On Monday September 20, Hertog Jan will launch the fifth edition of Grand Prestige Vatgerijpt. The beer, with a circulation of only 38,000 pieces, has matured for months in wooden barrels of Portuguese wines. With this, the brewers enrich the beer with sweet notes, without losing the character of Grand Prestige. Last year's edition, aged in Scotch whiskey barrels, sold out within 30 minutes.
This year, the specialty beer has matured for 12 months in barrels from four Portuguese regions. The brewers filled the old and carefully selected casks of Port Tawny, Moscatel, Madeira and Aguardente with the Grand Prestige, enriching the Limburg beer with characteristic Portuguese notes. This resulted in four flavours:from the fresh and slightly sour aromas of the Moscatel to the woody taste with caramel of the Madeira, and from the full-bodied and warm of the Aguardente to the slightly sour Port Tawny with aromas of red fruit and chocolate.
Master brewer Gerard van den Broek about this edition:“We had set the bar high for ourselves with last year's successful Scotch whiskey series. When we started working with Portuguese wines, we discovered that it is possible to taste sweet elements, without it tasting sweet. We found that such an interesting contrast that we started working out the flavors further.” Brewer Micha Peute continues:“A combination of beer and wine is quite daring, especially with those of Portuguese descent. We didn't want to lose the character of the Grand Prestige, so the sweetness of the wines should not dominate. I am proud that we have managed to add surprising, rich flavors and fruity aromas to the Grand Prestige, without brewing a sweet beer. This is how we created a Paradox of Zoet.”
The Portugal series is the fifth edition of Grand Prestige Vatgerijpt. A few years ago, master brewer Gerard van den Broek discovered that the taste of Grand Prestige develops beautifully the longer you store it. That gave him the idea in 2016 to mature Grand Prestige in barrels of Bourbon County Stout. The barrel-aged beer tasted like more and the brewers also started experimenting with other types of barrels. In the editions that followed, the beer matured in different barrels of, among others, whiskey, jenever, bourbon and cognac.
Grand Prestige Vatgerijpt 2021 will be launched on Monday 20 September. The beers are available from 12 noon through Hertog Jan's online brewery shop. The price of a bottle of Vatgerijpt (75cl) with a tasting glass is €25 and the flavors are also available in a set of four for €100. Please note:last year's edition sold out within 30 minutes.
