Tasting

What does beer from Limburg taste like? Brand Pilsener and Alfa Edel Pils show mostly fresh grain, bread crust and a clean, hoppy edge. Gulpener's Pils is similar, with a bit more roundness, since the share of regional organic barley brings out the malt character.

Gulpener's Mestreechs Aajt is a different story. The beer is brown, with a touch of residual sweetness, a hint of roastiness and a mild acidity in the finish. At just 3.5 percent, it suits summer better than winter.

Gulpener's Gerardus range stands for dark fruit and spice, and the flavor is notably rounder than a Pils, since more residual sweetness remains in the glass. The Dubbel recalls prunes and caramel, the Tripel honey and ripe pear. In both, alcohol shows up as warmth in the finish, but without a sharp edge.

The glass matters too: Pils in a slim straight glass or a tulip glass, witbier in a wide tumbler, and the stronger beers in a chalice or tulip glass that gathers the aroma. As a rule of thumb, serve Pils cold at 6 to 8°C (43–46°F), and Dubbel and Tripel a little warmer so the aromas can open up.

How do you pour beer properly? Tilt the glass and pour slowly until it's about half full, then straighten it up. This creates a firm head of foam. With witbier and Tripel, yeast settles at the bottom of the bottle, which you can gently swirl into the last third if you prefer the full flavor.