Friday, June 22, 2012

Perennial Hommel Bier Review

Hommelbeir (one word) is a Belgian style whose name means bumblebee "hops" in the local flemish dialect and is derived from the Latin word Humulus. Traditionally it is an unfiltered beer based on three types of hops from the region of Poperinge (including Brewers' Gold and Hallertau) and with secondary fermentation in the bottle or on the barrel. <Ed Note – Yes, I had to look this up because I am not as familiar with the style>

While Perennial’s attempt at the the style does deviate from tradition (they use Pacific Northwest Hops), the result is still a fairly tasty beer.

  • HommelAppearance – Cloudy burnt gold in color
  • Nose- Yeasty, A piney hops (Chinook?), orange rind and malt
  • Taste – A complex taste of Malt and honey intertwined with orange, fruit and spice.
  • Food Pairing – Spicy jumbo shrimp seasoned with Sofrito, Lobster Broth, Crushed Fried Plantains, Fresh Cilantro and Garlic.

Does it work?  With the food pairing above, it does.  I think the fruitiness played well with the plantains and the hops is always good for cutting the spiceyness of a dish.  That being said, I would really like to try this beer with a bucket of Belgian Mussels in a heavy garlic sauces. 

At our end to the table, the women seemed to prefer the IPA to this beer, while the men were in Hommel camp.  I think this is do to a more “Up Front” hoppy taste and a heavy body in the beer. 

I enjoyed this beer quite a bit and definitely think it deserves a solid 4 out of 5 MugMugMugMug

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