Blaugies La Moneuse

Beer sellers: Beermania

ABV: 8%
Origin: Blaugies-Dour, Hainaut, Wallonie

Blaugies La Moneuse

Though the centre of gravity of Belgian speciality brewing is skewed towards the Dutch-speaking north, some of the most interesting and rustic Belgian beers come from small rural breweries in the French-speaking south of the country. Consider Blaugies, a brewery in a garage in the village of the same name, part of the commune of Dour in the west of Hainaut province, right by the French border. Couple Pierre-Alex Carlier and Marie-Robert Pourtois started it using pots, pans and advice from a friendly local brewer in 1988, and it’s since become the family business, with much of the production going to export.

Blaugies offers some intriguing specialities such as a a saison brewed with spelt and a wheat beer flavoured with figs. The core brand remains the brewery’s first beer, the saison-style deep golden Moneuse, named for a late 18th century ancestor, AJ Moneuse, a notorious local gang leader and bandit. Like the rest of the range it’s bottle conditioned in both 375ml and 750ml bottles with wired corks.

The combination of a lively condition and a thick sediment cloud the beer under a thick white head. The aroma is relatively restrained, with spicy and creamy light malt, and there’s a dry, slightly woody palate developing chocolate, hazelnut, herbs and stalky perfumed orange pith. A hoppy, herby finish gets dry, woody and warming with bitter herbs and exotic fruit.

Read more about this beer at ratebeer.com: http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/la-moneuse/9351/