The Off-Menu Bottle List
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MICHAEL’s SECRET BEER COOLER
Since the Hopleaf opened the new bar side, what we call the South Bar, there was a cooler that housed rare and special bottles of beer.
Visitors to the Hopleaf had to “know” that this list existed; no bartender or server, or even Michael, would tell you about this list unless you asked. When you did ask you were presented with a crinkled, torn and ripped packet of papers detailing what lay inside that elusive cooler.
During Covid times, as we downsized significantly the number of beer bottles we had on our list, we decided to move our beautiful collection of white wines to “Michael’s Secret Beer Cooler.”
But because we love beer at Hopleaf it was hard for us to pass up rare and special offerings! Since things have started to get back to normal we realized we had yet again amassed a collection of limited quantity specialty beers that only had a home in Michael’s Secret Beer Cooler.
Brouwerij BOON
Oude Geuze Apogee
7% 750ml . . . . .$80
Oude Geuze Apogee is a celebration of Frank Boon’s extraordinary achievements. At the same time, this one-off edition celebrates the handover to Jos and Karel Boon. This transition from one generation to another is reflected in the composition of this geuze—because for Apogee, Frank created a special blend with lambic beers from the oldest (N° 79) and from the newest (N° 83) foeder.
The Oude Geuze Apogee was bottled on 29 April 2019.
Oude Geuze a l’Ancienne
—numbered casks—8% 330ml . . . . $28.
- Vat 92—Cask #92 was used by wine makers in the Rhône Valley, France.
It’s the favourite of the Boon tasting team: oak wood, complex and perfectly balanced, with smoky and spicy touches. - Vat 108 —The very wine-like accents of this oude gueuze combine w/a
distinctive ‘old beer’ character, which provides full-bodied & robust flavour, with unmistakable hints of volatile acidity that never overwhelm. 8%
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LINDEMANS
Oude Gueuze Cuvée Francisca 200th Anniversary
8% 750ml . . . . . $50.
A celebratory 200th Anniversary Blend (1822-2022) and a tribute to Lindemans founding mother.
Blend of 4-year-old lambic from the oak casks T1001 (20%), T1006 (35%), T1017 (35%) and 10% young lambic from foeder (oak cask) T1014. The entire blend was then allowed to ferment for another 12 months in the bottle before it was ready to be shared with the public.
“Francisca Vandersmissen was born circa 1800 in Hofter Kwadewegen in Vlezenbeek on a bed of hops and malt. The region’s noble beer lineage flowed freely through her veins. Years later, her sparkling appearance captivated Joos Lindemans. In 1822, the young couple wed and moved into the Vandersmissen farm brewery. Soon after, they began to brew the foaming gold we call Gueuze. Lindemans brewery was born.”
CANTILLON
Saint Lamvinus
7% 750mL . . . . . $90
Blend of lambics aged on average 16 to 18 months and on wine grapes.
The year’s blend, bottled November 2022, was exceptionally made with Merlot (55%), Grenache Noir (35%), and Syrah (10%).
Lambic can be rightly considered the missing link between the worlds of wine and beer, and Saint Lamvinus takes this one step further by adding grapes normally intended for wine production.
Intense, fruity beer that lingers on the palate and has a clear connection to its winemaking origins.
Sang Bleu
6% 750mL . . . . .$90
Lambic blend with blue honeysuckle, or haskap, berries.
For the past two years, they have been making a fruited blend with Camerise berries in small quantities. These berries are slightly sweet with a beautiful acidity.
Classic Kriek
5.5% 750mL . . . . . .$80
Blend of lambics and sour cherries, 200 grams of cherries per liter of beer.
Slightly acidic taste of red fruit complemented with subtle almond flavors. Kriek brings out its maximum “fruitiness” when drunk young. With age the lambic will take the upper hand, but this is at the expense of the fruit component.
3 FONTEINEN
Perzik Geel (season 21|22) Blend No. 14
6.7% 750mL . . . . . $70
As local harvest has been non-existent for the last three summers, they looked farther to find the juiciest of peaches. Hence, for this Perzik, they macerated freshly hand-picked yellow peaches from an organic producer in the north of Spain.
Two- and three-year old lambics are used for maceration, which took almost five months. The weighted average age of the peach blend upon bottling is almost 24 months. The final proportion of fruit used is 384 grams per liter of Perzik.
Perzik Rood (season 21/22) No. 20
6.2% 750mL . . . . . .$70
As local harvest has been non-existent for the last three summers, they looked farther to find the juiciest of peaches. Hence, for this Perzik, they macerated freshly hand-picked yellow peaches from an organic producer in the north of Spain.
Two- and three-year old lambics are used for maceration, which took almost five months. The weighted average age of the peach blend upon bottling is almost 24 months. The final proportion of fruit used is 384 grams per liter of Perzik.
Pruim Mirabelle (season 21|22) Blend No. 21
7.3% 750mL . . . . . $70
For this Pruim, they macerated fresh picked-to-ripeness sweet Mirabelle plums.
Maceration took a tad over four months. For both maceration and blending, they used over 90% of old lambics, both two-, three- and four-year old. The weighted average of this blend upon bottling is therefore almost 25 months.
The final fruit intensity is 304 grams of plums per liter of finished Pruim. The largest part of the fourteen brews used comes from smaller barrels and are 3 Fonteinen brewed. Of those, more than 1/3 were brewed with Pajottenland grown cereals.
Pruim Belle De Louvain (season 21|22) Blend No. 17
7.7% 750mL . . . . . $70
For this Pruim, they used the old plum variety Belle De Louvain, hand-picked in Limburg, Belgium.
Maceration took almost four months and the lambics for both maceration and blending originate from six different barrels and thirteen different brews, of which the oldest brewed end of October 2018. The weighted average age of this fruit blend is almost 22 months.
The final proportion of fruit used is 385 grams of plums per liter of Pruim. Almost half of the cereals used originate from the Pajottenland.
Frambozenlambik Oogst (season 19|20) Blend No. 33
6.8% 375mL . . . . . .$50
For this Frambozenlambik, they macerated raspberries from Ferme Framboos for four months on jonge lambik at a fruit intensity of 382 grams of raspberries per liter of lambik. Lighter in color due to the applied maceration technique, the raspberry characteristics in aroma and taste of this Frambozenlambik present themselves while opening up. They let this Frambozenlambik rest for almost 18 months before releasing it.
Intens Rood (season 19|20) Blend No. 79 PX
7.1% 750mL . . . . .$90
While looking for old sherry barrels, they don’t get lucky all the time. While they will be sourcing barrels directly from bodegas to assure provenance and quality, they had a batch of Pedro Ximenez (PX) barrels that was on the peated side (albeit subdued). As a result, they decided not to use them for Zenne y Frontera, but to blend them with other (fruit) lambikken into geuze and fruit blends.
This is the first and only of such blends to be released. Sour cherries were macerated partly on young peated lambik and partly on two-year old straight lambik in a stainless steel tank. Blended with young and three-year old lambik. 55% of the blend is old lambik and the final fruit intensity is 567 grams of sour cherries per liter.
Oude Kriek (season 19|20) Blend No. 35
6.8% 375mL . . . . . $35
For this specific Oude Kriek, they macerated sour cherries with jonge lambikken from three different brews and from one and the same barrel, during six months on stainless steel. They blended with another jonge lambik to a final fruit intensity of 353 grams of sour cherries per liter of Oude Kriek. They kept this bottle for almost 18 months in their cellars before releasing.
Oude Kriek Intens Rood (Season 19/20) Blend No. 77 6.8% 375mL . . . . . $45
Macerated for almost 10 months on five different lambics from two barrels. Another four different lambics from another two barrels were used in the blending process. The final fruit intensity was about 442 grams of sour cherries per liter of Intens Rood.
Hommage (season 18|19) Blend No. 106
5.3% 750mL . . . . . $100
This particular Hommage has a final fruit intensity of 352 grams of fruit per liter of Hommage. The lambics originate from 4 different barrels and 4 different brews. Lambics originate from 3 Fonteinen (40%) and Brouwerij Lindemans (60%).
Hommage (season 19/20) Blend No. 72
6.3% 375mL . . . . . $50
They blended a kriekenlambik and a frambozenlambik in a forty-sixty proportion and with a final fruit intensity of 529 grams of fruit per liter of Hommage. The weighted average maceration time was five months, and they used both jonge and two-year old lambik from seven barrels and eleven brews. This bottle aged for a year in their warm room before its release.
Nocturne (season 21/22) Blend No. 47
8% 750 mL . . . . . $50
A spontaneously fermented full malt beer. Not your typical lambik beer, but their take on a Vlaams Oud Bruin. The beer was brewed with five different barley malts, from pilsner malt to dark roasted malts, and no wheat whatsoever.
This batch was brewed in April 2019 with more lighter malt, and put on oak barrels for three years before they blended it with a small portion of freshly brewed Nocturne. The average age of this beer upon bottling is 33 months.
Nocturne (season 21|22) Blend No. 48
7% 750mL . . . . . $50
A spontaneously fermented full malt beer. Not your typical lambik beer, but their take on a Vlaams Oud Bruin. The beer was brewed with five different barley malts, from pilsner malt, dark roasted malts, and no wheat whatsoever.
This batch was brewed in March 2018 with more dark chocolate malt, and put on barrels for four years before they blended it with a small portion of freshly brewed Nocturne. The average age of this beer upon bottling is 45 months.
Oude Geuze (season 18/19) No. 50
7.2% 1500mL . . . . . $150
A blend of one-, two-, and three-year old lambikken. No two bottles are alike, as there are multiple variables in the blending process. A high variety of barrels, differences in aged lambik proportions. When cellared properly these beers can be aged for decades.
Gueuzerie TILQUIN
Stout Rullquin (2018/2019)
7% 750mL . . . . .$42
Obtained from a blending of 7/8 of Rulles Brune (Stout de Gaume) and 1/8 of a blend of 1 year old lambics, which has matured for 8 months on oak barrels. Unfiltered and unpasteurized, this beer is refermented for 6 months in the bottle.
Cassis Rullquin (2020/2021)
7.7% 750mL . . . . .$44
Beer of mixed fermentation, made from the fermentation of 160 grams of blackcurrants per liter in a blending of 7/8 of Rulles Brune and 1/8 of 1 year old lambics, which has matured for 8 months on oak barrels. Unfiltered and unpasteurized, this beer is re-fermented for 6 months in the bottle.
Oude Mirabelle à l’Ancienne (2020/2021)
7% 750mL . . . . .$50
During this season 20|21, a new fruit beer was blended, made from the fermentation of 240 grams of Mirabelle plums per liter of lambic.
Oude Pinot Meunier à L’Ancienne (2020/2021)
750mL 7.9% . . . . . $50
Beer of spontaneous fermentation, made from the fermentation of 250 grams of Pinot Meunier grapes per liter of lambic. The grapes were grown bio-dynamically by their neighbors at Domaine W. Unfiltered and unpasteurized, this beer is re-fermented in the bottle.
Oude Pinot Gris à l’Ancienne (2020/2021)
8.4% 750mL . . . . .$50
Beer of spontaneous fermentation, made from the fermentation of 280 grams of Pinot Gris grapes per liter of lambic. Unfiltered and unpasteurized, this beer is re-fermented in the bottle.
Oude Riesling à l’ancienne (2020/2021)
7.7% 750mL . . . . . $50
Beer of spontaneous fermentation, made from the fermentation of 325 grams of Riesling grapes per liter of lambic. Unfiltered and unpasteurized, this beer is re-fermented in the bottle.
Oude Sureau à l’Ancienne (2020/2021)
6.5% 750mL . . . . . $46
Beer of spontaneous fermentation, made from the fermentation of 125 grams of elderberries per liter of lambic. Unfiltered unpasteurized, this beer is re-fermented in the bottle.
Cuvée Jean-Paul à l’Ancienne (2020-2021)
7% 750mL . . . . .$60
Blended in honor of Jean-Paul Tilquin (1947 – 2010), father of Pierre, with 40% 1-year old lambics, 30% 2-year old lambics and 30% 3-year old lambics, all matured in oak barrels. Unfiltered and unpasteurized, this beer is re-fermented and matured in the bottle for 1 year minimum.
Cuvée Marie-Catherine à l’Ancienne (2021-2022)
7% 750mL . . . . . $60
Blended on 15 February 2022 in honor of Marie-Catherine Tilquin-Rousseaux, mother of Pierre, with 40% 1-year old lambics, 30% 2-year old lambics and 30% 3-year old lambics, all matured in oak barrels. Unfiltered and unpasteurized, this beer was refermented and matured in the bottle for 1 year.
Cuvée Paul à l’Ancienne (2021-2022)
7% 750mL . . . . . $60
Blended in honor of Paul Tilquin (1909 – 2005), grandfather of Pierre, with 30% 1-year old lambics, 30% 2-year old lambics and 40% 3-year old lambics, all matured in oak barrels. Unfiltered and unpasteurized, this beer is re-fermented and matured in the bottle for minimum 1 year.
Oude Mûre à l’Ancienne (2020/2021)
6% 375mL . . . . . $25
Obtained from the fermentation of fresh or frozen blackberries in young lambics, blended with 1, 2 and 3 years lambic to reach a final concentration of fruits of 260-300 grams fruit per liter.
Oude Gueze à l’Ancienne
7% 375mL . . . . .$18
A blend of 1, 2 and 3 years old lambic re-fermented in bottle for at least 6 months. “Oude” in flemish or “à l’ancienne” in french is an appellation protected by the EU and is restricted for traditional Belgian Gueze in bottle.
Oude Quetsche à l’Ancienne (2020/2021)
6.5% 375mL . . . . .$25
Obtained from the fermentation of de-stoned fresh purple plums in young lambics, blended with 1, 2 and 3 years lambic to reach a final concentration of fruits of 260 grams fruit per liter.
Brouwerij BOSTEELS
DeuS (Brut des Flandres)
11.5% 750mL . . . . . $45
The real Champagne of beers. Refreshing as an aperitif. A magnificent symbiosis of beer and a sparkling wine. Perfect if you have got something to celebrate. Truly the sparkling divine based on barley.
Brouwerij HOF TEN DORMAAL
Sloe 6.2% 11.2oz . . . . . .$15
A sour traditional Farmhouse that is spontaneously fermented. They use their ‘zure’ as a basic beer after they add fresh sloeberries from a local farm and let it rest for seven more months.
TRILLIUM Canton, MA
Barrel-Aged Feed Your Soul
14.8% 500mL. . . . . $40
Collab with Weathered Souls Brewing. Featuring barley smoked on a Primitive Pit smoker over New England maple and oak. Rich baker’s chocolate, caramelized brown sugar, stickymolasses, and freshly-ground coffee with an underlying complementary smoke profile.
Barrel-Aged Almond Cake
15.7% 500mL . . . . . $40
Imperial stout brewed w/ harmoniously blended dark malts and conditioned on Madagascar vanilla beans and toasted almonds. More than three years of subsequent maturation in bourbon barrels adds well-structured oak presence, mellow spirit character, and graceful smoothness.
BELL’S BREWERY Kalamazoo, MI
Black Note 2023
11.1% 12oz . . . . . $14
Blends the complex aromatics of Expedition Stout with the velvety smooth texture of Double Cream Stout, each aged in freshly retired oak bourbon barrels for months.
GOOSE ISLAND
Bourbon County Wheatwine (2018)
15.4% 16.9oz . . . . . . $20
Made from two row and malted wheat, the first recipe to veer from the original Imperial Stout since Barleywine in 2013, Wheatwine displays a deep amber color, lighter than its counterparts and acts a true medium to convey the characteristics of the 4+ year old Heaven Hill Bourbon barrels. Overflows with flavors of caramel, vanilla, butterscotch, and toffee.