A visit to the Hertog Jan Brewery in Arcen

 So, when we recently went on holiday to Arcen, the place of the Hertog Jan brewery, I booked a brewery tour.

 

Located about 15 minutes from the parc, this was a good spot for some learning, and of course, Quality Controlling.

 

Now, the regular Hertog Jan beers aren't actually brewed here anymore, but in other breweries of the AB InBev group.  The tour was led by a dry humoured dutchman, Ger, or as he calls himself, Gertog Jan, who worked for a long time in the place.

 

The water used for the brewing process travels 800 years underground from the Ardennes in Belgium towards Arcen, and is pumped up.  We got to taste this, and it had a really pure taste. From there, it went to the malt room, where the various sorts of malt are burned for light or dark beers.  

 

  

 

 

 

What they do brew there still is their parade beer, Grand Prestige, as well as cooperative, very limited beers from their Proeftuinen range.  These are only available once through a subscription box, but this unfortunatly isn't available to Belgium.  We got to taste one of them, the Zwarte Raaf, a very dark and heavy beer.

  

Of course, there was also a 10 second long course in tapping their Weitzen (it works btw), which could be, errm, quality controlled to the fullest.

 

After a little movie about the bottling process, the final visit was to the cellars where the Grand Prestige ripens, and of course, here was some tasting involved as well.

  

And so the tour ended, in the gift store which is dead cheap.  For example, a pack of 6 of their beers all ranged between 4.50 to 6.90 for a pack, for most of them that buys you two bottles in a store...

 

A very intresting tour, taking slightly over an hour (as we where the last group of the day, there was some more quality control time) and explaining the whole process of the making of the Grand Prestige.  If you are ever near Arcen, be sure to take it in your holiday schedule, it's worth it.

  

And now, schol!