Try?
So there I was, out on a beer hunt at Bullock’s Wine and Spirits in Woodstock, Georgia. The date was March the 27th, 2014, the birthday anniversary of legendary beer writer Michael Jackson. So, a beer hunt seemed apropos in honor of the beer hunter. What to toast with? A Belgian beer seemed in order. Oh sure, one could say something from England would better fit the bill, since that was Jackson’s home country. Nobody but Belgium on the map like MJ did, however, so a bottle of Hop Ruiter from the De Scheldebrowerij in Turnhout made it into my cart.
“Hop Ruiter” is Dutch for Hop Knight, and what was Jackson if not a knight battling for the everlasting honor of the hop? The label also features the slogan “Fortis Fortuna Duvat”, Flemish for “Fortune favors the bold” (I think). More form the label, words of importers Vanberg and Dewulf:
The
town of Turnhout is a little Belgian gem. If you play poker, you may know
it as the playing card capital of the world. If you know history, you may
know the surrounding Kempen region was a favorite hunting ground of the
Dukes of Brabant. Among beer lovers, it’s increasingly known for the
talented, renegade brewers at De Scheldebrouwerij.
We’ve encouraged them to combine traditional Belgian yeast driven flavors with an American assertive hoppiness to create a hearty new golden ale. Hop Ruiter has a full, almost rustic, malt body-dry hopped with two noble varieties that add complexity, delicacy and a bit of funk. Enjoy!
Hop Ruiter is a formidable beer indeed. Don’t be taken in by its seductive pale color-this one packs a punch at 8% alcohol by volume. The website begs to differ with the label as to hop varieties, saying instead two hop varieties are used for the boil and one with which to dry hop. Personally, I got more hop bitterness than aroma here, so the dry hopping didn’t add a lot for me. Anyway, I paid $9.49 for a 750 ML bottle of Hop Ruiter. Seems fair enough for a Belgian specialty brew.
Hop Ruiter pours to a pale blonde color with a massive head of tightly packed foam bubbles and a delightful funky Belgian yeasty nose with hints of spicy coriander and zesty lemons. Taking a sip, the beautiful blonde/golden ale sings light bready malts, spicy coriander and clove, light citrus fruits, funky yeast, and vanilla. It doesn’t seem at all its 8% ABV, so be careful. The finish is lightly tart (wheat malts?), and seasoned with just the perfect amount of balancing hop bitterness. That bitterness lingers on the tongue for a while, not in an overpowering way, but a very pleasant one.
All in all, a delightful bit of Belgium in a bottle, and a beer I would certainly buy again.
And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.
(B)=Bottled
(D)=Draft
