Kasteel beer is brewed by the Van Honsebrouck family, the brewery is currently owned and operated by the seventh generation of the family. Founded in 1865 as the int-Jozef Brewery, it was renamed to Brewery Van Honsebrouck in 1953. They definitely deserve more attention than they get producing some really underrated brews. With a wide range of choices ranging from dark, tripel, and lambic beers.
Range of Kasteel beers: Strong beers
Starting with the stronger beers first, the Kasteel Donker one of the strongest beers currently produced. It is a full-bodied and creamy dark beer, with hints of chocolate and banana, making it slightly sweet. It has an ABV rating of 11% making it high in alcohol content.
Another strong beer is the Kasteel Tripel. The Tripel is is a golden ale, this is one of the more rare examples where a Tripel has achieved a high alcohol content. It is a mixture of noble malts and hops, giving this an exquisite aroma and a relatively mild taste. This was the second mainline beer that was produced, a few years after the Kasteel Donker.
The final beer with an ABV rating of 11% is the Cuvee Du Chateau. This is a Donker that has been aged for 10 years giving it a much different taste to the original. The ageing process has made this a very dark beer that has quadruple characteristics, giving it malty characteristics, also making it bitter and sweet.
Blond and Rouge Kasteel Beers
The Kasteel Blond is a real thirst-quenching beer. It is golden in colour and goes through re-fermentation in the bottle. It is not as strong as some of the other beers in the Kasteel range with an ABV rating of 7%. The beer has a sweet malty aroma, giving it a sweet, fully malted, fruity flavour.
Kasteel Rouge is a dark red, it is the “fruitiest” offering within the Kasteel beer range. It is mixed with Kasteel Bruin and sour cherries to give it unique taste and it’s colour, rouge. In 2016, Kasteel Rouge was awarded the silver medal at the World Beer Awards for the category of “Fruit and Vegetable Flavoured Beer.” This is also available in cans or bottles, giving a slightly different flavour to each.
Unique Kasteel Beers
The Kasteel Barista Chocolate Quad, this is a seasonal beer, Barista is a dark degustation beer. It is made using several roast malts, giving this beer it’s roasted taste, also giving it flavours of coffee and chocolate. This gives it a really warming feeling, especially in the winter. It is also one of the stronger beers in the Kasteel collection clocking in at 11% ABV.
Kasteel produces a wide range of different beers, from creamy, rich, darker beers to more hoppy Tripels. We feel this brewery doesn’t get the attention or credit it deserves for its unique tastes and flavours it brings to the table.
