Serafijn Donker
• Belgium
The local boy, Achilles Va de Moer, is a gentle, unassuming home-brewer who has all but left his job as a music teacher to realize his dream of a self-sustaining commercial brewery. Achilles (sometimes spelled Achiel, and pronounced Ah-sheel in Flemish or French) makes simple, honest beers. All of the beers are unfiltered and unpasteurized, and will re-ferment a bit in the bottle, which of course means much more flavor, and a longer shelf-life. As with any tiny craft brewery — and this one right now makes the equivalent of only about three truck-loads of beer every year — there can be variation from batch to batch, and thank goodness for that! Though they vary some, they’re always good.
On Serafijn Donker, from the brewery’s website:
“The herbal character, combined with a soft bitterness, ensures this beer is in a class of its own. The use of various types of roasted barley gives this splendid beer its brown to dark purple color and its unique personal flavor.”