Brouwerij Hoegaarden

Stoopkensstraat 46,

3320 Hoegaarden.

Tel: 016 - 767 676

Fax: 016 - 767 691

http://www.interbrew.com/



Founded: 1966

Annual production:



Beer alc Description score (100) Hoegaarden Witbier 4.9% Witbier. Ingredients include unmalted wheat, coriander and curacao peel. Bottle-conditioned.

Very pale, hazy yellow colour with a small head; Orange, basil and coriander aroma; neutral taste with butter, orange and coriander aromas: neutral finish with wheat, coriander and lemon aromas.

The original witbier and still good, even if it has lost all its sourness. (Tasted 19.07.05) 54 Hougaerdse Das 5% A cross between witbier and a pale ale. An unusual and reasonabley tasty beer. Bottle-conditioned. 61 Hoegaarden Speciale 5.2% Seasonal - Oct to Jan. Bottle-conditioned. Leffe Tripel 8.1% Abbey tripel. Not to be confused with the other crappy beers with the Leffe brand. I'm pretty sure it's a slightly modified version of Hoegaarden Grand Cru. Very pleasant. Bottle-conditioned. 72 Hoegaarden Grand Cru 8.7% Blond spiced ale. A subtle and tasty beer brewed with coriander and curacao peel. Bottle-conditioned. 73 Hoegaarden Verboden Vrucht 8.8% Dark spiced ale. Also brewed with coriander and curacao peel. Bottle-conditioned. 66 Julius 8.5% Strong blond ale. Bottle-conditioned.Full yellow colour with a rocky head; coriander, hop and orange aromas; sweet/bitter taste with sugar, pepper and resin aromas; bitter finish with pepper and resin aromas.

A reasonable beer, only spoilt by an underlying sugary sweetness that doesn't really meld with the hops. Surprisinglt well-hopped. (Tasted 20.07.05) 48

An Inbev subsidiary.



Hoegaarden was founded by Pierre Celis to revive the local wheat beer style, which had become extinct through brewery closures in the 1960's. Celis had helped out in local breweries on an irregular basis. One difference in his beer was that it wasn't spontaneously fermented as the original had been.



The beer gradually gained popularity until a disastrous fire in 1985 put the brewery's future in doubt. With help from Interbrew, it was rebuilt, but at a cost. The brewery was eventually bought outright by Interbrew.



Since taking over, Interbrew have fiddled with the beers less than might have been feared. They''re easily the best of the multinational's Belgian efforts. If brewed by a small independent brewery, they would probably garner the praise they deserve. As mass-market beers go, they're up there with the very best. It doesn't stop the rest of Interbrew's Belgian beers being total crap, though.

