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Barbarella's Journey Pales in Comparison

Tastings & Food Pairings

The B'Oracle   |   Tuesday, February 21 2012

Gulden Draak Ale :  It innocently invites you in, only to entrap you in Ale world.

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When looking at beautiful snow-capped mountains one tends to forget that they are born of moments of great upheaval. In fact, the Himalayas are still rising from India’s careless collision with the Asian plate. I was there when that happened, it was an uncomfortable moment to say the least, kind of like watching men ogling at David Beckham during that underwear commercial. I promise you, hundreds lined up for those panties the next day.

The highest point on Earth is the peak of Mount Everest. At 8,848 meters tall, it’s the living monument to man's ability to endure pain and discomfort. The mountain is littered with human billboards of his failed ability. But it’s not even close to the tallest mountain on Earth, that honor belongs to Mauna Kea at 10,000 meters tall. Everest is a little less than a mile below that, but why aren’t more people paying $65,000 to climb Mauna Kea? Reinhold Messner (one of the few people on Earth to climb Everest without oxygen) once said that “By climbing mountains we were not learning how big we were. We were finding out how breakable, how weak and how full of fear we are. I have always said that a Mountain without danger is not a mountain”. In other words, it’s the journey. In Belgium, Gulden Draak Ale is the beginning of one such journey.

Belgium is considered by some to be at the crossroads of Europe; with Celtic, Roman and Germanic influences it is unique in its diversity. With Dutch speaking Flemings and French speaking Walloons things can get interesting to say the least. Watching the Belgae Tribe being forced to yield to Roman legions in the 1st century was quite disturbing, although I must admit that recent photos of Hillary Clinton with slicked back hair looking like one of the Robert Palmer girls has definitely softened that memory. Anyway, I was encouraged to watch them emerge from that umbrella 300 years later. It was almost as rewarding as watching Charlie Sheen talk about doing enough “coke” to kill and elephant and “winning”. Man, my hackles are now standing at attention.

But the real attention grabber here is Gulden Draak, with a beautiful caramel head that lingers like the topping of a flan, it innocently invites you in, only to entrap you in Ale world. With no key to unlock the door, I march forward with enthusiasm. With its beautiful clear ginger color and caramel head I felt as if I was going to destroy a meringue topped rhubarb pie, but I went on. Swirling the beer in my glass produced a floral nose with hints of lemon, oak, roses and vanilla. I had forgotten about Beckham and was metaphorically crying in the arms of Jane Russell. Oops. But wait, it gets better! The first sip brings a delicate greeting of smooth malt flavor, chamomile tea, caramel, citrus and flan. The layers of flavor here are as pronounced as the alternating colors of sedimentary rock. I kept thinking about dessert, but my enlarged cranium brought me to the right place.

With key in hand, I open the door and the Ale world is unleashed onto a plate of Spiced Roasted Veal Loin with a Wild Mushroom Cheese Cake Tart, White Truffle Demi and Foie Gras Reduction. The oaky aroma and lime flavor work in tandem on the veal while the tea and caramel perform the Cha Cha with the Tart. The flan and white truffle go together like “ebony and ivory”. The foie gras? Well who can say anything bad about foie gras? I loved this marriage, and hope for many anniversaries. Gulden Draak is worthy of at least 3¾ tusk because it can take you on a worthy journey, with or without a companion. With chill wind blowing, you are standing on Everest, looking down at the world, Journey complete.