Brasserie de Cazeau

Available online along with other beers from 12 Percent Imports

Belgian Ales

"With Brasserie de Cazeau, we introduce to you some superb craft beers from a small town brewery that’s been there for a long, long time. From the town of Tournai in south Belgium, close to the French border, the brewery’s property records suggest that it began operations at least by 1753, most likely earlier. On a recent visit to the brewery, as we wandered through the cavernous, rustic farmhouse, our friend Cory, who caught me gawking at the resplendent nostalgia shining from every corner of the place, acutely suggested the following to Laurent Agache (brewer, owner): "I’m pretty sure Brian’s thinking about how to import your entire brewery." Well said, Cory. The grounds and brewery at Brasserie de Cazeau abound in history - from walls lined with crates and beer bottles two hundred years old, to the tasting room replete with historical photos, to a perfectly preserved, century-old bar game. Oh, the bar games. But alas, we concede that history should not be tampered with, and so we settle on the beers. And remarkable beers they are." -- importer

Brasserie de Cazeau Tournay Black...$9.99 / 750ml

• Style: Belgian Stout, refermentation in bottle
• Abv: 7.6%
• Color: pitch black; creamy off-white head
• Tasting Notes: roasted malt, coffee, bitter chocolate, earthy, cigar ash
• Other: Originally brewed as a winter ale known as Tournay de Noel. The beer was so well received that brewmaster Laurent Agache decided to make it a year-round brew. We nudged him in this direction too, of course. At 7.6%, it's a bit lighter than the original of 8.2% - all the better to enjoy in warm weather as much as cold.

Brasserie de Cazeau Tournay Farmhouse Blonde...$9.99 / 750ml

• Style: Farmhouse Blond Ale, refermentation in bottle
• Abv: 7.2%
• Color: pale gold, lingering head – off-white cotton
• Tasting Notes: floral, faintly bitter aroma; soft mouthfeel; straw, earthy, light sweetness, straightforward, refreshing
• Other: The first beer made by the brewery since it re-launched commercial operations just a few years ago. The intent was to focus on perfecting a single blond ale before doing anything else. Check.

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