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Author Topic: In praise of Poperings Hommel Ale  (Read 4840 times)

Offline denny

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Re: In praise of Poperings Hommel Ale
« Reply #15 on: March 20, 2015, 09:25:00 am »
Hommelbier is one of those beers I simply do not get. It's a boring, middle-of-the-road Belgian attempt at mediocrity, bearing a hop-referencing name without backing it up with anything resembling hoppiness at all.
And then I read comments like these and wonder: "I am really that spoiled?"
Or are you all that easily mislead?

Tell ya what: I'll grab another bottle of Hommelbier next time I see one (it's fairly easily acquirable in Belgium) and see if I can change my mind. I've tried before though, and was never impressed.
There's a dry-hopped (or was it fresh-hopped?) edition going around each year, which I found even more underwhelming. Trying to keep an open mind, but really: Hommel is one of those beers that make me bitterly curse for the sorry state of Belgium's bee reputation.

There's no reason one person;s tastes should be like another's.  I stand by my description of a beer that blows me away every time I drink it.   If you don't get hoppiness out of it, I don't know what to say.
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Offline unclebrazzie

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Re: In praise of Poperings Hommel Ale
« Reply #16 on: March 20, 2015, 09:51:23 am »
Sure, it's a personal thing, and I'm by no means dissing anyone's opinion of this or any other beer.
I just think it's remarkable that anyone could describe Hommelbier as "hoppy". Because really, it isn't. Even in its own tiny range of what I (for want of a better category description) call "old school Belgian bitters" it stands out solely because of how utterly bland and nondescript it is.

To me ;)
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Offline JT

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Re: In praise of Poperings Hommel Ale
« Reply #17 on: March 20, 2015, 06:49:06 pm »
Picked up a bottle today.  May crack it tomorrow.

Offline homoeccentricus

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Re: In praise of Poperings Hommel Ale
« Reply #18 on: March 21, 2015, 04:00:13 am »
Here's some more information from the great Michael Jackson: http://www.beerhunter.com/documents/19133-000195.html. Apparently, hops are locally-grown Brewer's Gold and Hallertau.

Unfortunately, as a fellow-Belgian, I have to concur with UncleBrazzie about Hommelbier: I've never been impressed with it, it simply does not stand out. Have even been at the famous Hommelhof mentioned in the article.  It's located in a pretty village, far far away from home, in Flanders Fields, and that makes it special. But the #1 brewery of Watou shall remain St Bernardus.

This said, I'll see whether I can pick up a bottle and try the beer again with more attentive taste buds.
Frank P.

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Offline JT

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Re: In praise of Poperings Hommel Ale
« Reply #19 on: March 21, 2015, 06:15:55 pm »
Relaxing and sharing a bottle with my wife.  Good stuff Denny, thanks for the recommendation.   

Offline HoosierBrew

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Re: In praise of Poperings Hommel Ale
« Reply #20 on: March 22, 2015, 12:42:12 pm »
That is a good one. Haven't had it in years.
Jon H.