David Brockington's Tasting Notebook

Oudaen Brewery and Restaurant
(short notes)

Utrecht, The Netherlands
July 28, 2002

This was my first visit to this charming brewery and restaurant in the heart of Utrecht.  It is located on 99 Oude Gracht.  Oddly, both the Lonely Planet Netherlands and the Third Edition of the CAMRA Good Beer Guide to the Benelux (the latter an absolute necessity for beer tourism in this part of the world) misspell the name of this brewpub as "Oudean".  Furthermore, the Benelux Guide gets the directions wrong; after exiting Utrecht Centraal Station and making your way through the utterly hideous Hoog Catharijne shopping mall, you do not cross the Oude Gracht, as Oudaen is on the station side of the canal.

Oudaen is housed in a stunning 14th-Century building, and during the summer a handful of tables are set up alongside the canal outside the building.  They only serve the beer they make, in the truest brewpub tradition, and of these, there are only four.  The menu for the restaurant is varied in the Belgian style, and while the quality was solid, it was unexceptional (a better Belgian experience in The Netherlands is to be had at Zotte in Amsterdam).  The beer was uneven, at times good, at times bordering on problematic.  All beers were sampled on July 28, 2002.  If you're going to eat here, choose a wine from the short but high-quality and value wine list to accompany your meal.

Ouwe Daen Belgian Wit
Cloudy gold in color, much darker than Celis White.  Aroma has some spice and malt, but unexceptional.  The flavor is dominated by graininess, some wheat malt, but neither a real spice presence nor any acidity.  The graininess of the palate dominates, and possibly squashes the expected flavors underneath its oppressive weight.

 
Jonge Daen Filtered Belgian Wit
Crystal clear light gold color, nice white head which lingers.  The nose has the same grain and vegital notes found in the pils, but some maltiness and even spiciness pokes through suggesting that there is the potential for an unflawed beer lurking beneath the depths.  The profile opens with these now too familiar grain and DMS experiences, but as the glass warms a bit wheat and a muddled spiciness emerge to make this an adequate beer.  There is no acidity to speak of, and the beer finishes metallic, suggesting an oxidation problem.  I found the latter very strange as most of the problems with this brewpub indicate that they can not make the beer fast enough during the summer tourist season.  The beer clearly is not sitting around going stale.

 
Linteloo Gold Pilsner
Nice gold color with a slight haze.  The white head lingers.  The aroma is dominated by vegital notes -- a clear indication of a DMS problem -- and the graininess found in the unflitered wit.  The grain and vegital notes dominate the flavor profile as well, with the merest hint of hop bitterness towards the end.  There is no delicate maltiness, nor any hop flavor to speak of.  This is a pretty grim pilsner, and best avoided.

 
Seizoenbier Dutch  Bokbier
The class of the brewery, and decent enough for me to order another.  Dark amber, crystal clear, with a light tan head that hangs around.  Pure malt and hints of caramel in the aroma.  Clean, smooth malt flavor with some caramel, but is not detracted by any gummy or sickly characteristics.  I typically do not find the Dutch Bokbier style all that interesting, but this one is a good enough glass.