Located in Old Town Pasadena is simply the best place to sample Belgian beers in Los Angeles, Lucky Baldwins . Twice a year they have a Belgian Beer Festival where everything on their 50 plus beer taps is Belgian. Even in Belgium you can't get that much Belgian beers on tap in a single place. They also have hundreds of Belgian beers in bottles.
My friend and I were lucky enough to snag a couple of spots at the bar. I like sitting at the bar, that way I can see what beers I am having next and talk to the bar keep as well. The food is so-so here, British pub grub, fish and chips, meat pies, hot wings, burgers etc. During Belgian Beer Festivals they do offer some specialty foods, I was able to go last February and had some Flemish carbonades (Beef Stew) in Maredsous 8, absolutely sublime.
To start I had some Gulden Draak Tripel 10.50% ABV a Belgian style strong ale. A friend of mine, who has been to many beer tastings with me, introduced me to this beer. This is probably the first Belgian beer I tasted and got me hooked for good. The bottle and even the tap handle for this beer evokes an image of a Golden Dragon when in fact Gulden Draak translates as "Golden Duck".
The beer pours a cloudy deep dark brown with a reddish hue, the head is thin with little or no lacing. The nose is hops, malts, sweet and fruity, like mixed dark berry jam. The aroma carries on with the taste that is sweet caramel and fruity, with raisins, and some chocolate undertones. It is not sour, but sweet with some bitterness that lingers in your mouth. The mouthfeel is creamy almost syrupy with little natural carbonation. Easy to drink despite it's 10.5% ABV, a deadly combination.
Then I had some Scotch Silly 8% ABV a Scotch Ale type of beer. I never had this before. The beer pours deep dark copper with a nice foamy head and excellent lacing. The nose is malty caramel reminiscent of toffee and some dried fruits. I get the same metallic taste as with Double Enghien Blonde in the beginning which rapidly disappears, then some malty toffee sweetness and tea-like bitterness. I also get some complex flavors of butterscotch, cherries and dates. The mouthfeel is medium creamy with good carbonation. This beer is easily dinkable and might go very well with some nice warm beef stew.
To finish, I had some (maybe a couple) Hoegaarden 4.9% ABV a Belgian Witbier (wheatbeer or white beer). One of my favorite beers. It is made with wheat, flavored with coriander seeds and orange peel. This is the standard to which I hold other Witbiers against. I would describe this beer poured in a glass as "a light golden cloud of beer under a billowy white head". The cloudiness is because it is unfiltered and still has some yeast suspended. The nose is unmistakably distinct, citrusy, with strong wheatiness and a hint of coriander. The taste, mirroring the nose, is a masterclass in balance and subtlety, not too sweet, not too bitter, not too citrusy, and not too spicy. The mouthfeel is light with excellent carbonation making it crisp and refreshing. A very drinkable beer specially during summer, and SoCal weather ;) . This beer is great with spicy foods.
17 S. Raymond Ave.
Pasadena, CA 91105
(626) 795-0652
DELIRIUM PUB
21 Kersting Ct.
Sierra Madre, CA 91024
(626) 355-114
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2 comments:
Ooh, lucky indeed! Their food's not bad either, from what I recall.
Guess I'll have to drive up to Sierra Madre to check out all those Belgian beers while the festival's still on (I prefer that location to Old Town, less rowdy)
Oh yeah, it can get pretty rowdy. When we were there they had a huge bald bouncer that had a curly-tip mustache, quite a character.
I like the Sierra Madre location, more laid back, and close to a lot of really good Chinese food down the street.
We talked to Dave, the owner, he said he bought the place because of the "to go" license, so you can actually buy beers to take home from their store in the back.
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