With a cellar freshly stocked full of beer, its hard to go an hour without thinking about what awaits my palate at the end of each day. Especially when you come across a few of the gems that I have in the last few weeks.

Felix Special Oudenaardse Oud Bruin truly impressed with a rich brown ale character layered with sour winey tones and a touch of bitterness. This one was supposed to have gone under with Leroy brewing, but it appears to have been revived by Cnudde, which is a small East Flanders brewery in the enclave of Oudenaarde.

It seems it odd that I have been here over a year without trying Ginder Ale, considering I owned the glass for 10 years and never once tried the beer. I finally did the other day, and this Interbrew product would be a fine easy drinking ale anytime. Fruity yet dry with a subtle spicy wink at the end, this was a classic example of highly attenuated Belgian pale ales.

A bit more demanding was the Oud Zottegems pale ale, which tasted a lot like Martins pale ale. It has a powerful malt base and a spritzy hop finish. Highly enjoyable with the weight to make it a fairly leisurely drink.

In the meanwhile, Angelia and I split a game of cribbage.