Favorite Beer Roundup and Kulminator Pub

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I don't drink beer often, but when I do, it's gotta be something special. I wrote this post to highlight a special pub I visited in Antwerpen and celebrate some of my favorite beers. Take for example Monk's Blood brewed by 21st Amendment Brewery in San Francisco, California. This is hands down my favorite beer. Inspired by traditional Belgian breweries in the hop fields of west Flanders, Monk's Blood is brewed with dark Belgian candy sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, dried Mission figs, and aged in oak. This beer pays homage to Belgian brewing but doesn't overshoot like most Belgian-style American beers. To me, the Belgian candy, Mission figs, and oak aging are the keys to this beer.  I actually keep dried Mission figs on hand at all times in case I get the temptation to open up one of these beers. Monk's Blood has a limited release around late winter, so stock up if you find some lingering about. 2012's release was a particularly late release, which occurred in March. Also, I just now learned that Monk's Blood will be taking a hiatus in 2013, which makes me fear if it will ever return.

The next beer I'll mention is this Foreign Stout Ale (pictured left) brewed in freshly emptied Pappy Van Winkle 20 year bourbon barrels: Stillwater Folklore, The Tale of Van Winkle. Brewed at Stillwater Artisanal Ales in Baltimore, Maryland, this ale is produced in extremely limited quantities (1200 bottles total) only once or twice per year. Aging in bourbon barrels gives this ale a taste of smoke, cocoa, vanilla, dark fruits, and a rich finish...the same flavors that make us so fond of Pappy Van Winkle bourbon alone. Stillwater Folklore is a dark, rich elixir which blurs the line between beer and spirit. This beer is not for the faint of heart.   Last but not least, I'll mention Stille Nacht, brewed in Essen, Belgium at De Dolle Brouwers. I discovered this beer in a beer pub named Kulminator in Antwerpen, Belgium. The twist is that I ordered one from 1997. Yes, they age Belgian beer there, and it blew my socks off.  Since then, I've tried a few of the recent releases, and although they don't have the same depth of flavor as the aged version, it is a phenomenal experience. This beer is brewed with Belgian White candy and, given the high alcohol concentration (12%), it lends itself quite well to the aging process. This beer is also released in limited quantities, usually in early December. The good part is that, if you look hard enough, you can find this beer all year round, usually in high end beer boutiques even here in the US. 
I wanted to take this opportunity to say a little more about Kulminator, the pub in Antwerpen, Belgium where I first tasted Stille Nacht. This is a mom and pop shop owned by a gracefully aged couple Dirk and Leen. I spent a few days in Antwerpen this summer, and couldn't pass on visiting this spot.  In addition to aged Stille Nacht, we also tried 2005 Chimay Blue and Hoegaarden Grand Cru from 1995. The bottles literally had dust on them. The place itself is quite cluttered, with something tucked in every nook - random magazines, board games, lounge furniture and house cats lingering about. The place feels cozy like your are settling down in someone's living room. Kulminator specializes in vintage Belgium beers, especially of the trappist variety. Most of the beers are served just above room temperature, common for Belgian beer and ideal for bottle aging. Kulminator has a cheese and charcuterie plate, but you don't go there to eat. Order one of the aged trappist beers, try a vertical tasting, and just have fun with the whole experience. Run, don't walk to this pub in Antwerpen.  

     
Since my experience at Kulminator, I have a growing interest in bottle aging beers. It's important to know though which beers to age, at what temperature, and for how long. Here is a list of general rules for bottle aging beer, from Martyn Cornell's Zythophile:

1) Don’t bother with anything less than 5 per cent abv, unless it’s (a) bottle-conditioned (b) preferably dark, and (c) only for a few months.

2) For a beer between 5 per cent and 7.5 per cent abv, don’t bother keeping it longer than 24 months, it’s likely to start deteriorating after than, if not before.
3) For a bottle-conditioned beer more than 7.5 but less than 10 per cent abv, several months may be needed before it is drinkable at all, and it should last in drinkable condition between five and 10 years. However, beware of the “waves” of drinkability, and if you find one bottle less drinkable than the last one you opened, you may find that if you wait a few months before opening the next, the beer comes back on form again.
4) For a beer more than 10 per cent abv, it may not be drinkable at all for at least a year, and it could be two years old before getting into any stride, but it is very likely to remain extremely satisfying for 10 years or more.
5) All the above depends on storing the bottles (a) upright (b) out of the light (c) at a constant temperature, or at least one that does not vary rapidly, and never higher than room temperature at worst (so yes to a wardrobe; no to alongside the boiler).