Over the past year I’ve been fortunate to have Artisanal Imports as a sponsor of The Brewed Palate. Though I had a deep love of belgian beers before I asked them if they’d like to sponsor my blog, they have successfully opened my eyes to many belgian beers that I would have not sought out on my own. Being that Belgium has been experiencing its own “craft beer revolution” in recent years, some of the beers that I’ve tried are from newer / up and coming breweries. One of which is the BOM Brewery (stands for Belgian Original Malt Bakery and Brewery), a one of a kind brewery that malts (“bakes”) all of its brewing grains. As yeast forward beers, belgian beers offer the beer drinker a unique opportunity to appreciate how much yeast impacts a beer’s flavor etc.. However, BOM brewery’s goal of crafting every aspect of their beers from “bakery to kettle” takes that opportunity to the next level by giving all of the ingredients a chance to stand out in the final product…

For this review I’ve chosen BOM Brewery’s two core beers, Triporteur from Heaven and Triporteur from Hell, a belgian golden ale and a belgian dark ale or dubbel.

Triporteur from Heaven (6.2% ABV, 28 IBUs)

Brewery’s Description: A heavily hopped beer brewed using home-baked malt. Triporteur From Heaven is the modern version of traditional hopped ale. It is a heavenly beer brewed with home-baked BOM malt. The wheat malt in the unfiltered beer can produce a light cloudiness. The taste of Heaven remains evolving in the bottle. Malts: BOM Baked, BOM Wheat, BOM Thorefacto, BOM Coriander Sugars: Belgian dark and white candy sugar. Hops: Early hop: East Kent Golding, Styrian Golding. Late hop: East Kent Golding, Styrian Golding, Cascade. Dry hop (minimum): Cascade, Styrian Golding. Yeast: Top yeast beer, second fermentation in the bottle.

True to its name this belgian golden ale poured an attractive gold color with great clarity and a fluffy white foam that stuck around and left a fair amount of lacing on my glass. Its aroma was comprised of rich toasty malt, clove, and lemon and flowed well into the refreshing yet complex flavor profile where rich breadiness was accentuated by lemon and grapefruit hop character. As the beer warmed the lemon flavor intensified and took on a candy like sweetness. Though the beer tasted a bit one note at times, it was this lemon flavor that got me thinking of food pairings. Keeping things light, I would pair this beer with sweet / less pungent cheeses such as brie and goat cheese, greek salad w/ feta, and fresh sea food. Desserts may overtake this beer’s delicate flavors, but I’d risk pairing it with a lemon tart for a great complementary pairing.  Rating: 7.5/10

Triporteur from Hell (6.66% ABV, 32 IBUs)

Brewery’s Description: Triporteur From Hell is a dark beer brewed with hellish burned and roasted BOM malt. The beer reminds us of chocolate, caramel, recently brewed coffee and freshly baked bread. The wheat malt in the unfiltered beer can cause a slight cloudiness. The taste of Hell keeps evolving in the bottle. Malts: BOM Dark Roasted, BOM Wheat Roast, BOM Seasalt, BOM DRC. Sugar: Belgian dark cane sugar. Hops: Hell is hopped at an early stage with traditional East Kent Golding and Styrian Golding. Yeast: Top yeasting beer, second fermentation in the bottle. 

After recovering as much beer as possible after the bottle gushed upon my opening it I took my time to fully experience this “hellishly” dark ruby red belgian dark ale. From my first whiff and sip I knew this beer would follow suit by being just as complex (for its style). Richer malt flavors from the speciality malts brought notes of caramel and sweet bread. While the dark candi sugar and yeast contributed both sweet and tart fruity esters such as cherry and raisin) along with a slight spiciness that was left on my palate. At 6.66% this beer was quite drinkable despite its complex flavor profile. For food pairings I’d match bold with bold. Braised meats such as lamb, duck, veal, and poultry; gouda, gruyere, and raw milk cheddar cheeses; and desserts that include semi-sweet and dark chocolate and or dark fruits like cherries, cranberries, and dates. Rating: 8/10

BOM Brewery’s beers are imported by Artisanal Imports’ partner company Authentic Beverage Management. Check out their websites for more information on which beers they import and where you can find them. Cheers!