North East Beer Review

Whilst on my Amsterdam Mini Cruise I took the time to visit Bierkoning. A picked up around 3 cans from the BeerKonig, one being Brouwerij Homeland Zeebonk. A brewery I had never heard of before my trip but It was literally just a random selection as my time in the city was coming to a close. Zeebonk is a New England IPA and this is one of my first experiences of Dutch craft beer outside of Moersleutel, During the course of this review I will cover the history of this beer and brewery, the pour, the taste and aroma and finally my verdict. Cheers

One of Amsterdam’s most respected brewers

Brouwerij Homeland is an independent craft brewery located in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The brewery was founded in 2015 on the historic Marineterrein, the former Dutch naval dockyard. What began as a small brewing operation connected to Pension Homeland gradually evolved into one of Amsterdam’s most respected modern craft breweries. Its maritime location heavily influences its identity with many of their brews featuring and referencing Amsterdam’s seafaring history.

Since its founding, Homeland has focused on combining traditional brewing craftsmanship with innovation, producing a diverse range of beers that includes IPAs, blond ales, wheat beers, stouts and seasonal specialties. Expansion occurred in 2019 when the brewery expanded into a modern brewing facility still located in the Marineterrein. The brewery invested in advanced brewing technology, including a Meura Mash Filter, allowing it to reduce water consumption and improve brewing efficiency while maintaining high quality standards. Today, Homeland produces around 25 to 30 different beers annually and has earned multiple national and international beer awards.

Zeebonk is the flagship beer of Brouwerij Homeland and is easily one of its most recognisable. “Zeebonk” roughly translates to “old sailor” or “sea dog” which blends perfectly into its seaside identity. Originally brewed as a modern hop-forward IPA, Zeebonk evolved alongside changing craft beer trends and was refined into a New England IPA, carrying a 6.4% ABV. The current recipe uses oats and wheat to create a soft and juicy mouthfeel. It also utilises a dry hopping addition to create strong aromas of tropical fruits. Unlike many traditional IPAs, Zeebonk uses minimal bittering hops during the boil, resulting in a smooth and approachable beer with relatively low bitterness. In celebration of the brewery’s tenth anniversary, Homeland even released a special Zeebonk anniversary edition, highlighting the beer’s importance in the brewery’s journey and its status as a modern Dutch craft beer classic.

A hazy and refreshing pour

Zeebonk pours a yellow-golden hazy colour which has the textbook New England hallmarks with its unfiltered nature. A foamy white head forms which provides a fine cap throughout the drinking experience. This left a fine degree of lacing down my glass. The carbonation was moderate although you could still see the bubbles streaming up the glass. Overall, a brilliant hazy pour which adds a nice, juicy and refreshing appeal.

A juicy, tropical led approach

Aroma

The aroma of Zeebonk opens up with a burst of tropical fruits, primarily passionfruit and peach. This is followed by the citrus notes of orange. As the aroma unlocks, more tropical flavours reveal hints of pineapple and stonefruits. Beneath the fruity nature is a subtle malty aroma which has vibes of biscuit or soft bread. This is overall a tropical and juicy aroma which is a great example of a New England IPA

Taste

When it comes to the taste of Zeebonk, it delivers a tropical fruit flavour predominantly that of pineapple and mango, with flavours of orange and peach on centre stage. Mid Palate, malt sweetness offering a balanced sweetness to tone down the tropical flavours which is accompanied by a gentle bitterness. The finish is flavourful with flavours of pineapple and orange lingering. The mouthfeel is soft and smooth due to the provided oats. Overall, this is the quite the drinkable IPA which focuses on a smooth and soft drinking experience whilst giving tropical flavours. I really enjoyed this sipper.

Time for my verdict

To finish this review I will start by talking about how much I love discovering new breweries. Brouwerij Homeland is a brand new one to me and my first impression is overall positive. Zeebonk offers a low bitterness New England IPA which allows for even the craft beer novices to enjoy. Although, I have definitely had better NEIPAs I felt this was certainly a tasty and easy drinking brew which could potentially turn dangerous with its 6.4% ABV. This was well balanced and juicy which I feel makes this extremely approachable. I will rate this a solid 4.25 out of 5. Cheers

Where did I purchase this beer?

I bought this beer from Bierkoning(BeerKing) in Amsterdam which is a great bottle shop with brews from all over the world available.

Thanks for reading my review. If you enjoyed my review you will love my review of Moersleutel Fruit Bomb.