Tour 76 / LambicLand & Toer de Geuze 2015

Wednesday 10 March – Sunday 14 March 2027

This five day Tour is designed for those who love dark beers! We first created this Tour in 2023 and it sold out, so Siobhan thought it high time to have another crack at the best of Belgian dark beers - some different ones this time!

BlackDamnation

Black Damnation, Struise Brouwers

We are based for five days and four nights in the beautiful four star new Hotel Van der Valk**** in the city of Mechelen, Antwerp Province. It has a Presidential Suite, which Siobhan is hoping they'll allocate to her! Mechelen is a well situated city from which to fan out in search of the blackest of black beers and their creators. The hotel is situated near the water and is very luxurious! Mechelen is the home of Het Anker brewery, and we are a two minute walk from the brewery tap! Local people are known as “Moon-Extinguishers” or Maneblussers, so have a Het Anker Maneblusser beer and find out why the local inhabitants are proud of this dubious historical episode. Each evening of the Tour is free for you to explore this ancient city armed with a copy of Podge’s Mechelen Bar Guide and accompanying map.

Join us, you know you want to.

We are based in Chelmsford in Essex and we use a UK hired coach to travel. We try to use Le Shuttle (Eurotunnel) from Folkestone to get to and from Belgium, but if not available we go by ferry from Dover to Calais. Most of our Travellers join the Tour at our main pick up point outside The Woolpack Pub, 23 Mildmay Road, Chelmsford CM2 0DN and most come from other parts of the UK, and some from further afield, especially USA. Lots of our Travellers stay the night before a Tour (and often the night of our return) at Chelmsford Travelodge, only a few minutes walk from The Woolpack or at the Premier Inn, near the Railway Station, about a 10 minute walk to the pick up point at The Woolpack. Podge's Central Chelmsford Map shows suggested accommodation and pubs! We all usually pop in to The Woolpack the night before departure for a meet, greet and a few beers with Siobhan who is your Tour Manager, Tour Guide and drinking pal for the duration.

Our Galloways luxury coach (49 seater coach with toilet) starts from Suffolk and on the way to Folkestone (or Dover if we go by ferry) and picks up at several points, as agreed with Siobhan, as below:

Ipswich, Bus Stop, Tesco Store, Pinewood, Ipswich IP8 3TS.

Colchester, McDonald's, Tollgate West, Stanway, Colchester C03 8RG.

Chelmsford, The Woolpack, 23 Mildmay Road, CM2 0DN.

Dartford, BP Garage (formerly Esso) 474 Princes Road, DA1 1YT. On the return leg we drop off at Dartford Railway Station DA1 1DR.

Swanley, Unit 4, Moreton Industrial Estate, London Road, BR8 8DE.

Ashford, pull in Outside Dobbies Garden Centre, Opposite Premier Inn, Ashford Eureka Leisure Park, Rutherford Road, Ashford, Kent, TN25 4BN.

Folkestone, Shell Garage, Stop 24 Services, J11, M20, Kent, CT21 4BL.

This Tour is currently being built, and the detailed, timed itinerary is set out below, with most of the visits already confirmed. If you want to find out about general updates on this and all Tours you can subscribe to our monthly email newsletter - there is a form to do this at the foot of this page. If you would like to join us please send Siobhan an email or call on +44 (0) 7722 724 558 for details on how to secure a place and pay the deposit of £300 per person. The Tour price is at the foot of this page. Travellers who wish to cancel a booking on any Tour must give written (email or letter) notice to Siobhan McGinn prior to the Tour departure date. If the cancellation is received more than 12 weeks prior to the Tour departure date the Traveller’s deposit, and any other Tour monies paid will be refunded. If the cancellation is received less than 12 weeks prior to the Tour departure date the Traveller’s deposit will not be refunded.

Here is the detailed, timed proposed itinerary:

Day 1 - Wednesday 10 March

04.45hr Coach departs from Galloways coach depot at Denters Hill, Mendlesham, Suffolk, IP14 5RR.

06.00hr Coach pick up The Woolpack, Mildmay Road, Chelmsford CM2 0DN.

06.45hr Coach pick up at Dartford - BP Garage (formerly Esso), 474 Princes Road, Dartford, Kent, DA1 1YT (the one with the big McDonalds at the rear).

07.30hr Coach pick up at the pull in outside Dobbies Garden Centre, Opp. Premier Inn Ashford Eureka Leisure Park, Rutherford Road, Ashford, Kent, TN25 4BN.

07.45hr Coach picks up at Shell Garage, Stop 24 Services, J11, M20, Kent, CT21 4BL.

08.00hr Arrive Le Shuttle (Eurotunnel) Train Crossing from Folkestone.

09.50hr Departure of Le Shuttle (Eurotunnel) Train crossing from Folkestone.

11.30hr Arrive/Disembark Calais.

13.00hr Arrive at our first stop which is In de Vrede, the iconic Trappist monastery brewery in Westvleteren. So, we are beginning at the top, with the beer which has multiple times been voted, by consumers, the Best Beer in the World. This is a proper Trappist brewery, within a monastery, but there are only 26 monks living here these days. The Saint-Sixtus Abbey started brewing in 1838 and only sell their beer to drink in at the monastery café, or sales at the door by appointment. Between 1946 and 1992, the St. Bernardus Brewery in Watou was granted a license to brew beer under the St. Sixtus name. Today, St. Bernardus brews beers of similar styles but under their brand name. The monks have repeatedly stated enough beer is brewed to run the monastery, and production volumes will not be increased to meet market demand. Annual production is today the same as it was in 1946. Historically the beers were identified only by the colour of the bottle cap and labels were only introduced in 2022. We will visit the renovated brewery tap/café restaurant for a taste of the uber Belgian black beer! We’ll also have a meal here and slake our great Channel crossing thirst.

What to taste here for Dark Beer lovers:

• Westvleteren 8 (The Blue Cap) 8%abv. The Monastery brewery claims that the 8 has achieved real cult status, like it’s big brother. The beer is amber red-brown in colour, topped by a large, lacy head. It has a sweet, fruity aroma. It has a sweet, malty taste, with a bitter end!

• Next step up is the Westvleteren 12 (The Yellow Cap) 10.2%abv. The big one. Also called Flemish Bourgogne, it is dark with a lacy white head. The aroma is massively raisiny and the taste is full, creamy and richly malty.

• For those of us who favour the lighter, paler brews, try the gorgeous Blond (The Green Cap) 5.8%abv. Slightly hazy, hoppy with 3 locally grown hop varieties. Bitterness dominates the flavour profile.

15.00hr Leave In de Vrede in Westvleteren.

16.15hr Arrive at a new visit for our Tours at De Wastobbe in Laarne. This café name translates as The Washtub. This café opened in 1987, and in the past was a distillery, a mill, and finally, until the 1960s, a commercial laundry. References to washtubs, washing and laundry abound.

What to taste here for Dark Beer lovers:

• Trappist Chimay Blue (here they call it Donker) 9%abv

• Trappist La Trappe Quadrupel 10%abv

• Trappist Rochefort 6, actually, 7.5%abv. A reddish-amber dubbel with notes of honey, apple, and dried fruit. (much rarer in cafes than the other two Rocheforts).

• Trappist Rochefort 8, actually, 9.2%abv. A robust dark ale featuring strong tones of toffee, dark sugar, and fig.

• Trappist Rochefort 10, actually, 11.3%abv. A powerful quadruple-style dark ale packed with rich layers of plum, dark chocolate, and warm spices.

• Kasteel Donker 11%abv – very sweet!

• St Bernardus Abt 12, actually 10%abv. Compare with the Westvleteren 12.

17.30hr Leave de Wastobbe in Laarne.

18.45hr Arrive at the excellent four-star Hotel Van der Valk**** in Mechelen. The evening is free for you to explore this great Flemish city armed with a copy of Podge’s Mechelen Bar Guide* and accompanying map*. I love this hotel on the waterside. Superb luxury breakfasts, lovely rooms and best of all, we are a four-minute walk to the excellent Het Anker Brewery tap for a nightcap.

What to taste here for Dark Beer lovers:

• Gouden Carolus Cuvée Van De Keizer Imperial Dark 11%abv, brewed once a year on The Emperors birthday, available only in 75cl bottles for sharing!

• Gouden Carolus Whisky Infused Dark 11.7%abv - infused with their own whisky.

• Gouden Carolus Classic 8.5%abv - a dark ruby roasty fruity beer.

For those of us who like a fresh blonde, do try the Maneblusser (Moon Extinguishers) at 5.8%abv. One of Siobhan’s fav Belgian blondes. Rochefort tasting at Rochefort Abbey

Rochefort, Rochefort Brewery (Trappist)

Day 2 - Thursday 11 March

10.00hr Following a luxury buffet breakfast* we head off by coach to explore.

11.00hr Arrive at the wonderful and picturesque Brouwerij Hof Ten Dormaal in Tildonk. Since 2009, the Janssens family have been brewing their unique beers using their own grains and hops, grown here. This allows them to ensure that all ingredients are of the highest quality. Great quality, beautiful farm brewery, run by farmers. They also do lovely Saison beers, which I tasted last time I was there with Visit Flanders Tourism, and we saw their resident owl in a barn, which dropped a feather on my head.

What to taste here for Dark Beer lovers:

• Donker, a dark brown beer at 7.5%abv. They also brew occasional Stouts including Tempelhof 11.2%abv and Hof ten Darth Maul at 9.7%abv. I’ll ask about these for the tasting…

12.45hr Leave Brouwerij Hof Ten Dormaal in Tildonk.

13.15hr Arrive at In den Rozenkrans in Kessel-Lo. This is a classic abbey cafe which stands in the courtyard of the 900-year-old former Benedictine Abbey of Vlierbeek, near Leuven. The last monk of Vlierbeek died in 1838. In keeping with the ecclesiastical surroundings, the café name translates as ‘The Rosary’ (the Catholics amongst you will explain to the others exactly what this is for). The name “In den Rozenkrans” is actually a remnant from a TV series filmed here in the 1960s. The screenwriter attached to this café the fictional sign “Estaminet In den Rozenkrans” after which the name stuck. We’ll have a meal here. Their menu features around 85 beers including a lot of Trappists on draft and some from the smaller breweries in this area. (To Be Arranged).

What to taste here for Dark Beer lovers:

• Westmalle Dubbel 7%abv on draft. Nuff said.

• Broeder Jacob Bruin (Brouwerij Broeder Jacob, Tongeren) 7.5%abv.

• Gordon Scotch (Brouwerij John Martins) 8%abv - a wee heavy.

• Gouden Draak (Brouwerij Van Steenberge) 10.5%abv - a strong dark ale.

• Kompel Ondergrounds (Brouwerij Kompel, Maasmechelen) 6%abv dark coal miners’ beer.

• Kraaike Tripel Donker (Brouwerij Craywinckelhof, Lubbeek) 7.5%abv a fruity strong dark ale.

• Martha Bruin (Brouwerij The Brew Society, Heule) 12%abv - a strong dark Quad.

• Pater Lieven Donker (Brouwerij Van den Bossche, Herzele) 6.5%abv dark, caramel beer.

• Straffe Hendrik Quadrupel (Brouwerij de Halve Maan, Brugge) 11%abv - a rich Belgian Quad.

15.45hr Leave In den Rozenkrans in Kessel-Lo.

16.00hr Arrive at the little Microbrouwerij Coureur & taproom in Kessel-Lo. A lovely small, modern brewery with a nice little tasting room, and some of the best series of fixtures and fittings made out of bicycle parts which I have seen. The faux taxidermy bike saddles are nothing short of brilliant. Bikes and cycling are a big thing here. The name of the brewery means “The Cyclist” in French and is run by youthful Bart & Ine since 2019. The beers can only be drunk here as they do not bottle their beers at all, but may can some. They have a series of regular beers and special editions on tap, but they vary and I will ask if we can have a good selection of dark beers. (To Be Arranged).

What to taste here for Dark Beer lovers:

• Zwart Voor De Ogen (Black Before My Eyes) 8% abv an imperial stout

• Slijkduivel (Mud Devil) Imperial Stout at 8.1% abv

• Avondrit (Evening Ride) 3.4% abv, unusually for Belgium, a ‘mild’ - a smooth dark beer with subtle notes of coffee and chocolate.

17.30hr Leave Microbrouwerij De Coureur in Kessel-Lo.

18.15hr Arrive back at Hotel Van der Valk**** in Mechelen for a little nap then a night on the tiles.

Vicaris Generaal

Vicaris Generaal, Dilewyns Brewery

Day 3 - Friday 12 March

10.00hr Following a luxury buffet breakfast* we head off by coach for a day out.

10.15hr Arrive at beer warehouse Quali Drinks just outside Mechelen. They have a choice of over 1000 beers, so you can choose a few of your favourites to take home. We may have a bit of a beer tasing here!

11.30hr Leave Quali Drinks in Mechelen.

12.15hr Arrive Brewery Malheur (De Landtsheer) in the traditional beer making area of Buggenhout. I have very, very fond memories of this wonderful brewery. We haven’t taken the group here for a few years, and I am delighted to be going there after a long absence. I well remember brilliant brewery visits with the then owner Manu (Emmanuel) De Landtsheer and his son Guillaume is now involved too. Though Manu began this modern iteration of the brewery in 1997, the brewing dynasty was begun here in 1773 by Balthazar De Landtsheer.

What to taste here for Dark Beer lovers:

• Novice Tripel Black at 8.5%abv, described by the brewery as a Dark IPA (apols to beer style purists)

• Malheur 12 at 11.5%abv – the dark one.

• Malheur Dark Brut (à la méthode originale) at 12%abv. Dry finish, decanted into young American oak barrels especially burned for this beer.

13.45hr Leave Brewery Malheur in Buggenhout.

14.00hr Arrive at Brasserie (B)ierboom in Lebbeke. The Beer Tree is a pretty, stepped gable red brick building opposite the church and resembles a Baronial hall inside. Here we will stop for a meal and a beer or two from their short but well picked beer list. They have a house beer brewed for them.

16.00hr Leave Brasserie (B)ierboom in Lebbeke.

16.30hr Arrive de Cuytegemhoeve in St Amands, close to a bend in the River Schelde. This is an old farm which once had a brewery and now has a children’s petting zoo, a farm museum and a beer café restaurant in the old cow shed. Marc runs this place and he has a staggeringly good beer list of 200-strong choices including Black beers and ones you’ve never heard of. Just browse the half dozen bottle fridges lining the café. They have beers from Hof ten Dormaal, Cantillon, Het Nest, Struise Brouwers and plenty more quality brewers. All this and at ‘democratic prices’ as the Belgians say.

18.00hr Leave de Cuytegemhoeve in St Amands.

18.30hr Arrive back at Hotel Van der Valk**** in Mechelen to “verf de stad rood” (paint the town red).

Day 4 - Saturday 13 March

10.00hr Following a luxury buffet breakfast* we head off by coach for a beer outing.

10.45hr Arrive at the Cabardouche Brewery & Taproom on the edge of Antwerp. This is a brewery and taproom which began in 2012 from a group of young adventurous people. They have installed a brewery and smart glass-fronted comfy tap room under the railway arches in Borgerhout, on the eastern approaches to Antwerp station. They are a craft brewery in the sense that rather than classic Belgian styles they brew innovative combos.

What to taste here for Dark Beer lovers:

• Stout Mokke - a 9%abv black beer with a creamy, satin head

12.00hr Leave Cabardouche Brewery & Taproom, Antwerp.

12.45hr Arrive at Brouwerij The Musketeers in Sint Gillis Waas. This brewery was founded in 1999 by four brewing engineer friends. They now occupy the site of the former brickworks in Sint-Gillis-Waas. The brewery is a state-of-the-art brewing installation and a super big brewery tasting room and café. This is a great quality brewery, with great products. We have never visited, and I’ve been trying to fit them in for years, and I am really looking forward to this one! Their main brand is the Troubadour range of beers.

What to taste here for Dark Beer lovers:

• Troubadour Imperial Stout 9% abv.

• Troubadour Obscura - dark reddish-brown beer 8.2% abv

• Troubadour West Coast Black IPA 8.5%abv

14.30hr Leave Brouwerij Restaurant The Musketeers.

14.45hr Arrive at the de (Ou)de Statie in De Klinge, right on the Belgian side of the Dutch border. The building dates from 1902 and is on the old station site. There are still tracks here and an old carriage parked up on them. Until 1919, a Dutchman who worked as a cattle dealer and innkeeper lived here. Thirsty rail passengers stopped here for a drink, as did smugglers and customs officials because we are right on the Belgian/Dutch border. This is a brilliant old cafe with 12 beers on tap plus another 120 in bottles. They are Orval ambassadeurs and La Trappe Gouverneurs. You should find loads of black beers here.

16.15hr Leave de (Ou)de Statie in De Klinge.

17.15hr Arrive Hoogmis Brewery & Bar in Edegem. The little Vleesmeester brewery sits within the lovely Hoogmis (High Mass) Culture café. They have 8 taps with their own beers and some in bottles too. Founded in 2010 by three friends, the 5 hectolitre bijou brewing kit is within the cafe. An inside joke led to them being known as the meat-grinder-brewers, as can be seen from their logo. Apparently, they like Russian Imperial Stouts. Larger runs are brewed at Anders brewery. In 2018 they found premises at the old presbytery in Edegem. Their Kolonel Coffee met de kerststal in de brouwerij beer came third in the top beers voted by attendees at Esen Christmas Beer Festival, December 2022

What to taste here for Dark Beer lovers:

• Black Pudding 11%abv – Imperial Stout part of their standard range.

• Ambtenaar Op Rust 8.8 %abv - a Dubbel. A reddish-brown beer with notes of caramel, hints of dark fruits such as plums and figs.

Other dark beers to taste here:

Oud Bruin (Brouwerij Verzet, Anzegem) 6% abv – a Flemish brown, sweet & sour.

Stuterijk (De La Senne, Brussels) 5%abv stout beer

Specials:

• Vadderik Black (Coffee) IPA 6.5%abv

• Black Naughty Russian Pudding Oatmeal imperial Stout 9%abv

• Black Naughty Christmas Pudding Russian Imperial Stout 11%abv

• Van Oat Op Nieuw Oatmeal Stout 7.5%abv

• The Butcher Smoked Christmas Russian Imperial Stout 11%abv

• Kolonel Coffee Met De Kerststal In De Brouwerij Coffee Porter 9%abv

• Groene Michelle Smoked Baltic Porter 9%abv

18.45hr Leave Hoogmis Brewery & Bar in Edegem.

19.15hr Arrive back at Hotel Van der Valk**** in Mechelen for a big lie down or a big night out.

Day 5 - Sunday 14 March

10.00hr Following a luxury buffet breakfast* we check out of the hotel.

Siobhan is working on a morning visit on the way back home!

13.45hr Arrive at our last stop of the Tour, the incomparable ‘t Molenhof in Vleteren. This is a Flemish restaurant and beer café, and it blends both perfectly. Chef Pascal Rubben bought this place thirty years ago, but formerly the building was used to temporarily house live pigs who would be taken to the tram station next door to local towns. For more info on this wonderful place see this report on Belgian Smaak. We’ll have a meal and a last Belgian beer here. They have a superb selection of draft and bottled beers including beers from De Struise Brouwers whose brewery is in this village, and whose beers are much beloved by our Travellers.

15.45hr Leave Molenhof Vleteren.

17.00hr Arrive Calais Le Shuttle (Eurostar) Terminal.

18.50hr Leave Calais on Le Shuttle (Eurostar) train.

18.30hr Arrive Folkestone Le Shuttle (Eurostar) Terminal.

18.45hr Coach drop at Shell Garage, Stop 24 Services, J11, M20, Kent, CT21 4BL.

19.00hr Coach drop at Pull in Outside Dobbies Garden Centre, Opp. Premier Inn, Ashford Eureka Leisure Park, Rutherford Road, Ashford, Kent, TN25 4BN.

20.00hr Coach drop outside Dartford Rail Station, Kent, DA1 1DR.

21.00hr Coach drop Junction Lady Lane & Mildmay Road, Chelmsford CM2 0EA.

21.15hr Coach drop at Travelodge Hotel, 128-136 Parkway, Chelmsford CM2 7GY.

21.30hr Coach drop at Premier Inn Victoria Road, Chelmsford CM1 1NY.

22.30hr Coach drop at Bus Stop, Tesco Store, Pinewood, Ipswich IP8 3TS.

23.15hr Coach drop off at Galloways coach depot at Denters Hill, Mendlesham, Suffolk, IP14 5RR.