The Ensemble di Montalcino 2019 by De Dochter van de Korenaar tells a story that straddles two worlds: a Belgian barley wine aged 250 days in barrels that once held Brunello di Montalcino. The 2019 edition uses Casanova di Neri barrels.
A Tuscan Encounter
Since 2007, Ronald and Monique Mengerink have built their brewery with their own hands in Baarle-Hertog — that village unlike any other, threaded with Belgian-Dutch enclaves. It was at a festival near Montalcino that they met the owners of a Tuscan wine estate. After an average harvest, empty Brunello barrels became available: the opportunity turned into a lasting collaboration, and the barley wine was born.
“I prefer the juice of the daughter of the ear of corn to the blood of the grape” — Charles V, the inspiration behind the brewery’s name
The Ageing Technique
480 kg of malt for 1000 litres — an extraordinary density. A double fermentation, beer yeast then wine yeast, builds a multi-dimensional complexity. Then 250 days in Brunello di Montalcino barrels: the tannins of the Italian red, the noble wood and the structure of the barley wine all marry together.
The Visual Analysis
A mahogany colour with ruby-orange highlights, the mark of long ageing and deep malt caramelisation. Fine, persistent beige head. A slightly hazy clarity, with no aggressive filtration.
The Nose
A barley wine that does not hold back: Madeira, raisins, candied orange and Grand Marnier, brown sugar, with that touch of leather and old books. The barrels bring intense vinous notes, complex dried fruits — figs, dates, prunes — noble wood and a soft vanillin.
On the Palate
An avalanche of raisins steeped in port: generous brown sugar, measured Christmas spices, fruity-alcoholic notes recalling Armagnac or a quality triple sec. The texture is dense and sweet, framed by a vinous backbone and a well-balanced tartaric acidity. A massive body that stays surprisingly drinkable despite the 13%. The Brunello tannins give structure without aggression, the hop bitterness stays polished, and the dry, caramelised finish lingers long, over a deliberately low carbonation.
The Perfect Pairing according to Doctor Beer
With strong aged cheeses: the vinous acidity reveals the cheese’s complexity, the caramelised notes amplify the lactic flavours, and the alcoholic power cuts through the fat. For a sweeter route, a chocolate cake sets the cocoa talking with the candied fruit and toasted wood.
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A passionate couple, in a village without borders, turning a chance encounter into a liquid legend.
