Breaking all La Rulles
La Rulles is an unusual Belgian microbrewery in that it favours hops instead of spices. Adrian Tierney-Jones reports
It’s Saturday lunchtime in the quiet village of Rulles in the Belgian province of Luxembourg. There’s a sleepy feel to the sultry summer air that wouldn’t be out of place in an English village. Which neatly brings me onto the subject of beer.
Rulles is also home to the brewery of the same name, whose reputation for its excellent beers has soared in the last couple of years. Slap-bang in the middle of the community, Rulles is based in an old farmhouse, while next to it stands the new brewhouse that came on-stream in the summer of 2006.
Gregory Verhelst is the owner and brewer, a sparky 30-something with plenty of energy; presumably, that’s why he’s called on to be one of the organisers of the local Brassigaume beer festival. When we meet, he explains that his old brewing kit is languishing in the farmhouse, while the new stainless steel equipment was pressed into action in the last week. Would I like a drink? I thought he’d never ask.
We cross the road to an ordinary looking house, which also doubles up as the brewery’s tap. We are joined by a couple of Italian beer-hunters who have seemingly appeared out of nowhere. They are travelling through the area in search of good beers and Rulles is on their itinerary. Wise chaps. As Verhelst goes behind the bar they ask for a bottle of his splendid Triple, of which more later.
Rulles has been in operation since 2000.
According to Verhelst: “I discovered good beer during studying in high school and then I also started to study bre.....
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By Adrian Tierney-Jones
Section : Spotlight
Page number : 58
