Brouwerij Roman was the historical gem of our journey; this says a lot when Roman is juxtaposed with the other breweries of our trip. There are official documents showing that beer was being brewed at Roman Brewery in 1545. While it is impressive that Roman Brewery is on its fourteenth generation of owners, the thing that impressed us even more was that the Roman family (the owners carry the last name Roman) are of Roman descent, and settled in the very spot that the brewery is in today in the first century A.D.

When we approached the brewery, we noticed that it looked more like a picturesque medieval fortress than a brewery. It is in fact a fortress, with high walls and a large open space in the middle, although it is more modern now than it once was. This type of building served a defensive purpose over the last 5 centuries, as Belgium has been anguished with wars and been occupied more than 50 times. Today Belgium is at peace and unoccupied, so Roman uses the massive courtyard for rock concerts.

As of now, Roman's prospering international brands are Sloeber, and the Ename line of Abbey Ales. Sloeber is a strong blonde ale, although some may refer to it as a Belgian pale ale. Sloeber pours a haze infused golden color with a more than generous head. It is well carbonated, yeasty, peppery, with mild fruit and hop notes. A dry citrus finish caps off this Duvel like brew.

While Sloeber and the Ename beers are exciting, the beer that had everyone buzzing is the soon to be released Adrian Brouwer. If you were one of the lucky ones to try the world class Dobbelen Bruinen from Roman, then you will understand the hype surrounding Adrian Brouwer. Adrian Brouwer will be brewed in the same style as the ancient family recipe, as Dobbelen Bruinen also was. We had the chance to try Adrian Brouwer, (and by try, I mean consume as much as we want) and soon realized that the ballyhoo and hoopla surrounding Adrian Brouwer is all but true. The brown colored, malty, yeasty, and dark fruit infused Adrian Brouwer will no doubt spell success for the Roman Brewery.

We urge you to endeavor the terrific beers of Roman Brewery. After all, the main reason why Roman has been in business for over 450 years is because they craft delectable beers. Adrian Brouwer is a piece of history infused with the current generation of owners; two brothers who are passionate about Belgian beer and look to share their family's historic roots with you.