Boulba, the beer: It pours a hazy yellow, capped by a lasting head like stiffly beaten egg whites. The scent is funky and fresh, full of spicy yeast, lemons and fruit. Boulba drinks downright dry and delicious, with a bit of malt sweetness that relents to grass, citrus and hops, hops, hops. It's so flavorful, it's easy to forget that Boulba is but 4.5 percent ABV.

"The history of Belgium is low-alcohol, hoppy beers," Shelton. Here's hoping it's Belgium's future too.

Joshua M. Bernstein has written about brews, bars and booze for New York Magazine, Time Out New York, Imbibe Magazine and The New York Times. He is currently writing a beer book for Sterling Publishing, to be published in 2011.

Filed Under: Drinks
Tags: beer, Brasserie De La Senne Taras Boulba, featured, shelton brothers, SheltonBrothers

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Reader comments (Page 1 of 1)

9-08-2010 @8:14AM Ellen Smith said... I thought so too that belgian ales are strong and you know, I mean that sort of ales that really gets..
I guess I have to get a taste of it, interesting and Im curious...

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9-08-2010 @1:54PM verdegrrl said... Thanks for reminding or pointing out that not all Belgian beers need be doubles or triples. On a warm day you want something that quenches, and doesn't make you loopy after just one bottle!
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