De Prael Keus van Tante Bet

Brewed by Brouwerij de Prael
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Amsterdam, Netherlands

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler

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My group (a group of professors on a study tour) was on a walking tour of Amsterdam’s redlight district, with our guide being a professor of gay and lesbian studies from the Univ. of Amsterdam. He took us into Cafe ’t Mandje, an historic bar for the bar owner Bet van Beeren, a leader in the lesbian community beginning in the 1930s. I didn’t know what this beer was but I’ve found that de Prael brews this with a donation to the foundation for another bar, Cafe ’t Basket. "Tante Bet" is Aunt Bet, the woman (born in 1902). I’m not sure of the beer style and cannot find anything on line. The aroma has a burst of hop color, with citrus (some grapefruit) and pepper--making me think, initially, that it could be a hefe, though the color is too dark, being an amber orange. And in the tasting it is a bit heavier, with a sweetness that verges on cloying, though it finishes long and clean, with a silky palate. It lost its head quickly. I’m thinking the abv is relatively high, maybe 7 or 8%, but it is a well balanced Belgian-style ale, closer to a triple than anything else I could think of. Very interesting, and I’m glad I opted for this beer--it was a completely random kind of event. (on tap at Cafe ’t Mandje, Amsterdam)