BY CHRIS JOHNSTON (Twitter: @CheersForBeers)

Hoegaarden Grand Cru

I love surprises, don’t you?  Okay, the “good” ones.  Well, my good friend Matt Dornak in Las Vegas, Nevada got me a beer that he said I had to try… It was a “Special beer”!  Plus, he wouldn’t tell me what it was until I met up with him!

When it comes to beer, Matt is always up for trying new things.  One time he found a website where you could order Chimay cheese! (http://www.igourmet.com)  Yes, Chimay makes fantastic Trappist beer and Belgian cheese! (http://www.chimay.com) Matt got about six of us together and created an order.  When the cheeses came we wished we had purchased more!  The Chimay cheeses were very delightful once they got to room temperature.

So, last week I was in Las Vegas visiting family and friends and I meet up with Matt.  I was actually excited to see what Matt had in store for me.  When I got there he pulled the beer out of his garage fridge with a do not touch label on them.  He had two bottles left over from a six-pack of Hoegarden Grand Cru.  You can’t get this stuff in the US!

Back label without the surgeon general's warning

Matt Dornak Drinking the Grand Cru

Grand Cru in the sun

Check it out; this bottle doesn’t have the surgeon general warning.  This warning must be on all alcohol bottles before it comes into the United States for distribution.  Pretty cool, Matt had succeeded in finding a beer I hadn’t tried before. He did have to go out of the country to get it! (http://www.belgianshop.com)

Once we poured the Grand Cru I notice it had a hazy yellow/orange color, kind of like a hefeweizen. The aroma was sweet and citrus with that trademark hoegaarden hops scent. When I took it out into the light for photos we notice white sediment floating. No, It wasn’t bubbles!  It was very interesting, in a good way.  The taste was very refreshing and fruity, not too sweet, with a nice combination of spices and that long hoegaarden finish.  While we were catching up I notice there was sediment left in the bottle.  This was sediment that you might see at the end of a cabernet wine bottle.  Not filtered, but we didn’t care – it was all good!!

Grand Cru Sediment

Matt even translated the back label too!
Hoegaarden Grand Cru is our pride, a noble beer, brewed in our way. With ripe wheat, barley malt, hops, fine, mysterious herbs and lots of patience. Hoegaarden Grand Cru is not filtered and second fermentation in the bottle.  It develops a misty peach color, aroma and a velvety smooth taste, full of subtle twists.  Keep it alive beer upright in a dark place and give it 5-6 c. Flavored with herbs.

Thanks for the surprise Matt!