Pub Crawl in Amsterdam (Tues/Wed)

The trip from Brussels to Amsterdam is pretty quick, especially if you take the hi-speed train. So it was early afternoon by the time we found ourselves on the Leidersplein. Like Brussels, there are pubs, bars, cafes and restaurants everywhere you turn, especially in the city centre and its environs. The square was full of people coming and going or just relaxing. We settled into a terrace and ordered a Hertog Jan Weizener and Saison 1900 from the taps at 3 Sisters. The wheat beer had a lovely, rocky head, was appropriately cloudy, but dark amber in colour with subdued tones of banana and cloves and a pleasant tart finish. Very drinkable. The saison exhibited a fresh nose, nice mousse head, clear amber hue, fruity palate, well balanced with a base of hop and a very dry finish.
After getting our bearings, we found ourselves at Café Brecht. A casual, yet comfortable little room with an eclectic décor and cool music, they also cater to beer lovers, sporting a regular menu of at least 24 selected bottles, plus 4 taps and 8 specialties. The Augustiner Munchen Dunkel seemed particularly appealing as one of their special bottles, as did the Budvar on tap. The Budvar was as expected – crisp, clean and fresh, floral nose, hop infused and well balanced palate, nice dry finish – the perfect thirst quencher after our long walk to get there. The Dunkel was a lovely mahogany colour with a light head and sweet malt aroma that led to a malt accented but well balance palate. There was some chocolate notes and sweetness in the long smooth finish. We also tried the Reissdorf Kolsch - a crisp, clean, refreshing beer, bright gold colour, white head, sparkling mouthfeel with light hoppy palate and a buried fruitiness under a well balanced and dry finish.
Next stop was The Old Nickel. We just literally went in to get out of the rain and found 6 beers on tap and over 60 available by bottle. This is also a popular and funky little hotel, with rooms upstairs accessed through the bar. Promising ourselves to come back, we had a night cap of La Trappe White [see Beer of the Day, Sept. 7] and stumbled on our way.
We resumed our mission the next day after a quick tour of the Van Gough Museum. Searching for the famous Café Gollem brought us to the Gekroate Ketel (cracked kettle), an amazing bottle shop, stacked floor to ceiling with an outstanding selection of Dutch, Belgian and international brands. Alas, right across the street, Café Gollem was closed ‘due to circumstance’. Sensing our disappointment, the knowledgeable young man in the bottle shop sent us to the In de Wildeman, not far away. They had about 24 beers marked on their main chalk board, with specialty lambic and Trappist vintages listed elsewhere. Here we found the sublime and only 3.5% De Molen Melk en Mild on tap [see Beer of the Day, Sept. 8]. I followed that up with Schelde Brouwerij Oester Stoute, a richer offering with a sweet malt nose, deep black colour, a tight head resulting in thick lacing with notes of toffee, coffee and roasted malt. Medium bodied with malt sweetness balanced against some hoppy that also disguises its potent 8.5% strength. We also tried a bottle conditioned De Molen’s Vuur & Vlam (fire & flame) IPA. Huge flowery hop aroma, big rocky head and an initial hop bite that really gets your attention. They use Galena, Chinook, Cascade, Simcoe and Amarillo hops, so you know this is a potent double IPA, even at 6.2%. Deep amber in colour with a long dry finish, this would not be out of place back home.
The bartender at de Wildeman, well versed as he was in beer, convinced us to visit the Brouwerij de Prael, just a few blocks away, to taste their locally made and served products. Prael both bottle and keg, serving their products on tap in their taproom. 8 varieties were available while we were there, ranging from bocks and barley wine to wit, kolsch and abbey style. Paul started with Willeke, their blond tripel, while I opted for the ‘lentebok’ Andre. At 7.5% the tripel was a medium bodied version, straw in colour, a little cloudy with a head that faded to lace quickly, but full marks for flavour – subtle spiciness, well balanced, dries out at the finish well. The ‘spring bock’ had a malty nose, sweet malt first impression on the palate, some underpinning of hop, dark amber in colour, medium body and a sweetish finish. Johnny was next, the 5.7% Kolsch with a big, thick white head, straw colour, light nose and body, neutral palate yet nice dry finish. Their guest tap that day was Felen Zeebonck, a 6.5% alternative to a traditional bock. Fresh malty nose, white head, amber tinged, sweetish palate, smooth mouthfeel, some hidden hop, but long sweet finish.
After a very late and deliciously spicy Chinese meal, we found our way to the absolutely fabulous Het Elfde Gebod (the eleventh commandment). Dimly lit and elegant, it has a dark wood paneled bar, soft furnishings and a down tempo jazzy soundtrack that lends itself to a very comfortable, warm atmosphere. There are over 50 beers listed on their chalk board, with 5 taps and some special bottles. The fresh Corsendonk Angus (7.5%) on tap hit the spot. Dark blond colouring and a big malt bite are the initial impressions, dark malty tones, candy sugar notes, caramel and a smooth palate leads to a finish that dries out pleasantly.