Brouwerij De Brabandere - Petrus Aged Pale

The Brouwerij De Brabandere Petrus Aged Pale, winner of the World Beer Awards World’s Best Sour & Wild Ale 2023, was crafted with patience and tradition in mind. It epitomizes the essence of foeder beer undergoing a meticulous aging process of 24 months in French oak foeders. Renowned as the benchmark for sour and wild ales, it was christened Petrus Aged Pale by the esteemed beer aficionado Michael Jackson in the late 1990s, becoming a cornerstone offering in his beer club. He was the original founder of the Rare Beer Club, and was the curator until his passing in 2007. Our founder, Kris Calef, acquired the Rare Beer Club in 2008 and we’ve been dedicated to telling the story of beer, as Mr. Jackson did, ever since. Since the brewery’s inception, this venerable brew has served as a vital blending component, infusing other beers with its vibrant, subtly sour notes and aromatic nuances.

Petrus Aged Pale pours a captivating lightly hazed gold, crowned by resilient, bright white foam that leaves intricate lacing as the glass tilts. Its appearance evokes a classic pale ale, with a hint of burnished copper suggesting the 24 months of foeder aging. Vibrant and robustly built, pouring unleashes spicy peppery notes, earthy and lactic tones, and fruity and yeasty phenolics intertwined with herbal and floral hops. The hop aromas then go further with pulpy citrus and crushed pine needle notes and give way to farmhouse funk and woody undertones. There are lots of layers for our olfactory senses to enjoy.

The first sip of Petrus Aged Pale brought to our attention the herbal and floral notes we encountered in the aromas, followed by juicy tartness and refined sour notes. The pale malt backbone is sturdy and provides a platform for the bitterness of the hops to come through and show off pulpy lemon flavors mid-palate. There’s a seamless integration of malty sweetness, hoppy grippiness, farmhouse earthiness, and foeder driven sourness that make this an exceptional beer.

Refreshing and expansive, the Petrus Aged Pale is medium bodied with a lively and effervescent mousse. The bright and lingering finish is a testament to the artistry and quality of Brouwerij de Brabandere.

The Petrus Aged Pale is able to age at least three years in the cellar and will pair very well with buttery fish/shellfish such as baked scallops with butter and herbs, or pomme frites with garlic mayonnaise.

Brouwerij De Brabandere, previously known as Bavik brewery, began back in August 1894, when a farmer named Adolphe De Brabandere formally applied to build a brewery with the town council of Bavikhove. At the time, Adolphe couldn’t possibly have known how much the brewery would shape the course of his family’s history, but it was in that same year that his child Joseph De Brabandere made his own first batch of beer. When Joseph passed away in 1929, he in turn transferred leadership of their family brewery to his own son Albert.

The brewery would continue to evolve throughout the 20th century. While originally the beer was sold only to individuals and cafes, in 1950 their sales became directed at beer merchants. An increased sales network made the Bavik and Bon-Val products available throughout West and East Flanders as well as in Hainaut. Albert’s sons, Ignace and Vincent, both got involved with the brewery. When retailers threatened the business in the mid-70s, their brewery diversified its base to more restaurants and cafes, growing from 150 clients in 1975 to about 1,000 in 1994. While the brewery today touts a variety of brands, Petrus Oud Bruin served to bring them early acclaim, as did its especially tart base beer and the one we’re featuring this month—beloved by Michael Jackson, who came up with its name—Petrus Aged Pale. Other successful releases such as Petrus Tripel and Petrus Special followed, with the brewery taking home numerous national and international awards. Today, its lines include Petrus Tradition and Sours, Bavik Super Pils and Wittekerke, among many others.

Ignace De Brabandere headed the brewery for decades, from 1975 to 2013, when the latest generation, Bert De Brabandere, took over the family-run business. In 2014, as the brewery was celebrating its 120th birthday, they decided to formally change the name to Brouwerij De Brabandere to better reflect the history of the century-plus-old brewery. De Brabandere’s a proud member of the Belgian Family Brewers, an impressive coalition of 20 family-owned Belgian breweries that have been operating there for 50+ consecutive years. Brouwerij De Brabandere has slowly grown into one of the most successful independent producers in Belgium, and we’re excited to have this opportunity to get one of their limited-release offerings into the hands of our Rare Beer Club members. We have long been fans of the beautifully fermented Petrus brands—and this one’s exceptional. For more on this historic Belgian institution, visit www.brouwerijdebrabandere.be/en/. The Petrus Aged Pale is very lightly distributed throughout the US in the 750ml bottle format offered by the Rare Beer Club, with less than 50 cases sold in 2023.