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History: Home > De Molen

De Molen (Brewery Tap)

Beer (sort)Average Score (sort)No. Samples (sort)
Emelisse - Imperial Russian StoutExceptional2
AF Brew - Eat the Dust! DDH MosaicExceptional1
Alvinne - Mano Negra Cognac Barrel-agedExceptional1
Birrificio Toccalmatto - Russian Imperial Stout (Wild)Exceptional1
Brouwerij Kees! - Barrel Project #8Exceptional1
Cascade Brewing - DieselExceptional1
De Molen - 21 Grams Anniversary Ale 10 Years de MolenExceptional1
De Molen - Moord & Brand High Ester RhumExceptional1
Hair of the Dog (Portland, USA) - Blue DotExceptional1
Labietis - Pelašķu VelnsExceptional1
Laugar - Aupa Tovarisch (Oporto Edition)Exceptional1
Magic Rock - Bearded LadyExceptional1
Monyo - Two Headed GiantExceptional1
Närke Kulturbryggeri - Kaggen Stormaktsporter Borb’n & HallonExceptional1
To Øl - By Udder MeansExceptional1
Alvinne - FolkbierExcellent1
Alvinne - Land van MortagneExcellent1
Amager - EnvyExcellent1
Austmann Bryggeri - La Shaman Aztek StoutExcellent1
Bakunin - Ghost TownExcellent1
Bakunin - Salty DogExcellent1
Basquery - Bederatzi +1Excellent1
Beerbliotek - Last Day Before RetirementExcellent1
Beerbliotek - Shakes Fist AngrilyExcellent1
Bevog - OndExcellent1
Birra del Borgo - Hoppy CatExcellent1
Birrificio Toccalmatto - Hops CrimeExcellent1
Birrificio Toccalmatto - Hops TripperExcellent1
Birrificio Toccalmatto - Surfing Hop Imperial IPAExcellent1
Birrificio Toccalmatto - Zona Cesarini Pacifica IPAExcellent1
Brekeriet - CassisExcellent1
BrewDog - Chili HammerExcellent1
BrewDog - Pilot Brew 09 – Spiced Cherry SourExcellent1
Brewfist - 2 LateExcellent1
Brewski - Mango Feber DIPAExcellent1
Brouwerij Kees! - Hazy MorningExcellent1
Brouwerij Kees! - Magic Rock Barrel-aged (Brew with Friends #1)Excellent1
Brouwerij Kees! - Pale Ale Citra ExtraExcellent1
Burning Sky - Easy Answers IPAExcellent1
Burning Sky - Saison l’AnniversaireExcellent1
Burnside Brewing Co. (USA) - The 5th ElementExcellent1
Cascade Brewing - CranberryExcellent1
De Molen - A strong, German-style Kellerbier.Excellent1
De Molen - Ali & BabaExcellent1
De Molen - Batch #3000 Burgundy BAExcellent1
De Molen - Hel & VerdoemenisExcellent1
De Molen - Hemel & Arde B.A.Excellent1
de Natte Gijt - Oranje StoutExcellent1
Dogma (Sao Paulo) - CafusaExcellent1
Dry & Bitter - Citra Pale AleExcellent1
Esquelbecq - Etoile du NordExcellent1
Fyne - Fladda RockExcellent1
Fyne - Fladda Rock ‘n’ RollExcellent1
Fyne - Superior IPAExcellent1
Het Uiltje - City ZebraExcellent1
Het Uiltje - Crybaby BlackberryExcellent1
Jopen - Grateful Deaf IPAExcellent1
Kernel (The Kernel) - Borefts Festival SpecialExcellent1
Kernel (The Kernel) - London Sour RaspberryExcellent1
Klostergården Håndbryggeri - IPAExcellent1
La Pirata - Ay Carmela!Excellent1
La Pirata - ViakrucisExcellent1
Labietis - Lentenu Kāvējs (Tapeworm Slayer)Excellent1
Lervig - Galaxy Single HopExcellent1
Lervig - Norwegian MaulerExcellent1
Magic Rock - Festival SaisonExcellent1
Malmö Brewing Co. - Canned Wheat IPAExcellent1
Mont Salève - Barbe Rouge MademoiselleExcellent1
Mont Salève - Oyster StoutExcellent1
Monyo - AfterpartyExcellent1
Närke Kulturbryggeri - Svarte-küngenExcellent1
Naparbier - 5 Titius Anniversary IPAExcellent1
Naparbier - Back in Black IPAExcellent1
Naparbier - SunsetExcellent1
North - Hit the North 2.0 Brut IPAExcellent1
Oedipus - Kinderyoga B.A.Excellent1
Omnipollo - Magic #21 Double Raspberry & Vanilla Smoothy IPAExcellent1
Oppigårds Bryggeri - AmarilloExcellent1
Põhjala Öö - JõuluööExcellent1
Poch’s Cervesa Artesana - Carquinyoli Imperial StoutExcellent1
Redchurch - Borefts SaisonExcellent1
Rocket Brewing - Monks on MarsExcellent1
Rooie Dop - Double Oatmeal StoutExcellent1
Rooie Dop - What a Wonderful White IPAExcellent1
Sahtipaja - Almost Same But MoreExcellent1
Sori Brewing - Ensemble Five: DDH Citra, Mosaic & GalaxyExcellent1
Sori Brewing - Ensemble Four: DDH Amarillo & CitraExcellent1
Sori Brewing - From Tallinn to BodegravenExcellent1
Struise Brouwers - ElliotExcellent1
Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - KachoExcellent1
Tilquin - Stout RulquinExcellent1
Trilha Cervejaria - Faça Amor, Não Mande AudioExcellent1
Urbana Cervejaria - Chocolate HopExcellent1
Urbana Cervejaria - Feira da FrutaExcellent1
Zagavar - Juicy PatrolExcellent1
Alvinne - PotpilsGood1
Beerbliotek - MankiniGood1
Birra del Borgo - CastagnaleGood1
Borg Brugghus - Ulfur Nr. 3Good1
Brewfist - Terminal Pale AleGood1
De Molen - Dutch Fresh HoppedGood1
Del Ducato - MacheteGood1
Gänstaller - Kellerbier MandarinaGood1
Gänstaller - ZwickelpilsGood1
Klostergården Håndbryggeri - HerbieGood1
Laugar - Fibonatxi OGood1
Mikkeller - SpontanpeachGood1
Närke - CamarilloGood1
Närke - Viking IPAGood1
Omnipollo - PeriklesGood1
Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds') - Green Hop Ale (2014)Good1
Reketye - 99 Hop ConesGood1
Upright Brewing - SixGood1
Het Uiltje - Nothing Left of a LagerAcceptable1
Picture 1. De Molen, Bodegraven, Netherlands
Stephen Harris

Visits Details

22 Sep 2018 (Stephen Harris)
A rather belated addition of my beer list from this year’s Borefts beer festival. My eighth consecutive year at this festival (I see that I did not get around to writing up last years). It continues to go from strength to strength and is now a large and sold-out event. A bit blighted by rain this year. As in the past, I have merged two days of visits into one entry.
BeerABVScoreNotes
AF Brew - Eat the Dust! DDH Mosaic8.00ExceptionalThis St Petersburg brewery were the hit of this year’s festival and I only managed to get on beer before it all ran out. This is a murky golden hop-fest of the highest order.
Monyo - Two Headed Giant9.50ExceptionalA wonderful, barrel-aged Imperial Stout with blackberry
De Molen - Hel & Verdoemenis12.20ExcellentA barrel-aged and cherry-infused Imperial Stout. Slightly sour cherry. A very big beer indeed.
De Molen - Ali & Baba12.70ExcellentA barrel-aged Imperial Stout with sesame seed. Prominent red wine flavours.
De Molen - Batch #3000 Burgundy BA14.60ExcellentA Barley Wine aged in Burgundy barrels to celebrate de Molen’s 3,000th brew.
Basquery - Bederatzi +19.50ExcellentA dark beer flavoured with tonka beans; I particularly enjoyed this one.
Beerbliotek - Last Day Before Retirement7.50ExcellentAn excellent IPA.
Beerbliotek - Shakes Fist Angrily9.50ExcellentYum, a Black IPA.
Dogma (Sao Paulo) - Cafusa9.20ExcellentA very fine, strong Black IPA.
Urbana Cervejaria - Chocolate Hop7.00ExcellentBrazilian Black IPA.
Urbana Cervejaria - Feira da Fruta9.00ExcellentA very fruity Double IPA
de Natte Gijt - Oranje Stout7.30ExcellentPoured from a bottle. A flavoursome Stout with orange.
Brouwerij Kees! - Hazy Morning5.00ExcellentDutch entry into the murky world of NEIPA.
Klostergården Håndbryggeri - IPA7.00Excellent
Monyo - Afterparty5.60ExcellentMy first beer of the festival and a great start. A Saison from Budapest, with cucumber and kaffir leaves.
North - Hit the North 2.0 Brut IPA7.50ExcellentGolden and very dry.
Poch’s Cervesa Artesana - Carquinyoli Imperial Stout10.20ExcellentA big, black, buiscuity Stout.
Põhjala Öö - Jõuluöö8.00ExcellentAn Imperial Porter with chocolate, vanilla, oak and brandy flavours.
Sori Brewing - Ensemble Four: DDH Amarillo & Citra8.20ExcellentMurky NEIPA with some of the best hops around.
Sori Brewing - Ensemble Five: DDH Citra, Mosaic & Galaxy8.30ExcellentAnother cracking NEIPA.
Sori Brewing - From Tallinn to Bodegraven10.50ExcellentAnother whopping Imperial Stout.
Trilha Cervejaria - Faça Amor, Não Mande Audio8.00ExcellentAn interesting beer name to put into Google Translate. It is a juicy DIPA.
Het Uiltje - Crybaby Blackberry2.60ExcellentA mouth-puckering blackberry Berliner Weisse.
Het Uiltje - City Zebra6.00ExcellentA NEIPA – everybody brews at least one these days.
Zagavar - Juicy Patrol8.00ExcellentThis Moscow brewery’s obligatory NEIPA.
Beerbliotek - Mankini3.50GoodFruity and sour.
Borg Brugghus - Ulfur Nr. 35.90GoodAn IPA.
Klostergården Håndbryggeri - Herbie5.00GoodA hop-free beer flavoured with a pot-pourri of Nordic herbs.
Reketye - 99 Hop Cones5.50GoodA relatively straightforward (for this festival) Blonde beer.
24 Sep 2016 (Stephen Harris)
My annual visit to the Borefts Bier Festival. In the six years I have been coming here, this festival has grown from a small gathering of beer enthusiasts in a windmill and adjoining car park to a very large, all-ticket, sold out festival spreading throughout the adjoining industrial estate – matching the growth of the de Molen Brewery itself. It’s still great fun but not the same as it was at the start. As before, I have lumped two days visits together. It is again tempting just to rate everything as ‘exceptional’ but I have avoided that. I tried beer from all the breweries present with the exception of Cigar City whose beers sold out almost immediately.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Alvinne - Mano Negra Cognac Barrel-aged10.00ExceptionalSublime.
Brouwerij Kees! - Barrel Project #812.50ExceptionalSuperb. Full of brandy tastes. A dark brown Barley Wine.
Närke Kulturbryggeri - Kaggen Stormaktsporter Borb’n & Hallon9.90ExceptionalA black Stout/Porter, oak-aged and flavoured with raspberries. Fantastic. My friend declared it the best beer he had ever drunk.
Birra del Borgo - Hoppy Cat5.80ExcellentDark and full of hops. A Black IPA I guess.
De Molen - A strong, German-style Kellerbier.8.50ExcellentA strong, German-style Kellerbier.
Bakunin - Ghost Town10.50ExcellentA fabulous, black, barrel-aged and slightly sour Imperial Stout from St Petersburg.
Bakunin - Salty Dog5.00ExcellentA dark, salty beer in the Leipzig tradition.
Bevog - Ond6.30ExcellentA smoked Porter.
BrewDog - Chili Hammer7.20ExcellentMucho chili in this.
Cascade Brewing - Cranberry7.00ExcellentA refreshing, sour, fruit beer.
Dry & Bitter - Citra Pale Ale4.60ExcellentGreat Citra tastes.
Brouwerij Kees! - Magic Rock Barrel-aged (Brew with Friends #1)13.00ExcellentA dark brown ‘Belgian Quadruple’ aged in calvados barrels.
La Pirata - Viakrucis6.00ExcellentAn IPA from Spain.
La Pirata - Ay Carmela!9.20ExcellentA strong IPA.
Labietis - Lentenu Kāvējs (Tapeworm Slayer)7.20ExcellentA thick Black IPA.
Lervig - Norwegian Mauler7.90ExcellentA dry Stout flavoured with Earl Grey tea.
Oedipus - Kinderyoga B.A.11.00ExcellentA barrel-aged Imperial Stout.
Sahtipaja - Almost Same But More7.20ExcellentA hefty, strong IPA.
Esquelbecq - Etoile du Nord5.50ExcellentA very good, hoppy Saison.
Alvinne - Potpils5.50GoodA slightly odd beer, German in style but with a spicy Belgian yeast taste.
Birra del Borgo - Castagnale7.10GoodA chestnut-coloured Bock beer. Malty and sweetish.
Gänstaller - Zwickelpils5.10GoodA golden beer that tasted very sweet in comparison to everything else.
Omnipollo - Perikles4.30GoodA Pilsner-style beer. Drunk for light relief and tasting a bit ordinary alongside the strong beers.
26 Sep 2015 (Stephen Harris)
My annual visit to the brilliant Borefts Bier Festival. Both the de Molen Brewery and Borefts just keep getting bigger and bigger, and this is now a huge event. This year the festival features more than 200 beers from 24 breweries representing ten countries. Tasting notes cover Friday and Saturday sessions – as usual here it would not be unreasonable to rate almost everything as ‘exceptional’ but I have resisted the temptation.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Hair of the Dog (Portland, USA) - Blue Dot7.00ExceptionalA golden, cloudy, Double IPA. Incredibly bitter and ferocious, with strong hop smells and flavours.
Labietis - Pelašķu Velns8.80ExceptionalA near-black Latvian beer with a brown, foamy head. It is hopped with Citra and flavoured with Yarrow. A luscious Stout with a sweet edge.
Cascade Brewing - Diesel8.80ExceptionalAn enormous, thick, black, heavy, Imperial Stout.
De Molen - Hemel & Arde B.A.11.30ExcellentThere are loads of strong barrel aged beers here this year, although I drank just this one. It is a pitch black, silly strong, Imperial Stout
Austmann Bryggeri - La Shaman Aztek Stout7.80ExcellentA black Stout with strong chilli and chocolate flavours.
BrewDog - Pilot Brew 09 – Spiced Cherry Sour6.10ExcellentDeep cherry red in colour and flavour. A very nice sour.
Brewski - Mango Feber DIPA8.00ExcellentGolden and hazy. Dry and bitter. Huge hops and mango flavours.
Brouwerij Kees! - Pale Ale Citra Extra4.60ExcellentA golden, hazy ale that is full of Citra hop flavours.
Burning Sky - Easy Answers IPA6.00ExcellentA particularly lovely IPA.
Lervig - Galaxy Single Hop6.50ExcellentI’m always a sucker for the Galaxy hop and it is shown off well in the golden Pale Ale.
Magic Rock - Festival Saison6.50ExcellentA rhubarb and ginger-flavoured Saison brewed as a festival special.
Malmö Brewing Co. - Canned Wheat IPA7.00ExcellentGolden/orange in colour. Has a soft, wheat background and big hop flavours from Citra, Amarillo and Mosaic. Not served from a can.
Naparbier - Sunset4.20ExcellentA first class, golden hophead.
Närke Kulturbryggeri - Svarte-küngen8.20ExcellentA thick, heavy, Black IPA.
Omnipollo - Magic #21 Double Raspberry & Vanilla Smoothy IPA5.20ExcellentThe description is in the name. More raspberry than vanilla.
Oppigårds Bryggeri - Amarillo5.90ExcellentAmerican Pale Ale-style beer.
Redchurch - Borefts Saison5.10ExcellentRedchurch are certainly getting stuck in to their sour beers and this one is great. Fermented with wine lees and flavoured with hogweed.
Burnside Brewing Co. (USA) - The 5th Element5.50ExcellentIPA-style, brewed with Australian hops.
Gänstaller - Kellerbier Mandarina5.30GoodA golden Lager, well-flavoured with mandarina hops. Perhaps a little ordinary for this festival.
Upright Brewing - Six6.70GoodA very spicy, Red Rye beer.
27 Sep 2014 (Stephen Harris)
The sixth edition of the great Borefts Bier Festival, here at the brewery. The festival grows from strength to strength and was crowded throughout. This year, 175 beers were available from 19 breweries, representing 8 different countries. This report covers the Friday afternoon session and Saturday evening – the breweries I didn’t get around to trying this year were Alvinne, Cantillon and Evil Twin.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Emelisse - Imperial Russian Stout11.00ExceptionalMagnificent Imperial Stout, this version barrel-aged in a rum cask.
De Molen - 21 Grams Anniversary Ale 10 Years de Molen10.00ExceptionalA very powerful concoction – a Double IPA.
Magic Rock - Bearded Lady10.50ExceptionalA special version of Magic Rock’s Imperial Stout that had been barrel-aged in Pedro Ximinez Sherry casks.
Brekeriet - Cassis5.20ExcellentA very nice sour beer with blackcurrant, in a Belgian fruit Lambic-style.
Brewfist - 2 Late9.50ExcellentStrong US-style IPA
Burning Sky - Saison l’Anniversaire6.20ExcellentA special Chardonnay barrel-aged version of this tasty Saison.
Kernel (The Kernel) - London Sour Raspberry3.00ExcellentAfter a couple of hefty Imperial Stouts, this was a wonderfully refreshing cleanser.
Mont Salève - Barbe Rouge Mademoiselle6.00ExcellentVery good Pale Ale.
Rocket Brewing - Monks on Mars9.00ExcellentAn excellent beer in the Belgian tripel style, with the addition of lots of orange peel.
Tilquin - Stout Rulquin7.00ExcellentI really liked this uncategorisable, bottled beer. Described as a sour stout, it tasted like a dark Gueuze.
Birrificio Toccalmatto - Hops Tripper7.00ExcellentA reddish-brown, fruity, hoppy beer.
Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds') - Green Hop Ale (2014)4.80GoodMy first Kentish Green Hop Beer of the year, sampled on gravity dispense in faraway Netherlands.
Del Ducato - Machete7.60GoodA strong IPA that was a bit too frothy in the glass, but still pretty good.
Laugar - Fibonatxi O6.00GoodA cloudy rye Saison with ginger and citrus. Plenty of burn in the back of the throat.
Närke - Camarillo4.80GoodA hoppy Pale Ale, although suffering a little from over-carbonation issues.
Het Uiltje - Nothing Left of a Lager5.00AcceptableA very odd beer indeed. This is a standard lager beer that has been aged (for some time I suspect) in a wooden Caol Ila cask. The end result is something that tastes nothing like a beer at all, having lost all its beery flavours, but entirely like a weak whisky and water. A never-to-be-repeated experiment I suspect.
27 Sep 2013 (Stephen Harris)
Here for the fifth edition of Borefts Bier Festival (my third time here). I didn’t write it up last year, but have decided to this year. A bit naughty for this site I know, but my report covers visits over two days, 27 and 28 September. The format of the festival is to invite ‘the world’s best brewers’ to set up stands and sell their own beer. The attendance is international, and there were many familiar faces here from the London beer scene. It would be tempting just to rate everything as ‘exceptional’, but I have tried to have some perspective. I didn’t drink as much as it might appear, the standard beer measure here is a small one. Only those I drank are listed – around 140 beers were available, from 18 breweries, representing nine countries.
BeerABVScoreNotes
De Molen - Moord & Brand High Ester Rhum9.80ExceptionalOn keg dispense. Smoked imperial stout, this version barrel-aged in wooden rum barrels.
Emelisse - Imperial Russian Stout11.00ExceptionalOn keg dispense. This version barrel-aged in wooden Wild Turkey barrels. Sweetish and smooth with Bourneville chocolate and whisky tastes.
Laugar - Aupa Tovarisch (Oporto Edition)11.00ExceptionalOn keg dispense. Fabulous, chocolatey, strong stout, matured in port casks for a great winey taste.
To Øl - By Udder Means7.00ExceptionalOn keg dispense. Luscious, lactose-sweet, milk stout. This version with added winey sweetness from barrel-aging in a Muscatel barrel.
Birrificio Toccalmatto - Russian Imperial Stout (Wild)12.00ExceptionalServed from a bottle. Hugely powerful imperial stout with a slight sour, brett touch. This version has been barrel-aged in wooden wine casks to give an all-round hugely complex flavour.
Fyne - Superior IPA7.10ExcellentAmber-coloured. Fist class, strong, fruity IPA.
Alvinne - Folkbier6.20ExcellentOn keg dispense. Orange in colour and with a bitter orange taste. Intense hops.
Alvinne - Land van Mortagne13.90ExcellentOn keg dispense. A strong, amber-coloured beer that tastes of prunes and grapes.
Amager - Envy6.50ExcellentOn keg dispense. Intense, golden IPA.
Fyne - Fladda Rock5.50ExcellentPale golden, strong, well-hopped IPA.
Fyne - Fladda Rock ‘n’ Roll5.50ExcellentThe same beer as Fladda Rock, but brewed usuing Belgian yeast. This gives a very different and more spicy taste.
Jopen - Grateful Deaf IPA6.50ExcellentOn keg dispense. A fruity IPA with a bitter finish.
Kernel (The Kernel) - Borefts Festival Special4.30ExcellentFrom key-keg. This is a bright pink, sour ‘lambic’ beer, with honey and raspberries, and no hops.
Mont Salève - Oyster Stout5.00ExcellentOn keg dispense. Warming, black stout.
Naparbier - Back in Black IPA8.50ExcellentOn keg dispense. Full-blown black IPA from Spain.
Naparbier - 5 Titius Anniversary IPA7.30ExcellentOn keg dispense. An amber-coloured, highly-hopped IPA.
Rooie Dop - Double Oatmeal Stout9.60ExcellentOn keg dispense. This version barrel-aged in bourbon barrels to give a smooth, woody/vanilla character.
Rooie Dop - What a Wonderful White IPA7.20ExcellentOn keg dispense. A citrus-hoppy, cloudy, yellow, wheat beer.
Struise Brouwers - Elliot9.00ExcellentOn keg dispense. Amber-coloured, strong IPA.
Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Kacho6.00ExcellentA black, chocolaty, porter-style beer with added rum.
Birrificio Toccalmatto - Hops Crime5.60ExcellentOn keg dispense. A collaboration beer with Buxton Brewery. Amber-coloured and very hoppy.
Birrificio Toccalmatto - Surfing Hop Imperial IPA8.50ExcellentNice to see a couple of the Italian beers in cask-conditioned format and served via handpumps. This was a lovely strong IPA with Amarillo hops to the fore.
Birrificio Toccalmatto - Zona Cesarini Pacifica IPA6.50ExcellentAnother first-class Italian cask beer. Yellowish in colour and cloudy. Lovely hop flavours.
De Molen - Dutch Fresh Hopped6.00GoodOn keg dispense. A green hop beer using locally-grown Dutch hops. Amber in colour.
Brewfist - Terminal Pale Ale3.70GoodOn keg dispense. Light golden and a bit cloudy. Very tart, grapefruity tastes.
Mikkeller - Spontanpeach7.70GoodOn keg dispense. The only beer I darnk at the whole festival that had issues with over-carbonation. Another in Mikkeller’s fruit lambic series.
Närke - Viking IPA7.60GoodOn keg dispense. Amber-coloured, smoked, sweetish beer. Too smoky really.

About the De Molen

The pub sign. De Molen, Bodegraven, Netherlands

Summary of Beer Scores

 Total
Exceptional16
Excellent80
Good18
Acceptable1
Poor-

Website.

The pub is found in Bodegraven, Netherlands, 2411 BT.

De Molen is a wonderful brewery, restaurant, bar and off-licence, situated in a large, historic, canal-side windmill in the small Dutch town of Bodegraven. The beer has an excellent reputation and the brewery itself has outgrown the windmill site, now occupying a large industrial unit across the road. The brewery is famous as the venue for the annual Borefts Bier Festival. Bodegraven is easily reached by rail from Utrecht or Leiden and the pub is just five minutes’ walk from the railway station.

We have visited this pub 5 times, seen 114 different beers and tried them all.

Map location

Postcode: 2411 BT