Chicagoist's "Beer of the Week:" Reinaert Flemish Wild Ale

By Chuck Sudo in Food on Jan 15, 2009 9:39PM

Sabering a bottle of champagne gives you such a rush the first time you do it. So we had to try it with a bottle of beer.

Man, were we disappointed in how that turned out. The beer itself, however, was excellent. Rainaert Flemish Wild Ale from De Proef Brouwerij was very good. If you're a fan of Saison DuPont, you'll love this beer. It's a clean, bright honey in color with an effervescent carbonation reminiscent of sparkling wine (second "BotW" selection in two weeks we've had that kind of fizziness).

A "wild ale" indicates that there was some brettanomyces used in fermentation (saisons and lambics are well known for using bretts for fermentation). Rainaert has the slightly sour flavor indicative of so many farmhouse ales and lambics, but it isn't dominating. What is upfront is honey and spice, with apple and orange peel on the nose. This isn't just the latest in a list of what we're calling "fireplace beers" because we've sat for hours warming our toes and sipping these in front of one. At 9% ABV, it's also bolder than it looks.

Mighty Marvel No-Prizes go to those of you who guessed that we bought Rainaert at LUSH Wine and Spirits before reading down this far. We wouldn't be surprised to find this in rotation at Hopleaf, Map Room and the other self-respecting beer bars around town. This wonderful beer is Chicagoist's "Beer of the Week."