La Cave Du Vénitien

ManforallSaisons

Belgium

3.85/5  rDev 0%
quality: 4 | service: 3 | selection: 4.5 | $$

The place looks like a tourist shop on the main drag of one of most picturesque towns of the Ardennes, worth a stop for the scenery of its crumbling castle overlooking the steep river valley, and its World War II Battle of the Bulge history. It stocks an impressive array of all the locals such as Rulles, quite a few rarities such as Chevremont that I'm not used to seeing even in my specialty shops in Brussels, distilled products from various breweries like Fantôme's 'peket' liqueur, and unusual sizes, including a magnum of Rochefort 10 that's going to inhabit my cellar for some time to come. When I stumbled across "The Venetian's cellar" (why that name, I have no idea) last summer*, I didn't realize it has a house beer called 'La Féod'Ale.' The name's a play on the French for 'feudal' and refers to that castle looming overhead. I wish the welcoming and dutiful but distracted clerk had thought to suggest it, plus who knows what else I missed. But I prefer to think of it as a reason to go back.
Update: I recently discovered that I *had* managed to bring home Féod'Ale, without at the time realizing it's the house brew. I didn't take full tasting notes but recall it as a lightly spiced and slightly sour brown ale in a decidely non-Trappist style that I am glad to have tried once without it being a sole reason to return.
*Apologies for the delay in posting, but I took notes of the visit so this isn't from memory.

10-16-2010 19:09:38 | More by ManforallSaisons