Production
Brewing methods
Preface
Constantly improving the quality of the product as well as searching for raw materials is the key element to our brewing process. Everyone agrees: you can taste the difference! Ultimately, our passion pours straight into our beer.
Raw Materials
We select the highest quality raw materials by directly visiting the farmers whenever possible.
Our malts have different origins: some are imported directly from France and England whereas others are purchased from Germany and Belgium.
Our hops come from Germany (we personally select them there during harvest time), England, the United States and New Zealand. Hop variety and terroir are extremely important since they give the beer its unique aromatic qualities.
Our yeasts are selected strains propagated in our own Brewery. We brew using top, bottom and mix fermentation by adding wild yeasts and lactic bacteria.
Brewing process
All our beers are unpasteurized , because we believe that putting such an aromatically complex and delicate product through heat treatment would forever compromise its organoleptic quality and freshness.
Some of our beers undergo a natural conditioning process in closed tanks to end fermentation and are later bottled in an isobaric manner. Others are given a dose of either sugar or wort before bottling which, after a period under controlled temperatures, triggers in-bottle fermentation, thus naturally carbonating the beer. This process is known as bottle-conditioning.
Mixed fermentation
Mixed fermentation is used to increase the beer’s aromatic and gustative complexity by inoculating wild yeasts such as Brettanomyces and lactic bacteria. Although these beers, mostly barrel aged, require years to mature, they end up unfolding truly amazing surprises to the palate.
Wood
Some of our beers age for several months in used wooden barrels, mostly French and American oak barriques. Cask selection is based on prior use (red or white wine, calvados, Scotch Whisky or bourbon). During wood barrel aging the beer acquires wood tertiary aromas, undergoes a micro oxygenation and also absorbs the aroma of what the cask was previously containing.
