Howitzer

Saturday, I rode into Brussels on a high speed train. I got to sit first class, which was a pretty sweet experience. I got served food and drinks, and the chairs were comfortable. There was even free wi-fi internet for the ride. I spent most of the ride looking up NBA players and stats, because I just found out that Mami signed Lebron, Christ Bosch, and Dwayne Wade. The train ride was so enjoyable it was almost too short. Alas, we arrived into Brussels, ready for beer and cheaper food.

Brussels feels like a small, boring town, with not much to do except to drink beer. In fact, the map and guide that I got for the town pretty much summed it up like this: "Everyone hates this place. If you do, you haven't stayed here long enough." They're arrogant as well. I pretty much checked into the hostel, and then headed out after a quick shower. I found a Delirium tap house, which had about 20 different beers on tap. Beers full of different flavor, and higher alcohol contents. Richard got destroyed by a cherry beer there, and we continued onwards to find food. We sampled mussels, and what I was looking for, fried chicken. After spending tons of money on food in Paris, who knew that spending 5 euros on fried chicken would be so satisfying? That definitely hit the spot after beer drinking.

I think belgian beers have more fruitiness to them. It's as if they're some sort of wine-beer hybrid. Most of the beers I have in America seem to slant towards the bitter side, as in more hops. I'd describe the beers in Belgium as more of a drink, something to sip on.


A description of the beers I sampled:
Arrend Triple: This beer was pretty good, in my opinion. The simplest way to describe its taste would be "cider", although I doubt it is one. It's only just slightly hoppy, and with hints of apple. It's a mostly juicy, sweet beer, with a deep golden amber color. 8% abv.

Kasteel Red (Cherry): This deep red beer exudes a cherry aroma. No doubt about it, this is spiked cherry soda. It's really fruity, slightly sour and sweet. I can't really say more than that. Oh, and Richard had a 1L boot of it and was pretty much done for the night. 8% abv.

Campus Premium: Standard lager, or so I was told. My taste buds were a little numb already at this time, so I don't think I was able to appreciate this one as much. It tasted pretty much clear and refreshing. Crystal gold coloring. 5% abv.

Buffalo Belgian Stout: I was intrigued by this one, a carbonated-type stout. Slightly bitter, possible hints of chocolate, coffee, or whatever it is that makes a stout. It's similar to Guinness with fizz. I think the bartender was pretty accurate in describing it as like a porter. It lacked the thickness of a porter though. Deep black color, big carbonation bubbles. 8% abv.

-Howitzer