A 30-minute bus ride and then approximately 15 minutes of walking away from Brussels near the village of Dilbeek lies beer and lambic brewery Brouwerij Angerik. Brouwerij Angerik is a small brewery run by one single man in an old garage that belongs to his family. It’s beautifully situated in the hills of the Pajottenland with several walking trails nearby. The short walk from the bus stop on a lovely sunny Saturday early afternoon took us past some green pastures with sheep and donkeys, orchards, and vegetable gardens.
After an initial start in 1997, moving to Dilbeek in 2022, and eventually stopping temporarily in 2010. Brouwerij Angerik restarted in 2015 by brewing ‘normal’ beer and started brewing lambic in 2021 during the COVID pandemic. The first gueuze is expected in 2024. Until then their lambic-based beers, under the name Cuvée Kluysbosch, and regular beers are available. The lambic beers are however only available in limited quantities.
Upon entering the brewery in the old garage building you would not expect the oasis of peace that is the back garden where we later sat down to enjoy some beers. In the brewery itself were around 25 wooden barrels where the lambic is fermenting, a 1000 liter coolship, several brewing kettles, and a small bottling line. In the old cabin that was formerly used to spray paint the cars a cozy typical Flemish bar has been built where we could place our order. As this is beers gone wild, I was interested in tasting the lambic-based beers. Although I have to admit I tasted the Flower Power, a kettle-soured wheat beer with elderflower too and it was really good! The lambic beers I tried were Oude (old) Lambiek, Cuvée Kluysbosch Lambiek Cider, and Cuvée Kluysbosch Lambiek Islay Whisky Barrel Aged.
Oude Lambiek
The old lambic was tapped straight from the barrel and served in a nice jug. It’s a two-year-old lambic first fermented on a 1000L Italian red wine barrel and then transferred to a 100-year-old 1000L cognac barrel. As it was poured straight from the barrel there’s no carbonation. The red wine really came through in both the smell, color, and taste. Cognac was not noticeable. Furthermore, it’s a clear lambic with a beautiful red, almost brownish color. Some lambics can have a distinct funky smell, but that wasn’t the case for this one. The initial taste reminded me of apple juice or a flat apple cider, after that the red wine came more to the forefront with a woody tannin-rich aftertaste.
Cuvée Kluysbosch Lambiek Cider
A mix of 50% percent lambic and 50% cider from the Basque country (which manufactures is still a secret) that won a golden award at the Belgian Beer Awards. Need I say more? This beer is amazing. The smell is nice and slightly funky, with some earthiness in there as well. The color is amazing and the carbonation in the glass looks divine, like a champagne. It has a delightful sweet and sour taste.
Cuvée Kluysbosch Lambiek Islay Whisky Barrel Aged
This whisky barrel-aged lambic wasn’t shy on the whisky. It smelled just like a glass of whisky, and the taste was sour with lots of whisky on the first sip and a dry peaty aftertaste. After that, the sweet vanilla tones from the whisky came through subtly. Not a beer for everyone, but I liked it a lot. For people who like lambic and smoky whisky, this could be the perfect drink.
For everyone that’s planning to visit Brussels/Belgium and wants to see a lambic brewery, yes you can and should go to the better-known Cantillon, 3 Fonteinen, or Oud Beersel, but Brouwerij Angerik is worth a visit too! Fantastic lambic, amazing scenery, and friendly prices! I can’t wait for their gueuze to come out.