Therefore, I was more than happy to have found a Belgian beer, called XX Bitter. Unfortunately, that was already the last bottle from my recent trip to Brussels, so I am happy to return next week for some political meetings, adding some shopping of course.
XX Bitter really surprised me, positively of course. It comes from a small micro brewery in Welvegem, called De Ranke. The colour is bright golden, with a close dazzling yellow nuance. In addition, it is not clear but milky, because the beer is an unfiltered one. The bottom of the bottle is opaque with yeast.
The first smell is not a bitter one, but filled with citrus and sweetness. That's also the basis for the first taste, together with some spicy undertones. At that moment I was wondering, why De Ranke called this stuff XX Bitter. But then it happened: After the beer left the tongue and went down slowly, it smashed me with a really hard bang of bitterness. Then I was convinced that it is extra bitter.
The alcohol is not too strong with 6.2%, but more than enough for an Indian Pale Ale (IPA). So in total a very good beer.
