Stella Artois
Stella Artois
Style: Euro Pale Lager
ABV: 5.0%
Origin: Leuven, Belgium
At Stella Artois, we are extremely proud of our Belgian roots.
Our story can be seen on every bottle of Stella Artois. If you look closely, hints of our origins are proudly displayed.
By 1366 roots of our brewing tradition had been established in the city of Leuven, Belgium– which is also where the original Den Hoorn brewery was founded. Den Hoorn laid the foundation for the quality taste and standard Stella Artois is known for. The symbol of the Den Hoorn Brewery is proudly displayed in Stella Artois' cartouche to this day.
Sebastian Artois was admitted to the Leuven Brewer’s Guild as a Brew Master in 1708, and only nine years later purchased the Den Hoorn brewery. In memoriam, you can find his last name on the brewery and every bottle of Stella Artois around the world.
The Artois Brewery was so beloved internationally and locally, a special batch was created as a Christmas gift to the people of Leuven. That special batch was the first to officially include "Stella" in its name. "Stella", meaning star in Latin, pays homage to this original occasion, accompanied by a star on every bottle.
Style description: Euro Pale Lager
Link to product website: Stella Artois
Style: Euro Pale Lager
ABV: 5.0%
Origin: Leuven, Belgium
At Stella Artois, we are extremely proud of our Belgian roots.
Our story can be seen on every bottle of Stella Artois. If you look closely, hints of our origins are proudly displayed.
By 1366 roots of our brewing tradition had been established in the city of Leuven, Belgium– which is also where the original Den Hoorn brewery was founded. Den Hoorn laid the foundation for the quality taste and standard Stella Artois is known for. The symbol of the Den Hoorn Brewery is proudly displayed in Stella Artois' cartouche to this day.
Sebastian Artois was admitted to the Leuven Brewer’s Guild as a Brew Master in 1708, and only nine years later purchased the Den Hoorn brewery. In memoriam, you can find his last name on the brewery and every bottle of Stella Artois around the world.
The Artois Brewery was so beloved internationally and locally, a special batch was created as a Christmas gift to the people of Leuven. That special batch was the first to officially include "Stella" in its name. "Stella", meaning star in Latin, pays homage to this original occasion, accompanied by a star on every bottle.
Style description: Euro Pale Lager
Link to product website: Stella Artois
Corsendonk - Pater Dubbel
Corsendonk - Pater Dubbel
Style: Belgian Dubbel
ABV: 7.5%
Origin: Oud-Turnhout, Belgium
Corsendonk Pater is brewed with roasted malt, which gives it its dark reddish-brown colour. It is a mellow, dark, top-fermented beer, refermented and matured in the bottle to obtain a lively, bubbly beer with a rich head.
History:
Since its foundation in 1938, the Priory of Corsendonk in present-day Oud-Turnhout comprised a rather important brewery and malt-house. The Corsendonk monks, originally from the Swiss Windesheim order, not only brewed the famous Corsendonk beer, but as a contemplative order, they were also widely known for the copying of books, the teaching of Latin and the study of the Bible.
Austrian Emporer Joseph II was not too keen on their contemplative activities and shut down the Priory of Corsendonk in 1784. During the French Revolution of 1789, the Corsendonk properties were confiscated and put up for auction. From the 19th century onwards, the Corsendonk tradition of brewing was continued by Florentinus Keersmaekers. It was under his supervision that the Pater beer was brewed.
In 1970, under the driving force of Fernand Nédée, the Priory of Corsendonk was restored and transformed into a conference and seminar centre. The Priory was honored with visits by Belgium Kings; Boudewijn, Fabiola, Albert and Paola. It was also host to ministerial conclaves and a European summit. Since 1982 the Corsendonk beer has regained its fame, partly due to tourism.
Style Description: Belgian Dubbel
Link to product website: Corsendonk
Photo credit: blognamedbrew.blogspot.com
Style: Belgian Dubbel
ABV: 7.5%
Origin: Oud-Turnhout, Belgium
Corsendonk Pater is brewed with roasted malt, which gives it its dark reddish-brown colour. It is a mellow, dark, top-fermented beer, refermented and matured in the bottle to obtain a lively, bubbly beer with a rich head.
History:
Since its foundation in 1938, the Priory of Corsendonk in present-day Oud-Turnhout comprised a rather important brewery and malt-house. The Corsendonk monks, originally from the Swiss Windesheim order, not only brewed the famous Corsendonk beer, but as a contemplative order, they were also widely known for the copying of books, the teaching of Latin and the study of the Bible.
Austrian Emporer Joseph II was not too keen on their contemplative activities and shut down the Priory of Corsendonk in 1784. During the French Revolution of 1789, the Corsendonk properties were confiscated and put up for auction. From the 19th century onwards, the Corsendonk tradition of brewing was continued by Florentinus Keersmaekers. It was under his supervision that the Pater beer was brewed.
In 1970, under the driving force of Fernand Nédée, the Priory of Corsendonk was restored and transformed into a conference and seminar centre. The Priory was honored with visits by Belgium Kings; Boudewijn, Fabiola, Albert and Paola. It was also host to ministerial conclaves and a European summit. Since 1982 the Corsendonk beer has regained its fame, partly due to tourism.
Style Description: Belgian Dubbel
Link to product website: Corsendonk
Photo credit: blognamedbrew.blogspot.com
Corsendonk - Tempelier
Corsendonk - Tempelier
Style: Belgian Dark Ale
ABV: 6.0%
Origin: Oud-Turnhout
“Brewed in a traditional artisanal style by master craftsmen, this sparkling, copper colored ale has a fine, dense head and a pleasing balance of complex, aromatic hoppiness and refreshing fruitiness. Bottle conditioned.
ABOUT
Founded in 1398, the Priory of Corsendonk in present-day Oud-Turnhout comprised a rather important brewery and malt house. The Corsendonk monks famously brewed the beer as a contemplative practice. After the Austrian Emperor Joseph II shut down the Priory of Corsendonk in 1784, the brewing of Corsendonk beer changed hands throughout the course of a century. From 1982 onwards, the Corsendonk beer regained its fame and the simplicity of the packaging acts as an emblem of the middle ages and Corsendonk’s rich past.
Since its regain of fame, Corsendonk beer has been traditionally brewed in the craft breweries of Du Bocg in Purnode in the Belgian Ardennes. Corsendonk can boast the label “Brewed and Bottled in Belgium” and is brewed exclusively with all natural ingredients, which include: pure water, malt, hops, yeast, and herbs (coriander, dried orange rind, and cinnamon). Bottled Corsendonk is fermented twice; the first fermentation takes place in the brewery’s fermentation tubs, and the second fermentation is in the bottle itself.” – St. Killian Importing
Style description: Belgian Dark Ale
Link to product website: Corsendonk
Style: Belgian Dark Ale
ABV: 6.0%
Origin: Oud-Turnhout
“Brewed in a traditional artisanal style by master craftsmen, this sparkling, copper colored ale has a fine, dense head and a pleasing balance of complex, aromatic hoppiness and refreshing fruitiness. Bottle conditioned.
ABOUT
Founded in 1398, the Priory of Corsendonk in present-day Oud-Turnhout comprised a rather important brewery and malt house. The Corsendonk monks famously brewed the beer as a contemplative practice. After the Austrian Emperor Joseph II shut down the Priory of Corsendonk in 1784, the brewing of Corsendonk beer changed hands throughout the course of a century. From 1982 onwards, the Corsendonk beer regained its fame and the simplicity of the packaging acts as an emblem of the middle ages and Corsendonk’s rich past.
Since its regain of fame, Corsendonk beer has been traditionally brewed in the craft breweries of Du Bocg in Purnode in the Belgian Ardennes. Corsendonk can boast the label “Brewed and Bottled in Belgium” and is brewed exclusively with all natural ingredients, which include: pure water, malt, hops, yeast, and herbs (coriander, dried orange rind, and cinnamon). Bottled Corsendonk is fermented twice; the first fermentation takes place in the brewery’s fermentation tubs, and the second fermentation is in the bottle itself.” – St. Killian Importing
Style description: Belgian Dark Ale
Link to product website: Corsendonk
Maredsous - Brune
Maredsous - Brune
Style: Belgian Dubbel
ABV: 8.0%
Origin: Breendonk-Puurs, Belgium
A classic abbey dubbel; with elegant sweetness, lightly caramelized flavor, transculent tawny-brown body, luscious head, and floral bouquet. A delicate balance between malts and hops gives way to hints of toffee and chocolate in the finish. Its velvety smoothness belies the 8% alcohol content.
This ale can be stored upright for up to three years, in a dark, cool place at 42-50 Fahrenheit. This keeps the lees (or yeast) settled in the bottle. The yeast keeps the beer alive and protects it from ageing. You can drink the beer older than three years: it will just become sweeter and feel denser in the mouth, much like an old port.
About the brewery:
One of the most beautiful abbeys in Belgium, the Abbey of Maredsous, was founded in the 1872. An exquisite example of Neo-Gothic architecture, the abbey is located at Denee, south of Namur. Tours of the abbey and pottery workshops are offered during July and August. Maredsous ales and cheeses are also served in the abbey restaurant. To see Maredsous being brewed, the traveler must visit the Duvel Moortgat Brewery in Puurs.
Style: Belgian Dubbel
ABV: 8.0%
Origin: Breendonk-Puurs, Belgium
A classic abbey dubbel; with elegant sweetness, lightly caramelized flavor, transculent tawny-brown body, luscious head, and floral bouquet. A delicate balance between malts and hops gives way to hints of toffee and chocolate in the finish. Its velvety smoothness belies the 8% alcohol content.
This ale can be stored upright for up to three years, in a dark, cool place at 42-50 Fahrenheit. This keeps the lees (or yeast) settled in the bottle. The yeast keeps the beer alive and protects it from ageing. You can drink the beer older than three years: it will just become sweeter and feel denser in the mouth, much like an old port.
About the brewery:
One of the most beautiful abbeys in Belgium, the Abbey of Maredsous, was founded in the 1872. An exquisite example of Neo-Gothic architecture, the abbey is located at Denee, south of Namur. Tours of the abbey and pottery workshops are offered during July and August. Maredsous ales and cheeses are also served in the abbey restaurant. To see Maredsous being brewed, the traveler must visit the Duvel Moortgat Brewery in Puurs.
Every fine Maredsous ale is brewed in gracious homage to the traditional methods of the Benedictine Monks of Maredsous. The essential spirit of St. Benedict’s Rule is summed up in the motto of the Benedictine Confederation: pax (peace) and the traditional ora et labora (pray and work). St. Benedict believed that the monks’ “work” should contribute in a positive way to the secular life in their communities as well as to the spiritual. Thus the monks have approved every step in brewing these extraordinary ales, including the traditional secondary fermentation in the bottle, along with cellaring for at least two months to fully develop the complex flavors and aromas. Maredsous ales have always been revered for simple elegance, full flavors and velvety smoothness. Each style is also known for its unique tastes, aromas and hue. Maredsous ales include the Blonde, the Brune, a dubbel; and the Triple.
Style description: Belgian Dubbel
Link to product website: Maredsous
Style description: Belgian Dubbel
Link to product website: Maredsous
Piraat
Piraat
Style: Belgian IPA
ABV: 10.5%
Origin: Ertvelde, Belgium
This light, amber-coloured ale with its full white head fires bitter, spiced, malted and alcoholic fumes at your nose. This is followed by a perfect harmony of malted, sweet and bitter hopped aromas, after which you are immersed in a very long, slightly sweet finish with a hint of bitter.
At the table: A wonderful digestive beer, which will develop beautifully if cellared properly, but which will also delight your taste buds with some tasty game or a foie gras! Pairs well with mature refined cheeses such as Remoudou, Wynendaele, Trou d’Sottai or Vieux Chimay.
Thanks to the re-fermentation in the bottle and the cask, this beer can be laid down for many years, imparting new rich flavours!
From the website:
In the 17th and18th century, ales like Piraat were highly prized and sought after by seafaring pirates and their captains. A pint a day was the ration passed down by the Captainto to his crew. Piraat has a well rounded body and a wickedly rich flavour. The powerful glow builds from the inside with a deep golden hue and soft haze. With aggressive amounts of hops and malts a mild sweetness is coupled with colorful aromas fresh bread, spices, tropial fruits for a compex taste any ‘pirate' would enjoy!
Taste: Fruity, spicy, complex aroma and flavor. A sweet palate is followed by low hop bitterness, evident coriander-like spiciness and a titillating alcoholic blast reminiscent of Flemish fantasies.
Pairings: Seafood and meat. It is often appreciated as an after dinner beer and many cigar lovers claim there is no better beer to enjoy with a cigar.
Piraat is re-fermented in the bottle, And in the keg! It is a living beer!
Style Description: Belgian IPA
Link to product website: Piraat
Photo credit: beerohbeer.com
Style: Belgian IPA
ABV: 10.5%
Origin: Ertvelde, Belgium
This light, amber-coloured ale with its full white head fires bitter, spiced, malted and alcoholic fumes at your nose. This is followed by a perfect harmony of malted, sweet and bitter hopped aromas, after which you are immersed in a very long, slightly sweet finish with a hint of bitter.
At the table: A wonderful digestive beer, which will develop beautifully if cellared properly, but which will also delight your taste buds with some tasty game or a foie gras! Pairs well with mature refined cheeses such as Remoudou, Wynendaele, Trou d’Sottai or Vieux Chimay.
Thanks to the re-fermentation in the bottle and the cask, this beer can be laid down for many years, imparting new rich flavours!
From the website:
In the 17th and18th century, ales like Piraat were highly prized and sought after by seafaring pirates and their captains. A pint a day was the ration passed down by the Captainto to his crew. Piraat has a well rounded body and a wickedly rich flavour. The powerful glow builds from the inside with a deep golden hue and soft haze. With aggressive amounts of hops and malts a mild sweetness is coupled with colorful aromas fresh bread, spices, tropial fruits for a compex taste any ‘pirate' would enjoy!
Taste: Fruity, spicy, complex aroma and flavor. A sweet palate is followed by low hop bitterness, evident coriander-like spiciness and a titillating alcoholic blast reminiscent of Flemish fantasies.
Pairings: Seafood and meat. It is often appreciated as an after dinner beer and many cigar lovers claim there is no better beer to enjoy with a cigar.
Piraat is re-fermented in the bottle, And in the keg! It is a living beer!
Style Description: Belgian IPA
Link to product website: Piraat
Photo credit: beerohbeer.com
Gulden Draak
Gulden Draak
Style: Belgian Dark Tripel
ABV: 10.5%
Origin: Ertvelde, Belgium.
Did you know the Gulden Draak (Golden Dragon) owes its name to the gilded statue on top of the Belfry in Ghent?
The legend says the gilded dragon first featured on the prow of the ship with which the Norwegian king Sigrid Magnusson left on a crusade in 1111. He offered the statue to the emperor of Constantinople (the current Istanbul) to put it on the cupola of the Hagia Sophia. Some hundred years later, the Flemish Count Baldwin IX had the showpiece transported to our regions. Here, the Norwegian dragon ended up in the hands of Bruges. After the battle on the field of Beverhout in 1382, the inhabitants of Ghent took the dragon as war booty and put it on top of their Belfry. In the Belfry, all communal charters were kept. The dragon had to protect these documents and it was also the symbol of the freedom and might of the city.
Such an imposing symbol that has lasted for over 6 centuries needs an equally imposing beer. Like the dragon shines at the top of the city, the Gulden Draak is part of the international top of beers. It is a dark triple, which in itself makes it an exceptional beer. But it is the complex taste with hints of caramel, roasted malt and coffee in combination with the creamy hazel head that makes it unique. It is a beer that is worthy of its name.
Like the other special beers of the Brewery Van Steenberge, Gulden Draak is a high fermentation beer with secondary fermentation. For the secondary fermentation, wine yeast is used. This also contributes to the unparalleled taste. Gulden Draak can be drunk as an aperitif or dessert, or whenever you have the time to sit back and relax. But this barley wine is also perfect with and in stews, especially the Ghent variety. It is also a plus in sauces for red meat, such as a bordelaise. It is particularly suited as a dessert beer, especially in combination with dark chocolate.
Colour: Dark with caramel-coloured foam head.
Aroma: Alcohol, burned malt and coffee.
Taste: Very full in the mouth with touches of chocolate, caramel and alcohol.
After taste: bittersweet and very long.
Alcohol content: 10.5% - 23° Plato
Fermentation both in the bottle as in the barrel, ensures a preservability for years with evolution in taste.
Link to product website: Gulden Draak
Photo credit: beerohbeer.com
Style: Belgian Dark Tripel
ABV: 10.5%
Origin: Ertvelde, Belgium.
Did you know the Gulden Draak (Golden Dragon) owes its name to the gilded statue on top of the Belfry in Ghent?
The legend says the gilded dragon first featured on the prow of the ship with which the Norwegian king Sigrid Magnusson left on a crusade in 1111. He offered the statue to the emperor of Constantinople (the current Istanbul) to put it on the cupola of the Hagia Sophia. Some hundred years later, the Flemish Count Baldwin IX had the showpiece transported to our regions. Here, the Norwegian dragon ended up in the hands of Bruges. After the battle on the field of Beverhout in 1382, the inhabitants of Ghent took the dragon as war booty and put it on top of their Belfry. In the Belfry, all communal charters were kept. The dragon had to protect these documents and it was also the symbol of the freedom and might of the city.
Such an imposing symbol that has lasted for over 6 centuries needs an equally imposing beer. Like the dragon shines at the top of the city, the Gulden Draak is part of the international top of beers. It is a dark triple, which in itself makes it an exceptional beer. But it is the complex taste with hints of caramel, roasted malt and coffee in combination with the creamy hazel head that makes it unique. It is a beer that is worthy of its name.
Like the other special beers of the Brewery Van Steenberge, Gulden Draak is a high fermentation beer with secondary fermentation. For the secondary fermentation, wine yeast is used. This also contributes to the unparalleled taste. Gulden Draak can be drunk as an aperitif or dessert, or whenever you have the time to sit back and relax. But this barley wine is also perfect with and in stews, especially the Ghent variety. It is also a plus in sauces for red meat, such as a bordelaise. It is particularly suited as a dessert beer, especially in combination with dark chocolate.
Colour: Dark with caramel-coloured foam head.
Aroma: Alcohol, burned malt and coffee.
Taste: Very full in the mouth with touches of chocolate, caramel and alcohol.
After taste: bittersweet and very long.
Alcohol content: 10.5% - 23° Plato
Fermentation both in the bottle as in the barrel, ensures a preservability for years with evolution in taste.
Link to product website: Gulden Draak
Photo credit: beerohbeer.com
Gulden Draak - 9000
Gulden Draak - 9000
Style: Belgian Quadrupel
ABV: 10.7%
Origin: Ertvelde, Belgium
From the website:
An exceptional, complex taste sensation with a deep, amber color. An ode to the city of Ghent, the golden dragon standing guard atop the belfry.
25 years after one of the most recognized and successful beers in the United States, Gulden Draak gets a sibling, the Gulden Draak 9000 Quadruple. Gulden Draak 9000 Quad has a complex taste sensation with a rich, luxurious beer head. The sweet caramel touches and dark color, however, are still reserved for the Gulden Draak Triple.
The new recipe, based on three different varieties of malt are added in a volume four times the content of lager, which provide the Gulden Draak 9000 Quad with a deep rich amber color and a fruity, spicy scent. Together with the smooth and malty sweet taste, this sensation ensures that Gulden Draak 9000 us a wonderfully accomplished bouquet.
Just like the other specialy beers of Brewery Van Steenberge, the Gulden Draak 9000 Quad is a secondary fermented beer. A special wine yeast is used for the secondary fermentation, which contributes to the grandiose taste. At 10.7% ABV, I think you would agree!
Food Parings:
Buttery cheeses like Brie, Gouda, Havarti, Swiss, and sharp cheeses like blue and Cheddar.
Beef, smoked barbecue and wild game.
Style description: Belgian Quadrupel
Link to product website: Global Beer
Photo credit: beergoggles051.blogspot.com
Style: Belgian Quadrupel
ABV: 10.7%
Origin: Ertvelde, Belgium
From the website:
An exceptional, complex taste sensation with a deep, amber color. An ode to the city of Ghent, the golden dragon standing guard atop the belfry.
25 years after one of the most recognized and successful beers in the United States, Gulden Draak gets a sibling, the Gulden Draak 9000 Quadruple. Gulden Draak 9000 Quad has a complex taste sensation with a rich, luxurious beer head. The sweet caramel touches and dark color, however, are still reserved for the Gulden Draak Triple.
The new recipe, based on three different varieties of malt are added in a volume four times the content of lager, which provide the Gulden Draak 9000 Quad with a deep rich amber color and a fruity, spicy scent. Together with the smooth and malty sweet taste, this sensation ensures that Gulden Draak 9000 us a wonderfully accomplished bouquet.
Just like the other specialy beers of Brewery Van Steenberge, the Gulden Draak 9000 Quad is a secondary fermented beer. A special wine yeast is used for the secondary fermentation, which contributes to the grandiose taste. At 10.7% ABV, I think you would agree!
Food Parings:
Buttery cheeses like Brie, Gouda, Havarti, Swiss, and sharp cheeses like blue and Cheddar.
Beef, smoked barbecue and wild game.
Style description: Belgian Quadrupel
Link to product website: Global Beer
Photo credit: beergoggles051.blogspot.com
Bornem - Dubbel Abbey Ale
Bornem - Dubbel Abbey Ale
Style: Belgian Dubbel
ABV: 8.0%
Origin: Ertvelde, Belgium
Bornem double is a “lively” abbey beer that, after its first fermentation in the barrel, nicely evolves during its second fermentation in the bottle or in the barrel. Soft as velvet, this double with warm darkbrown colour and burgundy undertones has a fruity taste and hoppy after taste. Its creamy, rich and firm foam head crowns it. Few other dark doubles can match this Belgian Dubbel.
The Dark double is often served with and used to season meat dishes, such as steaks, roasted meat, wild game or even sausages.
Style description: Begian Dubbel
Link to product website: Van Steenberge
Bornem - Tripel
Bornem - Tripel
Style: Belgian Tripel
ABV: 9.0%
Origin: Ertvelde, Belgium
Bornem Tripel is a “lively” abbey beer of 9% content alcohol that after its first fermentation in the barrel, evolves during its second fermentation in the bottle or in the barrel. Abbey triples are mostly blonde or light amber in colour. The Bornem Tripel tastes hoppy and full with an excellent sweet-bitter balance. Its pleasant scent and nice foam head make this beer a winner in its kind. Bornem Tripel is a powerful beer to enjoy as dessert or as appetizer. Some prefer it with mussels or other seafood. This abbey beer is also excellent with a hearty cheese platter.
Style description: Belgian Tripel
Link to product website: Van Steenberge
Style: Belgian Tripel
ABV: 9.0%
Origin: Ertvelde, Belgium
Bornem Tripel is a “lively” abbey beer of 9% content alcohol that after its first fermentation in the barrel, evolves during its second fermentation in the bottle or in the barrel. Abbey triples are mostly blonde or light amber in colour. The Bornem Tripel tastes hoppy and full with an excellent sweet-bitter balance. Its pleasant scent and nice foam head make this beer a winner in its kind. Bornem Tripel is a powerful beer to enjoy as dessert or as appetizer. Some prefer it with mussels or other seafood. This abbey beer is also excellent with a hearty cheese platter.
Style description: Belgian Tripel
Link to product website: Van Steenberge
Bruegel - Amber Ale
Bruegel - Amber Ale
Style: Belgian Pale Ale
ABV: 5.2%
Origin: Ertvelde, Belgium
From the Global Beer website:
Bruegel is an easy drinking soft and tasty amber ale. Thanks to the refermentation it offers more body, more head and more taste than most other American and Belgian Amber ales. It is brewed with Dutch barley and German hops. Although the bitterness is clearly present, it is not dominant. Since the Bruegel is low in alcohol, you can drink many of them in an afternoon or evening. It is a typical alternative for the common pilsner, when you want more taste and more color in your life.
We named our Bruegel Amber Ale after the famous 16th century painter Pieter Bruegel, and we chose part of his "The Peasant Dance" painting as the bottle label. Let me tell you more about this man, who lived in a revolutionary time when the religious wars swept through Europe. This was a cruel and dangerous time to live, which, when the blood was wasted, left the Calvinist in the North and the Catholics in the South of Europe. This same cultural border-line split the Netherlands into the Northern independent Calvinistic Holland, and a Southern Catholic part, occupied by Spain. This Southern part became Belgium more than 200 years later. We know very little about Pieter Bruegel, since he left no written documents. About 30 years after Bruegel's death, Carel van Mander published his famous "Schildersboeck" (painters-book) about the life and the works of the painters of his era. He dedicated several pages to Pieter Bruegel, which he considered one of the most famous, very productive and important painters of Europe.
Very probably, Pieter Bruegel was born in 1522 in the neighborhood of Breda, which is situated North of Antwerp just over the border in today's Netherlands. He learned his craft from Pieter Coeck in Aalst (West of Brussels), whose daughter he married much later. First he travelled to France and Italy, where he painted together with the Italian masters. Views of the Alps, Naples, Rome and so much more on several of his paintings witness his travels. Around 1150, he probably settled down in Antwerp, where he lived with a joyous young woman, that he couldn't marry, since she always lied. This was repugnant to his love of the truth.
Here, in Spanish occupied Flanders, where the intellectuals and the rich were chased away and many women ended up in flames at the stake, because of "sleeping with the devil," Pieter Bruegel painted two different themes. As a first theme, Bruegel painted the daily life of the common people, which gave us his best known masterpieces like his "Proverbs", his "Child games", his wedding-scenes, and of course his many pictures of peasants in their moments of joy and pain. Always settled in an authentic Flemish scenery. In fact, several of the churches, painted in the background of his works, have been identified and are still erect and in full "working" condition. Almost all the views of the scenery are also identified as actual sites.
As a second subject he painted religious scenes, transplanted to his political and geographical surroundings, where he hided his subtle criticism and opposition against the Spanish terror. As a typical example, we think on his "Herodes and the killing of the babies", where you identify clearly the Spanish warriors, practising bloody religious cleansing, and where you see the local peasants as the victims.
In 1563 Pieter Bruegel moved to Brussels, and married Coeck's daughter. He fathered 2 sons with her. Both sons became also well known painters. Pieter Bruegel died in 1569 and is burried in one of the churches of Brussels.
The Bruegel amber ale is a typical beer of Pieter Bruegel's time. On the one hand you had the Lambics, the spontaneous fermented beers, and on the other hand you had the ales. Lagers were only created in the 19th century. The abbey ales, as we know them now, were already then considered the best of the beers, but the common people drank a "low" alcohol ale. And, they drank a lot of beer, more than a half gallon per head per day! Children, women, men, everybody. Amber, as a color that is not too dark and not too light, was the color most simple ales ended up in. Today, these simple amber ales are making inroads in the marketshare of the Pilsners. Bruegel is your party-beer, when you want something a little less hoppy than the common Pilsner. Bruegel goes with all kind of food. Bruegel is also a "living" beer, since it is refermented in the bottle and the keg. It offers a lasting foamy head, like the Abbey Ales. Enjoy!
Food Pairings:
An amber ale goes with meat, salads and fish without any problem. More often, the Bruegel is consumed without food. It is a beer to drink at the bar, at the barbecue, in the dance-hall, whenever you have fun with your friends. A beer to enjoy with snacks.
Style description: Belgian Pale Ale
Link to product website: Global Beer
Style: Belgian Pale Ale
ABV: 5.2%
Origin: Ertvelde, Belgium
From the Global Beer website:
Bruegel is an easy drinking soft and tasty amber ale. Thanks to the refermentation it offers more body, more head and more taste than most other American and Belgian Amber ales. It is brewed with Dutch barley and German hops. Although the bitterness is clearly present, it is not dominant. Since the Bruegel is low in alcohol, you can drink many of them in an afternoon or evening. It is a typical alternative for the common pilsner, when you want more taste and more color in your life.
We named our Bruegel Amber Ale after the famous 16th century painter Pieter Bruegel, and we chose part of his "The Peasant Dance" painting as the bottle label. Let me tell you more about this man, who lived in a revolutionary time when the religious wars swept through Europe. This was a cruel and dangerous time to live, which, when the blood was wasted, left the Calvinist in the North and the Catholics in the South of Europe. This same cultural border-line split the Netherlands into the Northern independent Calvinistic Holland, and a Southern Catholic part, occupied by Spain. This Southern part became Belgium more than 200 years later. We know very little about Pieter Bruegel, since he left no written documents. About 30 years after Bruegel's death, Carel van Mander published his famous "Schildersboeck" (painters-book) about the life and the works of the painters of his era. He dedicated several pages to Pieter Bruegel, which he considered one of the most famous, very productive and important painters of Europe.
Very probably, Pieter Bruegel was born in 1522 in the neighborhood of Breda, which is situated North of Antwerp just over the border in today's Netherlands. He learned his craft from Pieter Coeck in Aalst (West of Brussels), whose daughter he married much later. First he travelled to France and Italy, where he painted together with the Italian masters. Views of the Alps, Naples, Rome and so much more on several of his paintings witness his travels. Around 1150, he probably settled down in Antwerp, where he lived with a joyous young woman, that he couldn't marry, since she always lied. This was repugnant to his love of the truth.
Here, in Spanish occupied Flanders, where the intellectuals and the rich were chased away and many women ended up in flames at the stake, because of "sleeping with the devil," Pieter Bruegel painted two different themes. As a first theme, Bruegel painted the daily life of the common people, which gave us his best known masterpieces like his "Proverbs", his "Child games", his wedding-scenes, and of course his many pictures of peasants in their moments of joy and pain. Always settled in an authentic Flemish scenery. In fact, several of the churches, painted in the background of his works, have been identified and are still erect and in full "working" condition. Almost all the views of the scenery are also identified as actual sites.
As a second subject he painted religious scenes, transplanted to his political and geographical surroundings, where he hided his subtle criticism and opposition against the Spanish terror. As a typical example, we think on his "Herodes and the killing of the babies", where you identify clearly the Spanish warriors, practising bloody religious cleansing, and where you see the local peasants as the victims.
In 1563 Pieter Bruegel moved to Brussels, and married Coeck's daughter. He fathered 2 sons with her. Both sons became also well known painters. Pieter Bruegel died in 1569 and is burried in one of the churches of Brussels.
The Bruegel amber ale is a typical beer of Pieter Bruegel's time. On the one hand you had the Lambics, the spontaneous fermented beers, and on the other hand you had the ales. Lagers were only created in the 19th century. The abbey ales, as we know them now, were already then considered the best of the beers, but the common people drank a "low" alcohol ale. And, they drank a lot of beer, more than a half gallon per head per day! Children, women, men, everybody. Amber, as a color that is not too dark and not too light, was the color most simple ales ended up in. Today, these simple amber ales are making inroads in the marketshare of the Pilsners. Bruegel is your party-beer, when you want something a little less hoppy than the common Pilsner. Bruegel goes with all kind of food. Bruegel is also a "living" beer, since it is refermented in the bottle and the keg. It offers a lasting foamy head, like the Abbey Ales. Enjoy!
Food Pairings:
An amber ale goes with meat, salads and fish without any problem. More often, the Bruegel is consumed without food. It is a beer to drink at the bar, at the barbecue, in the dance-hall, whenever you have fun with your friends. A beer to enjoy with snacks.
Style description: Belgian Pale Ale
Link to product website: Global Beer
Augustijn - Blonde
Augustijn - Blonde
Style: Belgian Pale Ale
ABV: 8.0%
Origin: Origin: Ertvelde, Belgium
In 1295 the Augustinian friars started to brew Augustijn in their Ghent monastery. In the Middle Ages many monks and priests brewed and sold their own beer. Often, the water was contaminated and that’s why it was safer to drink beer, since it was boiled during the brewing process.
In 1978 the Augustinian friars sought a new partner for the brewing of their Augustijn beer. They had previously also outsourced the brewing of their lager beer. Brewery Van Steenberge was a logical choice, since it was located near the monastery. Respect for the tradition was guaranteed.
From then on, Jozef Van Steenberge could enjoy himself and fully live his passion for high-fermentation beers. In 1982 he relaunched Augustijn, with secondary fermentation. A decision that the brewery has never regretted. Ever since, Augustijn has known a steady growth, which was further confirmed after the restyling. Augustijn is indeed a genuine beer. One that is appreciated at receptions because of its mild and soft but very rich taste, but also during relaxed moments of tasting. It is in short, a beer for every occasion.
When you drink the beer at a young age (up to 3 months after bottling), you will experience a fruity and hoppy taste. When the beer is more mature, it gets a deeper colour and a more pronounced flavour.
In the glass:
Colour: Amber blonde with white foam head.
Aroma: Maltish, fruity and hoppy.
Taste: Straightforward and mild with again maltishness and hop and a light touch of vanilla.
After taste: Slightly bitter and soft.
Pairings:
Excellent companion for food and extremely well-suited for semi-hard cheese (Gentse Keizer, Passendale, Watou…), artisanal pâté or mussels. Or use it to prepare rabbit.
Fermentation both in the bottle, as in the barrel, ensures preservability for years with evolution in taste.
Style description: Belgian Pale Ale
Link to product website: Van Steenberge
Style: Belgian Pale Ale
ABV: 8.0%
Origin: Origin: Ertvelde, Belgium
In 1295 the Augustinian friars started to brew Augustijn in their Ghent monastery. In the Middle Ages many monks and priests brewed and sold their own beer. Often, the water was contaminated and that’s why it was safer to drink beer, since it was boiled during the brewing process.
In 1978 the Augustinian friars sought a new partner for the brewing of their Augustijn beer. They had previously also outsourced the brewing of their lager beer. Brewery Van Steenberge was a logical choice, since it was located near the monastery. Respect for the tradition was guaranteed.
From then on, Jozef Van Steenberge could enjoy himself and fully live his passion for high-fermentation beers. In 1982 he relaunched Augustijn, with secondary fermentation. A decision that the brewery has never regretted. Ever since, Augustijn has known a steady growth, which was further confirmed after the restyling. Augustijn is indeed a genuine beer. One that is appreciated at receptions because of its mild and soft but very rich taste, but also during relaxed moments of tasting. It is in short, a beer for every occasion.
When you drink the beer at a young age (up to 3 months after bottling), you will experience a fruity and hoppy taste. When the beer is more mature, it gets a deeper colour and a more pronounced flavour.
In the glass:
Colour: Amber blonde with white foam head.
Aroma: Maltish, fruity and hoppy.
Taste: Straightforward and mild with again maltishness and hop and a light touch of vanilla.
After taste: Slightly bitter and soft.
Pairings:
Excellent companion for food and extremely well-suited for semi-hard cheese (Gentse Keizer, Passendale, Watou…), artisanal pâté or mussels. Or use it to prepare rabbit.
Fermentation both in the bottle, as in the barrel, ensures preservability for years with evolution in taste.
Style description: Belgian Pale Ale
Link to product website: Van Steenberge
Leute Bokbier
Leute Bokbier
Style: Doppelbock
ABV: 7.5%
Origin: Ertvelde, Belgium
Leute Bokbier was produced by brewery Van Steenberge for the first time in 1927. The billy and the hop tendril in the logo refer to the billies of the former brewery/farm and its bordering hop fields.
Along with the termination of the farming activities, unfortunately, the Leute Bokbier also disappeared and it took until 1997 to be produced again. Leute Bokbier unites all the good from the past with the knowledge of the present. Leute Bokbier is a dark-red, heavy, top-fermented beer with a second fermentation in the bottle or in the barrel. It has a very aromatic taste, not too sweet, but full and mild in the mouth.
Style description: Doppelbock
Link to product website: Van Steenberge
Photo credit: bloodstoutandtears.blogspot.com
Style: Doppelbock
ABV: 7.5%
Origin: Ertvelde, Belgium
Leute Bokbier was produced by brewery Van Steenberge for the first time in 1927. The billy and the hop tendril in the logo refer to the billies of the former brewery/farm and its bordering hop fields.
Along with the termination of the farming activities, unfortunately, the Leute Bokbier also disappeared and it took until 1997 to be produced again. Leute Bokbier unites all the good from the past with the knowledge of the present. Leute Bokbier is a dark-red, heavy, top-fermented beer with a second fermentation in the bottle or in the barrel. It has a very aromatic taste, not too sweet, but full and mild in the mouth.
Style description: Doppelbock
Link to product website: Van Steenberge
Photo credit: bloodstoutandtears.blogspot.com
Kasteel - Hoppy
Kasteel - Hoppy
Style: Belgian Pale Ale
ABV: 6.5%
Origin: Ingelmunster, Belgium
The Kasteel Hoppy, with a bitterness grade of 45 EBU, fits perfectly into the new wave of Belgian blonde beers in which hops are very much in the foreground thanks to the technique of dry hopping. The Kasteel Hoppy is a thirst-quencher that sits somewhere between a traditional ‘spéciale belge’ amber beer and an extra-hopped IPA (India Pale Ale). The aromas of hops and herbs predominate. It’s very mild in taste with a subtle bitterness that increases towards the finish. Quite full in the mouth, Kasteel Hoppy is slightly sweet with a mildly malty character. Not a ‘hop bomb’ by any means.
Style description: Belgian Pale Ale
Link to product website: Kasteel
Style: Belgian Pale Ale
ABV: 6.5%
Origin: Ingelmunster, Belgium
The Kasteel Hoppy, with a bitterness grade of 45 EBU, fits perfectly into the new wave of Belgian blonde beers in which hops are very much in the foreground thanks to the technique of dry hopping. The Kasteel Hoppy is a thirst-quencher that sits somewhere between a traditional ‘spéciale belge’ amber beer and an extra-hopped IPA (India Pale Ale). The aromas of hops and herbs predominate. It’s very mild in taste with a subtle bitterness that increases towards the finish. Quite full in the mouth, Kasteel Hoppy is slightly sweet with a mildly malty character. Not a ‘hop bomb’ by any means.
Style description: Belgian Pale Ale
Link to product website: Kasteel
Kasteel - Donker
Kasteel - Donker
Style: Belgian Quadrupel
ABV: 11%
Origin: Ingelmunster, Belgium
Poured into a 10 oz. chalice.
Pours a dark, hazy brown color with very little head that disappears within seconds. Dark fruity and yeasty aromas with a slight smell of alcohol.
Taste is boozy! Sweet, dark fruits, (plums/figs) some wheat phenols and
an alcohol warming in the finish. Mouthfeel is medium to heavy bodied, creamy and velvety smooth. Overall: One of the most finely crafted Belgian quads I've had to date!
Translated text from product website:
From beer to castle, . . it's a long way! Endeavouring to comply with ever-more stringent requirements, the master brewer carried out numerous tests before he produced this creamy dark beer. The fruit of his labor goes under the name of Kasteelbier. It combines the unparalleled quality of the past and a resolutely modern taste. Kasteelbier is a brown craft beer, mild and tasty, full-bodied and creamy.
It has a shelf life of several years. 11% ABV.
Should be served at 12°C. (53-54°F)
Style description: Belgian Quadrupel
Link to product website: Kasteel
Style: Belgian Quadrupel
ABV: 11%
Origin: Ingelmunster, Belgium
Poured into a 10 oz. chalice.
Pours a dark, hazy brown color with very little head that disappears within seconds. Dark fruity and yeasty aromas with a slight smell of alcohol.
Taste is boozy! Sweet, dark fruits, (plums/figs) some wheat phenols and
an alcohol warming in the finish. Mouthfeel is medium to heavy bodied, creamy and velvety smooth. Overall: One of the most finely crafted Belgian quads I've had to date!
Translated text from product website:
From beer to castle, . . it's a long way! Endeavouring to comply with ever-more stringent requirements, the master brewer carried out numerous tests before he produced this creamy dark beer. The fruit of his labor goes under the name of Kasteelbier. It combines the unparalleled quality of the past and a resolutely modern taste. Kasteelbier is a brown craft beer, mild and tasty, full-bodied and creamy.
It has a shelf life of several years. 11% ABV.
Should be served at 12°C. (53-54°F)
Style description: Belgian Quadrupel
Link to product website: Kasteel
Duvel - Tripel Hop
Duvel - Tripel Hop
Style: Belgian IPA
ABV: 9.5%
Origin: Breendonk-Puurs, Belgium
Duvel is traditionally brewed with two hop varieties.
Duvel Tripel Hop is brewed with three hop varieties and each year the third hop is changed to provide its own unique taste and aroma. This keeps the final flavor profile surprisingly exciting for any true beer lover. For 2013 our brewers selected the exotic hop Sorachi Ace from Japan.
Characteristics:
By using three instead of two hop varieties to brew, we obtain additional hop aromas and an increased bitterness. The typical Duvel palate is enriched with Sorachi Ace hops providing fresh notes of citrus and mint.
Sorachi Ace hops are added again during ‘dry-hopping’, extracting additional hop aromas into the beer. The higher aromatic intensity rounds out the beer, backing the final alcohol content of 9.5%.
The Brewmaster on Tripel Hop:
We note that the trend towards more hoppy beers - thanks to our first brews in 2007 and 2010 - is to continue. This Duvel Tripel Hop will please special beer lovers, while we will continue to ensure that the intrinsic characteristics of Duvel preserved.
It remains fascinating how only with the pure base ingredients you can provide a very broad and varying complexity to special beers. Each hop variety has its own intrinsic characteristics, which are so critical for the taste and aroma of the beer. As the grape determines the unique character of a wine, the hop varieties used that much for this beer.
We therefore wish that the character of Sorachi Ace hop over subtly noticeable. We achieve this by adding hops again after the main fermentation, which we call dry-hopping. This keeps the pronounced fruity character pervasive presence in the final beer.
It is without a doubt fascinating and challenging to select a new hop variety each year, while also being both harmonious and a well differentiated contribution to the Duvel profile. - Hedwig Neven
Style description: Belgian IPA
Link to product website: Duvel
Style: Belgian IPA
ABV: 9.5%
Origin: Breendonk-Puurs, Belgium
Duvel is traditionally brewed with two hop varieties.
Duvel Tripel Hop is brewed with three hop varieties and each year the third hop is changed to provide its own unique taste and aroma. This keeps the final flavor profile surprisingly exciting for any true beer lover. For 2013 our brewers selected the exotic hop Sorachi Ace from Japan.
Characteristics:
By using three instead of two hop varieties to brew, we obtain additional hop aromas and an increased bitterness. The typical Duvel palate is enriched with Sorachi Ace hops providing fresh notes of citrus and mint.
Sorachi Ace hops are added again during ‘dry-hopping’, extracting additional hop aromas into the beer. The higher aromatic intensity rounds out the beer, backing the final alcohol content of 9.5%.
The Brewmaster on Tripel Hop:
We note that the trend towards more hoppy beers - thanks to our first brews in 2007 and 2010 - is to continue. This Duvel Tripel Hop will please special beer lovers, while we will continue to ensure that the intrinsic characteristics of Duvel preserved.
It remains fascinating how only with the pure base ingredients you can provide a very broad and varying complexity to special beers. Each hop variety has its own intrinsic characteristics, which are so critical for the taste and aroma of the beer. As the grape determines the unique character of a wine, the hop varieties used that much for this beer.
We therefore wish that the character of Sorachi Ace hop over subtly noticeable. We achieve this by adding hops again after the main fermentation, which we call dry-hopping. This keeps the pronounced fruity character pervasive presence in the final beer.
It is without a doubt fascinating and challenging to select a new hop variety each year, while also being both harmonious and a well differentiated contribution to the Duvel profile. - Hedwig Neven
Style description: Belgian IPA
Link to product website: Duvel
Steenbrugge - Dubbel Bruin
Steenbrugge - Dubbel Bruin
Style: Belgian Dubbel
ABV: 6.5%
Origin: Steenhuffel, Belgium
In 1084, Arnold of Tiegem founded St. Peter’s Abbey in thriving West Flanders. Legend tells that Arnold, during working hours, would brew beer with which he then used to heal ailing builders. Therefore, not only was his beer much sought after; he himself was declared Patron Saint of Belgian brewers. Luckily, the secret of Steenbrugge Abbey beer’s full-bodied flavor was kept and has since been handed down through generations of brewing masters.
In 2003, the Prior of St. Peter’s Abbey authorized PALM Breweries to brew Steenbrugge Abbey Beer. He instructed the largest family owned brewery to safeguard the legacy of St. Arnold for its descendants. PALM Breweries solemnly vowed to protect this unique and historic recipe.
Thanks to PALM Breweries’ efforts, the historic Steenbrugge Abbey Beer is experiencing a revival. There are four varieties of Steenbrugge Abbey Beer. Each and every one is a quality beer with high fermentation, undergoing secondary fermentation in the bottle.
Steenbrugge Dubbel Bruin Abbey beer is a brown beer with a straightforward malty flavour and a fruity fermentation aroma combined with the subtle Bruges “Gruut” blend of herbs with a cinnamon accent. Top-fermented beer with secondary fermentation in the bottle.
Style description: Belgian Dubbel
Link to product website: Palm Breweries
Photo credit: brewgene.com
Style: Belgian Dubbel
ABV: 6.5%
Origin: Steenhuffel, Belgium
In 1084, Arnold of Tiegem founded St. Peter’s Abbey in thriving West Flanders. Legend tells that Arnold, during working hours, would brew beer with which he then used to heal ailing builders. Therefore, not only was his beer much sought after; he himself was declared Patron Saint of Belgian brewers. Luckily, the secret of Steenbrugge Abbey beer’s full-bodied flavor was kept and has since been handed down through generations of brewing masters.
In 2003, the Prior of St. Peter’s Abbey authorized PALM Breweries to brew Steenbrugge Abbey Beer. He instructed the largest family owned brewery to safeguard the legacy of St. Arnold for its descendants. PALM Breweries solemnly vowed to protect this unique and historic recipe.
Thanks to PALM Breweries’ efforts, the historic Steenbrugge Abbey Beer is experiencing a revival. There are four varieties of Steenbrugge Abbey Beer. Each and every one is a quality beer with high fermentation, undergoing secondary fermentation in the bottle.
Steenbrugge Dubbel Bruin Abbey beer is a brown beer with a straightforward malty flavour and a fruity fermentation aroma combined with the subtle Bruges “Gruut” blend of herbs with a cinnamon accent. Top-fermented beer with secondary fermentation in the bottle.
Style description: Belgian Dubbel
Link to product website: Palm Breweries
Photo credit: brewgene.com
Steenbrugge - Tripel
Steenbrugge - Tripel
Style: Belgian Tripel
ABV: 8.7%
Origin: Steenhuffel, Belgium
Steenbrugge Tripel Abbey beer is a golden blond beer with a rounded malt character, a scented touch of hops, a warm, full flavour and a smoked fermentation aroma combined with the subtle Bruges "Gruut" blend of herbs. A top-fermented beer with secondary fermentation in the bottle.
Style description: Belgian Tripel
Link to product website: Palm Breweries
Style: Belgian Tripel
ABV: 8.7%
Origin: Steenhuffel, Belgium
Steenbrugge Tripel Abbey beer is a golden blond beer with a rounded malt character, a scented touch of hops, a warm, full flavour and a smoked fermentation aroma combined with the subtle Bruges "Gruut" blend of herbs. A top-fermented beer with secondary fermentation in the bottle.
Style description: Belgian Tripel
Link to product website: Palm Breweries
Westmalle - Dubbel
Westmalle - Dubbel
Style: Belgian Dubbel
ABV: 7%
Origin: Malle, Belgium
For over 200 years, the monks of Westmalle have been choosing to live a life of prayer and work. True to the Rule of Saint Benedict, they ensure their own means of sustenance.
For this reason, there is a farm, a cheese dairy and a brewery inside the walls of the Trappist abbey. These three things are deliberately kept to a small scale, and particular care is taken of people and the environment. The brewery’s income is used to make the necessary investments in this respect, to make changes in line with developments in brewing technology, to support Trappist communities and to carry out charity work.
Westmalle Dubbel is a dark, reddish-brown Trappist beer with a secondary fermentation in the bottle. The creamy head has the fragrance of special malt and leaves an attractive lace pattern in the glass. The flavour is rich and complex, herby and fruity with a fresh-bitter finish. It is a balanced quality beer with a soft feel in the mouth and a long, dry aftertaste. The Dubbel contains 7% alcohol.
Since 1856 the monks have been brewing dark Trappist beer along with their table beer. Since the recipe was modified in 1926, they have been brewing slightly heavier beer. This is the foundation of today’s Dubbel.
Style description: Belgian Dubbel
Link to product website: Westmalle
Photo credit: ex-nerd.com
Style: Belgian Dubbel
ABV: 7%
Origin: Malle, Belgium
For over 200 years, the monks of Westmalle have been choosing to live a life of prayer and work. True to the Rule of Saint Benedict, they ensure their own means of sustenance.
For this reason, there is a farm, a cheese dairy and a brewery inside the walls of the Trappist abbey. These three things are deliberately kept to a small scale, and particular care is taken of people and the environment. The brewery’s income is used to make the necessary investments in this respect, to make changes in line with developments in brewing technology, to support Trappist communities and to carry out charity work.
Westmalle Dubbel is a dark, reddish-brown Trappist beer with a secondary fermentation in the bottle. The creamy head has the fragrance of special malt and leaves an attractive lace pattern in the glass. The flavour is rich and complex, herby and fruity with a fresh-bitter finish. It is a balanced quality beer with a soft feel in the mouth and a long, dry aftertaste. The Dubbel contains 7% alcohol.
Since 1856 the monks have been brewing dark Trappist beer along with their table beer. Since the recipe was modified in 1926, they have been brewing slightly heavier beer. This is the foundation of today’s Dubbel.
Style description: Belgian Dubbel
Link to product website: Westmalle
Photo credit: ex-nerd.com
Westmalle - Tripel
Westmalle - Tripel
Style: Belgian Tripel
ABV: 9%
Origin: Malle, Belgium
For more than 200 years the Westmalle Trappists have chosen a life of prayer and work. That is their true vocation, entirely in accordance with the rule of Saint Benedict. Monks, he stipulates, have to provide for themselves.
Thus there is also a brewery within the abbey. The monks deliberately keep production small, with special care for man and the environment. And because profit is not their motive, they spend the surplus from it on charity work and on people in need.
Westmalle Tripel is a clear, golden yellow Trappist beer that undergoes a secondary fermentation in the bottle (9.5% alcohol). It is a complex beer with a fruity aroma and a nice nuanced hop scent. It is soft and creamy in the mouth, with a bitter touch carried by the fruity aroma. An exceptional beer, with a great deal of finesse and elegance. And with a splendid long aftertaste.
The Westmalle Tripel is indeed called the “mother of all tripels”. This type of beer was first brewed in Westmalle abbey in 1934 when the new brewing hall came into use. The current formula has stayed practically unchanged since 1956, thus more than 50 years.
Serving suggestions:
It is best to keep the beer in a dark place at a constant temperature from 8° to 14° Celsius. Leave the bottle to rest for at least a week before serving. The yeast will then sink to the bottom and you will get a nice clear beer in your glass.
Serve the Trappist beer in a Westmalle goblet. This does full justice to the complex character of the beer and you can fully enjoy the rich head. Ensure that the glass is free of grease, so that the foam does not immediately disappear.
Hold the glass at an angle and begin pouring slowly along the side. Continue pouring in one movement and hold the glass vertically at the end in order to end in the middle. You thus get a perfect head. Leave around one centimetre of beer in the bottle. That is the yeast base. It is rich in vitamin B and has a blood cleansing effect. It is best to drink this remaining part separately.
Style description: Belgian Tripel
Link to product website: Westmalle
Style: Belgian Tripel
ABV: 9%
Origin: Malle, Belgium
For more than 200 years the Westmalle Trappists have chosen a life of prayer and work. That is their true vocation, entirely in accordance with the rule of Saint Benedict. Monks, he stipulates, have to provide for themselves.
Thus there is also a brewery within the abbey. The monks deliberately keep production small, with special care for man and the environment. And because profit is not their motive, they spend the surplus from it on charity work and on people in need.
Westmalle Tripel is a clear, golden yellow Trappist beer that undergoes a secondary fermentation in the bottle (9.5% alcohol). It is a complex beer with a fruity aroma and a nice nuanced hop scent. It is soft and creamy in the mouth, with a bitter touch carried by the fruity aroma. An exceptional beer, with a great deal of finesse and elegance. And with a splendid long aftertaste.
The Westmalle Tripel is indeed called the “mother of all tripels”. This type of beer was first brewed in Westmalle abbey in 1934 when the new brewing hall came into use. The current formula has stayed practically unchanged since 1956, thus more than 50 years.
Serving suggestions:
It is best to keep the beer in a dark place at a constant temperature from 8° to 14° Celsius. Leave the bottle to rest for at least a week before serving. The yeast will then sink to the bottom and you will get a nice clear beer in your glass.
Serve the Trappist beer in a Westmalle goblet. This does full justice to the complex character of the beer and you can fully enjoy the rich head. Ensure that the glass is free of grease, so that the foam does not immediately disappear.
Hold the glass at an angle and begin pouring slowly along the side. Continue pouring in one movement and hold the glass vertically at the end in order to end in the middle. You thus get a perfect head. Leave around one centimetre of beer in the bottle. That is the yeast base. It is rich in vitamin B and has a blood cleansing effect. It is best to drink this remaining part separately.
Style description: Belgian Tripel
Link to product website: Westmalle
Trappistes Rochefort - 10
Trappistes Rochefort - 10
Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale
ABV: 11.2%
Origin: Rochefort, Belgium
The Abbey of St. Remy, in the southern part of Belgium, was founded in 1230, and the monks began to brew beer sometime around 1595. The beautiful small brewery in the abbey, Rochefort Trappistes, is one of only seven Trappist breweries in the world and makes full-bodied, deeply flavored dark ales. They are bottle-conditioned and among the world’s most highly-respected beverages.
Only beers made in a Trappist Monastery, under the supervision of the monks, can use the Authentic Trappist Product seal. There are only seven Trappist breweries in the world.
The History of “10”
Although written records of brewing at Rochefort date to 1595, Rochefort 10 was developed in the late 1940s and early 50s. It appears on virtually every list of the world’s finest beers.
Taste
Dark brown color. Great strength balanced by a complexity of flavors and firm malt backbone. The bouquet covers a wide range: port wine, leather, apricots, oak, spices – a deeply intriguing beverage.
Serving Suggestions
Lamb shanks with juniper berries, wild chanterelle mushrooms, truffles, or dishes with intensely reduced sauces. Serve in the traditional stemmed Rochefort goblet.
Accolades
Best Beer in the World – Men’s Journal Magazine, October 2010.
Gold Medal – World Beer Championships 2004 & 2006.
Style description: Belgian Strong Dark Ale
Link to product website: Trappiste Rochefort
Photo credit: beercrank.ca
Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale
ABV: 11.2%
Origin: Rochefort, Belgium
The Abbey of St. Remy, in the southern part of Belgium, was founded in 1230, and the monks began to brew beer sometime around 1595. The beautiful small brewery in the abbey, Rochefort Trappistes, is one of only seven Trappist breweries in the world and makes full-bodied, deeply flavored dark ales. They are bottle-conditioned and among the world’s most highly-respected beverages.
Only beers made in a Trappist Monastery, under the supervision of the monks, can use the Authentic Trappist Product seal. There are only seven Trappist breweries in the world.
The History of “10”
Although written records of brewing at Rochefort date to 1595, Rochefort 10 was developed in the late 1940s and early 50s. It appears on virtually every list of the world’s finest beers.
Taste
Dark brown color. Great strength balanced by a complexity of flavors and firm malt backbone. The bouquet covers a wide range: port wine, leather, apricots, oak, spices – a deeply intriguing beverage.
Serving Suggestions
Lamb shanks with juniper berries, wild chanterelle mushrooms, truffles, or dishes with intensely reduced sauces. Serve in the traditional stemmed Rochefort goblet.
Accolades
Best Beer in the World – Men’s Journal Magazine, October 2010.
Gold Medal – World Beer Championships 2004 & 2006.
Style description: Belgian Strong Dark Ale
Link to product website: Trappiste Rochefort
Photo credit: beercrank.ca
Leffe - Blonde
Leffe - Blonde
Style: Belgian Pale Ale
ABV: 6.6%
Origin: Dinant, Belgium
Appearance: A brilliant, clear honey color with a two-finger thick, foamy white head.
Smell: Some very mild sweet scents like bubblegum, nutmeg and a hint of banana bread and yeast.
Taste: Spicey clove with some overtones of banana, tart cherry and a hint of orange.
Mouth-feel: Surprisingly smooth, but the carbonation is just a bit high.
A more aggressive pour may have tamed that some.
Overall: A very nice Belgian Blonde. Although I'm not a huge fan of Blondes, Tripels and Weizens, (because of the phenolic attributes of wheat malt) this was a surprisingly easy-drinking ale, one I've had on several occasions and one I'm sure to reach for again, especially for the price. The price here in Missouri is 1.69 U.S. dollars for a 11.2 oz (330 ml) bottle.
Ingredients: Water, hops, yeast, light malt and corn.
Suggested serving temperature: 5° to 6 °C. (41° to 43° F)
Style description: Belgian Pale Ale
Link to product website: Leffe
Style: Belgian Pale Ale
ABV: 6.6%
Origin: Dinant, Belgium
Appearance: A brilliant, clear honey color with a two-finger thick, foamy white head.
Smell: Some very mild sweet scents like bubblegum, nutmeg and a hint of banana bread and yeast.
Taste: Spicey clove with some overtones of banana, tart cherry and a hint of orange.
Mouth-feel: Surprisingly smooth, but the carbonation is just a bit high.
A more aggressive pour may have tamed that some.
Overall: A very nice Belgian Blonde. Although I'm not a huge fan of Blondes, Tripels and Weizens, (because of the phenolic attributes of wheat malt) this was a surprisingly easy-drinking ale, one I've had on several occasions and one I'm sure to reach for again, especially for the price. The price here in Missouri is 1.69 U.S. dollars for a 11.2 oz (330 ml) bottle.
Ingredients: Water, hops, yeast, light malt and corn.
Suggested serving temperature: 5° to 6 °C. (41° to 43° F)
Style description: Belgian Pale Ale
Link to product website: Leffe
Leffe - Bruin
Leffe - Bruin
Style: Belgian Dark Ale
ABV: 6.5%
Origin: Dinant, Belgium
Abbey of Leffe's dark beer is a highly fermented beer brewed to be savoured. The ingredients are, water, hops, yeast and roasted malt which gives it its a deep autumnal brown colour. Its alcohol content is 6.5 %, its ideal temperature 5° to 6 °C. (41° to 43° F) As a bottled beer, it is to be savoured with pleasure, as a draft beer it is thirst quenching. The aroma, a hint of ripe apple. A medium to full bodied mouth-feel. At normal cellar temperature, the taste develops from a pleasing sweet-fruity to brown sugar (with a hint of caramel and butter candy) to an aftertaste that is spicy and dry.
Style description: Belgian Dark Ale
Link to product website: Leffe
Photo Credit: Chili Grace
Style: Belgian Dark Ale
ABV: 6.5%
Origin: Dinant, Belgium
Abbey of Leffe's dark beer is a highly fermented beer brewed to be savoured. The ingredients are, water, hops, yeast and roasted malt which gives it its a deep autumnal brown colour. Its alcohol content is 6.5 %, its ideal temperature 5° to 6 °C. (41° to 43° F) As a bottled beer, it is to be savoured with pleasure, as a draft beer it is thirst quenching. The aroma, a hint of ripe apple. A medium to full bodied mouth-feel. At normal cellar temperature, the taste develops from a pleasing sweet-fruity to brown sugar (with a hint of caramel and butter candy) to an aftertaste that is spicy and dry.
Style description: Belgian Dark Ale
Link to product website: Leffe
Photo Credit: Chili Grace
Leffe - 9°
Leffe - 9°
Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale
ABV: 9.0%
Origin: Dinant, Belgium
Abbey beer Leffe 9° is a high fermentation beer with a deep golden colour and an alcohol content of 9%. Its wholesome taste and its rich flavour make it a beer full of character. Leffe 9° will be your ideal companion for a time of authentic beer tasting.
Style description: Belgian Strong Pale Ale
Link to Leffe website: Leffe
Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale
ABV: 9.0%
Origin: Dinant, Belgium
Abbey beer Leffe 9° is a high fermentation beer with a deep golden colour and an alcohol content of 9%. Its wholesome taste and its rich flavour make it a beer full of character. Leffe 9° will be your ideal companion for a time of authentic beer tasting.
Style description: Belgian Strong Pale Ale
Link to Leffe website: Leffe
Leffe - Tripel
Leffe - Tripel
Style: Belgian Tripel
ABV: 8.4%
Origin: Dinant, Belgium
Abbey of Leffe Tripel is a beer to be savoured, highly fermented and refermented in the bottle. The ingredients are malt, corn, water, hops and the yeast which give it its golden brown colour. The alcohol content is 7 % when bottled, and reaches 8.4 % after refermentation in the bottle. The taste of Leffe Tripel is a rich bouquet with a fresh hint of lemon; medium to full in the mouth, fruity and full, with a deliciously aromatic after-taste.
Style description: Belgian Tripel
Link to Leffe website: Leffe
Style: Belgian Tripel
ABV: 8.4%
Origin: Dinant, Belgium
Abbey of Leffe Tripel is a beer to be savoured, highly fermented and refermented in the bottle. The ingredients are malt, corn, water, hops and the yeast which give it its golden brown colour. The alcohol content is 7 % when bottled, and reaches 8.4 % after refermentation in the bottle. The taste of Leffe Tripel is a rich bouquet with a fresh hint of lemon; medium to full in the mouth, fruity and full, with a deliciously aromatic after-taste.
Style description: Belgian Tripel
Link to Leffe website: Leffe
Orval Trappist Ale
Orval Trappist Ale
Style: Belgian Pale Ale
ABV: 6.9%
Origin: Villers-devant-Orval, Belgium
Throughout the long history of Orval, there has probably always been a brewery at the monastery. Various facts corroborate this idea: topographical references on old drawings; a detailed description of production left by a Franciscan visitor three hundred years ago; an area called the “hop-field” very close to the monastery. To brew beer was customary in these areas little-suited to vine-growing. Beer was first and foremost considered for its nourishing properties : it was called “liquid bread”.
In 1529, the Emperor Charles Quint granted the monks authorization to establish a foundry which would provide the necessary revenues for the repair of war damages. Since that date, Orval has always known an economic activity more important than that strictly necessary for the basic economy of the Community.
When Orval began to rise again from its ruins after more than 130 years, the enormous task of rebuilding the monastery required considerable financial means; a brewery was established to assume the role of the former foundry.
In 1931 the Brewery was not, therefore, set up as a further economic activity of the monks who were already producing bread and cheese; from the very outset, the Brewery employed lay-people. The first master brewer was a German by the name of Pappenheimer; he is buried at Villers-devant-Orval.
The origins of this very distinctive beer can probably be attributed jointly to Mr. Pappenheimer and to the Belgians, Honore Van Zande and John Vanhuele who were working in the brewery at the same period. They were daring : the combination of production methods which they thought up is nowhere else to be found. Several of these methods, such as the infusion brewing and the “dry-hopping” are English: probably we owe them to John Vanhuele, who brought them from England, where he had lived for many years. This results in a beer whose characteristic aroma and taste owe more to the hops and to the yeasts than to the malts. In the same way as the secret of brewing, the specific beer-glass, the bottle and the label, which we still know today, are witnesses to the origins in the early ‘30’s.
The gustative sensations will gain in nuance depending on the age of the beer. Young beer is characterised by a bouquet of fresh hops, with a fruity note and pronounced bitterness, light on the palate and a less firm collar than a beer of six months. The latter will feature a bouquet consisting of a blend of fragrances of yeast and old-fashioned hop. The bitterness is more diffuse and the taste has moved to a slight touch of acidity accompanying yeast and caramel flavours. Served without its sediments, a beer of six months or more, has a particularly bright appearance. It will be less so, if it is served at a temperature below 7°C to 8°C (44° – 45°F).
The brewery indicates the bottling and best-by dates directly on the label. Every consumer can thus easily know the age of an Orval beer, and whether it should be consumed rapidly or less so, depending on whether one likes this beer young, or after a few months or years in the cellar.
Style description: Belgian Pale Ale
Link to product website: Orval
Photo credit: grainandgrain.com
Style: Belgian Pale Ale
ABV: 6.9%
Origin: Villers-devant-Orval, Belgium
Throughout the long history of Orval, there has probably always been a brewery at the monastery. Various facts corroborate this idea: topographical references on old drawings; a detailed description of production left by a Franciscan visitor three hundred years ago; an area called the “hop-field” very close to the monastery. To brew beer was customary in these areas little-suited to vine-growing. Beer was first and foremost considered for its nourishing properties : it was called “liquid bread”.
In 1529, the Emperor Charles Quint granted the monks authorization to establish a foundry which would provide the necessary revenues for the repair of war damages. Since that date, Orval has always known an economic activity more important than that strictly necessary for the basic economy of the Community.
When Orval began to rise again from its ruins after more than 130 years, the enormous task of rebuilding the monastery required considerable financial means; a brewery was established to assume the role of the former foundry.
In 1931 the Brewery was not, therefore, set up as a further economic activity of the monks who were already producing bread and cheese; from the very outset, the Brewery employed lay-people. The first master brewer was a German by the name of Pappenheimer; he is buried at Villers-devant-Orval.
The origins of this very distinctive beer can probably be attributed jointly to Mr. Pappenheimer and to the Belgians, Honore Van Zande and John Vanhuele who were working in the brewery at the same period. They were daring : the combination of production methods which they thought up is nowhere else to be found. Several of these methods, such as the infusion brewing and the “dry-hopping” are English: probably we owe them to John Vanhuele, who brought them from England, where he had lived for many years. This results in a beer whose characteristic aroma and taste owe more to the hops and to the yeasts than to the malts. In the same way as the secret of brewing, the specific beer-glass, the bottle and the label, which we still know today, are witnesses to the origins in the early ‘30’s.
The gustative sensations will gain in nuance depending on the age of the beer. Young beer is characterised by a bouquet of fresh hops, with a fruity note and pronounced bitterness, light on the palate and a less firm collar than a beer of six months. The latter will feature a bouquet consisting of a blend of fragrances of yeast and old-fashioned hop. The bitterness is more diffuse and the taste has moved to a slight touch of acidity accompanying yeast and caramel flavours. Served without its sediments, a beer of six months or more, has a particularly bright appearance. It will be less so, if it is served at a temperature below 7°C to 8°C (44° – 45°F).
The brewery indicates the bottling and best-by dates directly on the label. Every consumer can thus easily know the age of an Orval beer, and whether it should be consumed rapidly or less so, depending on whether one likes this beer young, or after a few months or years in the cellar.
Style description: Belgian Pale Ale
Link to product website: Orval
Photo credit: grainandgrain.com
Lefebvre - Barbãr
Lefebvre - Barbãr
Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale
ABV: 8.0%
Origin: Rebecq-Quenast, Belgium
Deep blonde in colour, Barbãr’s creamy head gives off a powerful aroma, unobtrusively scented with honey and accompanied by a bouquet of floral, spicy and citrus notes. The use of soft wheat gives a rounded attack, without heaviness. The sugar provided by the honey during the wort boiling undergoes fermentation and is converted into alcohol. Consequently, this is a soft but not sweet beer, with a touch of acidity which gives it freshness. The finish is full of finesse and without a bitter aftertaste. An original and distinctive beer whose distant origins go back to the “cervoise” brewed by our ancestors who called it “Warrior’s rest”.
Pairings:
Main dishes: Goat cheese salad with balsamic vinaigrette, chicken terrine with dried fruit
Cheese: Goat cheese
Dessert: Candied fruits, petits fours, crème pâtissière, rhubarb millefeuille with mascarpone.
Style description: Belgian Strong Pale Ale
Link to product website: Lefebvre
Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale
ABV: 8.0%
Origin: Rebecq-Quenast, Belgium
Deep blonde in colour, Barbãr’s creamy head gives off a powerful aroma, unobtrusively scented with honey and accompanied by a bouquet of floral, spicy and citrus notes. The use of soft wheat gives a rounded attack, without heaviness. The sugar provided by the honey during the wort boiling undergoes fermentation and is converted into alcohol. Consequently, this is a soft but not sweet beer, with a touch of acidity which gives it freshness. The finish is full of finesse and without a bitter aftertaste. An original and distinctive beer whose distant origins go back to the “cervoise” brewed by our ancestors who called it “Warrior’s rest”.
Pairings:
Main dishes: Goat cheese salad with balsamic vinaigrette, chicken terrine with dried fruit
Cheese: Goat cheese
Dessert: Candied fruits, petits fours, crème pâtissière, rhubarb millefeuille with mascarpone.
Style description: Belgian Strong Pale Ale
Link to product website: Lefebvre
Lefebvre - Hopus
Lefebvre - Hopus
Style: Belgian IPA
ABV: 8.3%
Origin: Rebecq-Quenast, Belgium
Blonde with copper reflections, topped with a generous head, Hopus derives from a secret batch brewed for the marriage of Paul Lefebvre. It has a unique and original nose, a blend of vegetal, citrus and fruit notes. The attack is bold, with an intense bitterness accompanied by a plethora of hopped notes. On the palate, the fruity top-fermented aromas and the malted flavours perfectly balance the initial taste without masking it. The bitter aftertaste is persistent but not disturbing, powerful but not overwhelming, elegant but not opulent…in short, the perfect preparation for the next mouthful.
Five different hop varieties are used in the brewing process: three German, one Slovak and one Czech.
The malt consists of a mixture of French and Danish and the house yeast is being used to produce this fantastic ale. This ale can be consumed +2 years from bottling date.
Style description: Belgian IPA
Link to product website: Lefebvre
Style: Belgian IPA
ABV: 8.3%
Origin: Rebecq-Quenast, Belgium
Blonde with copper reflections, topped with a generous head, Hopus derives from a secret batch brewed for the marriage of Paul Lefebvre. It has a unique and original nose, a blend of vegetal, citrus and fruit notes. The attack is bold, with an intense bitterness accompanied by a plethora of hopped notes. On the palate, the fruity top-fermented aromas and the malted flavours perfectly balance the initial taste without masking it. The bitter aftertaste is persistent but not disturbing, powerful but not overwhelming, elegant but not opulent…in short, the perfect preparation for the next mouthful.
Five different hop varieties are used in the brewing process: three German, one Slovak and one Czech.
The malt consists of a mixture of French and Danish and the house yeast is being used to produce this fantastic ale. This ale can be consumed +2 years from bottling date.
Style description: Belgian IPA
Link to product website: Lefebvre
Hoegaarden - Witbier
Hoegaarden - Witbier
Style: Witbier
ABV: 4.9%
Origin: Hoegaarden, Belgium
The original wheat beer is the oldest and most famous of Hoegaarden’s range. When poured, it forms a soft, white creamy head and leaves a generous lacing on the glass. Its naturally cloudy, pale hue shimmers when viewed through the glass.
With an aroma of orange peel, coriander and spice, its characteristic taste is entirely unique: smooth, light-bodied, and simultaneously sweet and sour, with a subtle, spiced citrus flavour. Best served in its traditional hexagonal glass.
Hoegaarden is totally different – by nature. It is different from virtually any other beer or beverage experience in the world – different in the kind of beverage that it is, and in the naturally refreshing taste experience. Hoegaarden is the authentic Belgian wheat or white beer. It has a unique and extremely complex brewing process whereby the brand is first top fermented and then is refermented within the bottle – ending up in a unique cloudy-white appearance. The brand’s unique appearance is mirrored by its one-of-a-kind taste, sweet and sour beer with a little bitterness, slightly spicy, with a strong touch of coriander and a hint of orange, perfect for warm summer days, instead of other refreshing beverages. Refreshing, a little quirky, and decidedly different, naturally.
Best With:
This Belgian-style wheat beer works well on its own as an aperitif, but also pairs well with lighter fare such as salads with a citrus dressing. It can work surprisingly well with omelets made with apples and goat cheese. Some people enjoy this beer with a slice of orange as a garnish.
Style description: Witbier
Link to product website: Hoegaarden
Photo credit: freeweekly.com
Style: Witbier
ABV: 4.9%
Origin: Hoegaarden, Belgium
The original wheat beer is the oldest and most famous of Hoegaarden’s range. When poured, it forms a soft, white creamy head and leaves a generous lacing on the glass. Its naturally cloudy, pale hue shimmers when viewed through the glass.
With an aroma of orange peel, coriander and spice, its characteristic taste is entirely unique: smooth, light-bodied, and simultaneously sweet and sour, with a subtle, spiced citrus flavour. Best served in its traditional hexagonal glass.
Hoegaarden is totally different – by nature. It is different from virtually any other beer or beverage experience in the world – different in the kind of beverage that it is, and in the naturally refreshing taste experience. Hoegaarden is the authentic Belgian wheat or white beer. It has a unique and extremely complex brewing process whereby the brand is first top fermented and then is refermented within the bottle – ending up in a unique cloudy-white appearance. The brand’s unique appearance is mirrored by its one-of-a-kind taste, sweet and sour beer with a little bitterness, slightly spicy, with a strong touch of coriander and a hint of orange, perfect for warm summer days, instead of other refreshing beverages. Refreshing, a little quirky, and decidedly different, naturally.
Best With:
This Belgian-style wheat beer works well on its own as an aperitif, but also pairs well with lighter fare such as salads with a citrus dressing. It can work surprisingly well with omelets made with apples and goat cheese. Some people enjoy this beer with a slice of orange as a garnish.
Style description: Witbier
Link to product website: Hoegaarden
Photo credit: freeweekly.com
Chimay - Gold
Chimay - Gold
Style: Belgian Pale Ale
ABV: 4.8%
Origin: Baileux, Belgium
A short time before the construction of the Trappist brewery in 1862, the monks at Chimay set about to brew in small quantities an easily digestible beer light in alcohol (4.8% per volume) whose gustatory palette placed it within the style of its predecessors. It was at the time reserved for members of the monastic community. Over time, this beer called “Golden” continued to reside within the abbey. It was subsequently offered to guests of the community then to staff members working for Chimay.
Despite its lower alcohol content, it is still a highly fermented Trappist beer whose touch of hops and spicy aromas never fails to delight all who taste it. As a new public progressively discovered it, the demand to be able to find it outside the abbey grew. The brewery was now faced with a dilemma: to choose between keeping only for itself a product that had already conquered fans in a purely spontaneous manner or make it available on the market. The brewery has thus opted for an intermediate solution: offering “Golden” for public enjoyment in a limited number of HORECA establishments.
Style description: Belgian Pale Ale
Link to product website: Chimay
Style: Belgian Pale Ale
ABV: 4.8%
Origin: Baileux, Belgium
A short time before the construction of the Trappist brewery in 1862, the monks at Chimay set about to brew in small quantities an easily digestible beer light in alcohol (4.8% per volume) whose gustatory palette placed it within the style of its predecessors. It was at the time reserved for members of the monastic community. Over time, this beer called “Golden” continued to reside within the abbey. It was subsequently offered to guests of the community then to staff members working for Chimay.
Despite its lower alcohol content, it is still a highly fermented Trappist beer whose touch of hops and spicy aromas never fails to delight all who taste it. As a new public progressively discovered it, the demand to be able to find it outside the abbey grew. The brewery was now faced with a dilemma: to choose between keeping only for itself a product that had already conquered fans in a purely spontaneous manner or make it available on the market. The brewery has thus opted for an intermediate solution: offering “Golden” for public enjoyment in a limited number of HORECA establishments.
Style description: Belgian Pale Ale
Link to product website: Chimay
Chimay - Tripel (Cinq Cents)
Chimay - Tripel (Cinq Cents)
Style: Belgian Tripel
ABV: 8.0%
Origin: Baileux, Belgium
The Chimay Triple, last-born of the Abbey, is labelled "Cinq Cents" on the 750 ml bottle. Of a golden colour, the Trappist beer combines sweet and bitter in a rare balance. The beer's aroma felt in the mouth comes from the hops' perfumes: above all, they are fruity touches of Muscat grapes and raisins, even ripe apples. This traditional Belgian beer is best savoured fresh at a temperature of from 6 to 8°C.
Style description: Belgian Tripel
Link to product website: Chimay
Style: Belgian Tripel
ABV: 8.0%
Origin: Baileux, Belgium
The Chimay Triple, last-born of the Abbey, is labelled "Cinq Cents" on the 750 ml bottle. Of a golden colour, the Trappist beer combines sweet and bitter in a rare balance. The beer's aroma felt in the mouth comes from the hops' perfumes: above all, they are fruity touches of Muscat grapes and raisins, even ripe apples. This traditional Belgian beer is best savoured fresh at a temperature of from 6 to 8°C.
Style description: Belgian Tripel
Link to product website: Chimay
Chimay - Première
Chimay - Première
Style: Belgian Dubbel
ABV: 7.0%
Origin: Baileux, Belgium
The Chimay Red Cap, or "Première", in 750 ml bottles, is the oldest of the Chimays. This Trappist beer possesses a beautiful coppery colour that makes it particularly attractive. Topped with a creamy head, it gives off a slight fruity apricot smell from the fermentation. The aroma felt in the mouth is a balance confirming the fruit nuances revealed to the sense of smell. This traditional Belgian beer is best savoured at cellar temperature (10 - 12°C).
A little history:
The Chimay "Première" was the first beer brewed at the Notre-Dame de Scourmont Abbey by the Trappist fathers in 1862. Its current recipe was crafted by Father Théodore when he recreated the brewery after World War II. He was directly inspired by the original recipes from the beginnings of the brewery.
Style description: Belgian Dubbel
Link to product website: Chimay
Style: Belgian Dubbel
ABV: 7.0%
Origin: Baileux, Belgium
The Chimay Red Cap, or "Première", in 750 ml bottles, is the oldest of the Chimays. This Trappist beer possesses a beautiful coppery colour that makes it particularly attractive. Topped with a creamy head, it gives off a slight fruity apricot smell from the fermentation. The aroma felt in the mouth is a balance confirming the fruit nuances revealed to the sense of smell. This traditional Belgian beer is best savoured at cellar temperature (10 - 12°C).
A little history:
The Chimay "Première" was the first beer brewed at the Notre-Dame de Scourmont Abbey by the Trappist fathers in 1862. Its current recipe was crafted by Father Théodore when he recreated the brewery after World War II. He was directly inspired by the original recipes from the beginnings of the brewery.
Style description: Belgian Dubbel
Link to product website: Chimay
Chimay - Grande Réserve
Chimay - Grande Réserve
Style: 9.0%
ABV: Belgian Strong Dark Ale
Origin: Baileux, Belgium
From the website:
The Chimay Blue Cap, "baptized' "Grande Reserve" in 750 ml bottles is a dark Trappist beer with a powerful aroma, the complex flavour of which improves across the years. It was first brewed as a Christmas beer, explaining the presence of a "vintage".
This authentic Belgian beer, whose tinge of fresh yeast is associated with a light rosy flowery touch, is particularly pleasant. Its aroma, perceived as one enjoys it, only accents the delightful sensations revealed by the odor, all revealing a light but agreeable caramelized note.
It is served ideally at cellar temperature (10 to 12°C).
Style description: Belgian Strong Dark Ale
Link to product website: Chimay
Style: 9.0%
ABV: Belgian Strong Dark Ale
Origin: Baileux, Belgium
From the website:
The Chimay Blue Cap, "baptized' "Grande Reserve" in 750 ml bottles is a dark Trappist beer with a powerful aroma, the complex flavour of which improves across the years. It was first brewed as a Christmas beer, explaining the presence of a "vintage".
This authentic Belgian beer, whose tinge of fresh yeast is associated with a light rosy flowery touch, is particularly pleasant. Its aroma, perceived as one enjoys it, only accents the delightful sensations revealed by the odor, all revealing a light but agreeable caramelized note.
It is served ideally at cellar temperature (10 to 12°C).
Style description: Belgian Strong Dark Ale
Link to product website: Chimay
Grimbergen - Dubbel Ale
Grimbergen - Dubbel Ale
Style: Belgium Dubbel
ABV: 6.5%
Origin: Maaseik, Belgium
From the website:
Born from double fermentation, the Grimbergen amber is a generous beer with a dark robe, thanks to the mixing of different malts. It is rich, deep and ample in the mouth. This amber beer boasts flavours that are both sweet and bitter; with subtle notes of caramel.
Founded in 1128, Grimbergen Abbey was destroyed in a terrible fire in 1142, then again in 1566 and 1798. Every time it was destroyed, it was rebuilt. The monks of Grimbergen took the phoenix as their symbol, a sign of their abbey's perpetual rebirth, and adopted a motto in its honor: Ardet Nec Consumiter (Burned, but not destroyed)
Their recipe for beer has also stood the test of time, making it a lively beverage with unmatched character. Authentic, unique and complex with multiple aromas, the beer of the phoenix gives rise to unexpected flavors that reveal themselves with each sip.
Style Description: Belgian Dubbel
Link to product website: Grimbergen
Photo credit: saveur-biere.com
Style: Belgium Dubbel
ABV: 6.5%
Origin: Maaseik, Belgium
From the website:
Born from double fermentation, the Grimbergen amber is a generous beer with a dark robe, thanks to the mixing of different malts. It is rich, deep and ample in the mouth. This amber beer boasts flavours that are both sweet and bitter; with subtle notes of caramel.
Founded in 1128, Grimbergen Abbey was destroyed in a terrible fire in 1142, then again in 1566 and 1798. Every time it was destroyed, it was rebuilt. The monks of Grimbergen took the phoenix as their symbol, a sign of their abbey's perpetual rebirth, and adopted a motto in its honor: Ardet Nec Consumiter (Burned, but not destroyed)
Their recipe for beer has also stood the test of time, making it a lively beverage with unmatched character. Authentic, unique and complex with multiple aromas, the beer of the phoenix gives rise to unexpected flavors that reveal themselves with each sip.
Style Description: Belgian Dubbel
Link to product website: Grimbergen
Photo credit: saveur-biere.com
Troubadour - Magma
Troubadour - Magma
Style: Belgian IPA
ABV: 9.0%
Origin: Ursel, Belgium
Troubadour Magma is an amber colored beer with the bitterness of an American IPA but balanced with the fruitiness of a Belgian Triple. Enjoy the explosion of fruity aromas from the dry-hopping.
About the brewery:
The brewery was founded in 2000 by 4 brew-engineers, after being graduated from KaHo St. Lieven in Gent, the best known brewing school of Flanders. Their names: Kristof De Roo, Rikkert Maertens, Stefaan Soetemans and Sven Suys. Just out of University, it was soon pretty clear to them that brew-master jobs are not easy to find in the Belgian beer world. Family traditions and brewing secrets are kept closely guarded within the brewing family. Like the real French Musketeers of the 18th century, the 4 friends bundled their enthusiasm and efforts, and created "the Musketeers brewing company". After investing in some brewing equipment, many experiments in the ‘garage’, and several "try and errors", the results were a great beer that all 4 brew-masters loved and believed in: a semi-strong BLOND. The first phase of the BIG dream had been accomplished. The challenge now was to produce the beer commercially and get people drink it in restaurants and bars.
First new problem: what name to give their new creation? After many brainstorming sessions, while drinking their new godly beer, the 4 friends settled on TROUBADOUR. The troubadours of the medieval times were young men wandering from village to village, from court to city, bringing with them joy, music, traditions, poetry, history and legends of other places. The 4 brewers believe the Troubadour beer brings the same joy and entertainment to today’s drinkers. Proud of their delicious creation, the 4 brewers, or should we say 4 'Musketeers', want to extend the rich brewing traditions of Belgium not only to the citizens of Belgium, but to the rest of the world as well, just like the Troubadours from the Middle Ages.
Style description: Belgian IPA
Link to product website: Troubadour
Style: Belgian IPA
ABV: 9.0%
Origin: Ursel, Belgium
Troubadour Magma is an amber colored beer with the bitterness of an American IPA but balanced with the fruitiness of a Belgian Triple. Enjoy the explosion of fruity aromas from the dry-hopping.
About the brewery:
The brewery was founded in 2000 by 4 brew-engineers, after being graduated from KaHo St. Lieven in Gent, the best known brewing school of Flanders. Their names: Kristof De Roo, Rikkert Maertens, Stefaan Soetemans and Sven Suys. Just out of University, it was soon pretty clear to them that brew-master jobs are not easy to find in the Belgian beer world. Family traditions and brewing secrets are kept closely guarded within the brewing family. Like the real French Musketeers of the 18th century, the 4 friends bundled their enthusiasm and efforts, and created "the Musketeers brewing company". After investing in some brewing equipment, many experiments in the ‘garage’, and several "try and errors", the results were a great beer that all 4 brew-masters loved and believed in: a semi-strong BLOND. The first phase of the BIG dream had been accomplished. The challenge now was to produce the beer commercially and get people drink it in restaurants and bars.
First new problem: what name to give their new creation? After many brainstorming sessions, while drinking their new godly beer, the 4 friends settled on TROUBADOUR. The troubadours of the medieval times were young men wandering from village to village, from court to city, bringing with them joy, music, traditions, poetry, history and legends of other places. The 4 brewers believe the Troubadour beer brings the same joy and entertainment to today’s drinkers. Proud of their delicious creation, the 4 brewers, or should we say 4 'Musketeers', want to extend the rich brewing traditions of Belgium not only to the citizens of Belgium, but to the rest of the world as well, just like the Troubadours from the Middle Ages.
Style description: Belgian IPA
Link to product website: Troubadour
Dupont - Foret
Dupont - Foret
Style: Saison/Farmhouse Ale
ABV: 5%
Origin: Tourpes, Belgium
The Dupont brewery is run by Marc Rosier (brewer) and his sister (microbiologist). They also operate the farm, and are interested in sustainable agriculture. This has led to Foret, a Saison beer that is the first certified organic beer in Belgium. Foret is 5% abv, has the recognizable house yeast character, but it is more angular in its taste.
“Today, some of the best know Saisons are made by Brasserie Dupont, a farmhouse brewery in western Belgium. Foret, an organic saison made by Dupont, shares the bitter finish of Vieille Provision but is spicy and earthier-tasting. It evokes newly mown grass, another sure sign of summer.”
- James Rodewald, Gourmet Magazine, June 2002
“Foret is an unfiltered organic Belgian ale from this well respected artisan brewery, better known for their classic Saison. It has a lumpy, rocky head and a pleasing pale golden colour. The nose is a complex blend of spices and fruit- coriander, cinnamon, vanilla, pepper, figs, and a hint of toffee. In the mouth there are lots of phenols and esters adding lightness to the texture, with complex spicy malt and a subtle burning strength in the back of the throat. However, the strength is well disguised on the tongue- it is smooth and not too lively ( despite the ‘pop’ when pulling the cork ). Aftertaste is long, zesty, malty and spicy. For a long time, this was the most interesting organic beer in the database, and is still one of the best. It’s certainly well deserving of the World Beer Championships Top 10 award.” - Oxford Bottled Beer Database
Style description: Saison
Link to product website: Dupont
Style: Saison/Farmhouse Ale
ABV: 5%
Origin: Tourpes, Belgium
The Dupont brewery is run by Marc Rosier (brewer) and his sister (microbiologist). They also operate the farm, and are interested in sustainable agriculture. This has led to Foret, a Saison beer that is the first certified organic beer in Belgium. Foret is 5% abv, has the recognizable house yeast character, but it is more angular in its taste.
“Today, some of the best know Saisons are made by Brasserie Dupont, a farmhouse brewery in western Belgium. Foret, an organic saison made by Dupont, shares the bitter finish of Vieille Provision but is spicy and earthier-tasting. It evokes newly mown grass, another sure sign of summer.”
- James Rodewald, Gourmet Magazine, June 2002
“Foret is an unfiltered organic Belgian ale from this well respected artisan brewery, better known for their classic Saison. It has a lumpy, rocky head and a pleasing pale golden colour. The nose is a complex blend of spices and fruit- coriander, cinnamon, vanilla, pepper, figs, and a hint of toffee. In the mouth there are lots of phenols and esters adding lightness to the texture, with complex spicy malt and a subtle burning strength in the back of the throat. However, the strength is well disguised on the tongue- it is smooth and not too lively ( despite the ‘pop’ when pulling the cork ). Aftertaste is long, zesty, malty and spicy. For a long time, this was the most interesting organic beer in the database, and is still one of the best. It’s certainly well deserving of the World Beer Championships Top 10 award.” - Oxford Bottled Beer Database
Style description: Saison
Link to product website: Dupont
Liefmans - Goudenband
Liefmans - Goudenband
Style: Oud Bruin
ABV: 8%
Origin: Oudenaarde, Belgium
Since 1679, Liefmans is one of the cult breweries of the great Belgian beer country. Liefmans distinctive flavors derive from the process of mixed fermentation, in open vessels, a blending of young and old beers and bottle-aging in the cellars at Oudenaarde.
Liefmans is blended beer. The origin of the blending was to preserve the beer, brewed in winter, for the hot summer (before descent refrigeration was invented). Liefmans is brewed from pale, dark and roasted malts. After fermentation for one week, the beer matures for two years (only one year for Kriek). Very old beers are blended with fresher, sweeter, “new” beer to enliven its flavor. The masterpiece of blending is Goudenband.
Liefmans Goudenband:
Goudenband is perhaps the most renowned traditional Belgian oud bruin ale. Brewed with multiple malts, to a high abv, Goudenband is then aged for at least for 4-8 months in Liefmans cellars. This is the classic example of what is known in Belgium as a “provision” or “cellaring” beer. Fruity and aromatic, malty yet dry, tart and spicy at eight months, Goudenband evolves over time to even greater depth and complexity.
Best With:
The delightful tart quality of this beer enables it to work well as an aperitif, however it pairs beautifully with tart desserts such as sour cherry pie, or strawberry rhubarb crisp.
Style description: Oud Bruin
Photo credit: oluenystava.blogspot.com
Style: Oud Bruin
ABV: 8%
Origin: Oudenaarde, Belgium
Since 1679, Liefmans is one of the cult breweries of the great Belgian beer country. Liefmans distinctive flavors derive from the process of mixed fermentation, in open vessels, a blending of young and old beers and bottle-aging in the cellars at Oudenaarde.
Liefmans is blended beer. The origin of the blending was to preserve the beer, brewed in winter, for the hot summer (before descent refrigeration was invented). Liefmans is brewed from pale, dark and roasted malts. After fermentation for one week, the beer matures for two years (only one year for Kriek). Very old beers are blended with fresher, sweeter, “new” beer to enliven its flavor. The masterpiece of blending is Goudenband.
Liefmans Goudenband:
Goudenband is perhaps the most renowned traditional Belgian oud bruin ale. Brewed with multiple malts, to a high abv, Goudenband is then aged for at least for 4-8 months in Liefmans cellars. This is the classic example of what is known in Belgium as a “provision” or “cellaring” beer. Fruity and aromatic, malty yet dry, tart and spicy at eight months, Goudenband evolves over time to even greater depth and complexity.
Best With:
The delightful tart quality of this beer enables it to work well as an aperitif, however it pairs beautifully with tart desserts such as sour cherry pie, or strawberry rhubarb crisp.
Style description: Oud Bruin
Photo credit: oluenystava.blogspot.com
St. Bernardus - Abt 12
St. Bernardus - Abt 12
Style: Belgian Quadrupel
ABV: 10.5%
Origin: Watou, Belgium
The St.Bernardus Abt 12 is the pride of our stable, the nec plus ultra of our brewery. Abbey ale brewed in the classic 'Quadrupel' style of Belgium's best Abbey Ales. Dark with a full, ivory-colored head. It has a fruity aroma, full of complex flavours and excells because of its long bittersweet finish with a hoppy bite.
Worldwide seen as one of the best beers in the world. It's a very balanced beer, with a full-bodied taste and a perfect equilibrium between malty, bitter and sweet. One of the original recipes from the days of license-brewing for the Trappist monks of Westvleteren.
Style description: Belgian Quadrupel
St. Bernardus Advertisement
Link to product website: St. Bernardus
Photo credit: 365beers.wordpress.com
Style: Belgian Quadrupel
ABV: 10.5%
Origin: Watou, Belgium
The St.Bernardus Abt 12 is the pride of our stable, the nec plus ultra of our brewery. Abbey ale brewed in the classic 'Quadrupel' style of Belgium's best Abbey Ales. Dark with a full, ivory-colored head. It has a fruity aroma, full of complex flavours and excells because of its long bittersweet finish with a hoppy bite.
Worldwide seen as one of the best beers in the world. It's a very balanced beer, with a full-bodied taste and a perfect equilibrium between malty, bitter and sweet. One of the original recipes from the days of license-brewing for the Trappist monks of Westvleteren.
Style description: Belgian Quadrupel
St. Bernardus Advertisement
Link to product website: St. Bernardus
Photo credit: 365beers.wordpress.com
St. Bernardus - Christmas Ale
St. Bernardus - Christmas Ale
Style: Belgian Quadrupel
ABV: 10.0%
Origin: Watou, Belgium
St. Bernardus Christmas Ale is a dark seasonal brewed in the classic 'Quadrupel' style of Belgium's best Abbey Ales. (10,0 % ABV) Similar to all the beers from our brewery, it greets the drinker with the signature aroma of the St. Bernardus house yeast strain (in use since 1946!) Rivaling the complexity of the St. Bernardus Abt 12, St. Bernardus Christmas Ale offers a spicy, mint-like flavor profile exuding the tastes of warming alcohol, fermented molasses, apricots, licorice and marzipan that are highligted by the perfect balance of brewing sugars.
The perfect companion to enjoy a (cold?) winter evening, with or without the company of your friends !
Style description: Belgian Quadrupel
Link to product website: St. Bernardus
Style: Belgian Quadrupel
ABV: 10.0%
Origin: Watou, Belgium
St. Bernardus Christmas Ale is a dark seasonal brewed in the classic 'Quadrupel' style of Belgium's best Abbey Ales. (10,0 % ABV) Similar to all the beers from our brewery, it greets the drinker with the signature aroma of the St. Bernardus house yeast strain (in use since 1946!) Rivaling the complexity of the St. Bernardus Abt 12, St. Bernardus Christmas Ale offers a spicy, mint-like flavor profile exuding the tastes of warming alcohol, fermented molasses, apricots, licorice and marzipan that are highligted by the perfect balance of brewing sugars.
The perfect companion to enjoy a (cold?) winter evening, with or without the company of your friends !
Style description: Belgian Quadrupel
Link to product website: St. Bernardus
Affligem - Noël
Affligem - Noël
Style: Spiced Beer
ABV: 9%
Origin: Opwijk, Belgium
Appearance: A crystal clear dark copper color with a small off-white head. Bubbles are small and diminish quicky, so I expect this to be quite prickly.
Aroma: Fruit and spices, but very faint, even after swirling in the glass several times.
Taste: A lot going on here! Belgian yeast, fig, molasses, a hint of ripe cherry and then a light dose of clove and cinnamon spice comes through, especially as it warms up a bit.
Mouthfeel: Seems full bodied at first, but the high amount of carbonation makes the aftertaste light, prickly and dry. A warming alcohol burn at the very end.
Overall: Christmas (spiced) beers are not my favorite style, but I always look forward to them each year because they are constanly changing and always interesting. Overall, this is a good beer, but I think less carbonation would improve it considerably.
From the product website:
Affligem Abbey is located on the border between the provinces of Flemish Brabant and East Flanders. It was built in 1074, after six pillaging knights established themselves in Affligem to adopt the monastic life of the Benedictines. Over the centuries, the abbey has had to survive many torments. The wars that opposed Brabant and Flanders in the Middle Ages, successive wars of Independence and religion and the French Revolution ruined the abbey several times, obliging the monks to flee. Each time, however, they returned to Affligem. Since the Second World War, the abbey and its congregation seem to have found some stability. The monks have been able to undertake initiatives such as the creation of a farm for young people and a religious and cultural center.
Until the French Revolution, brewing at the abbey was undertaken by lay staff that were paid for their labor, until the monks decided to brew for themselves. During the First World War, the Germans requisitioned the copper vats. The brewery had to again stop working and close its doors. But they bought new vats in 1920. In 1970, it entrusted the current Affligem Brewery proprietors with the mission of brewing the abbey beer according to its Formula Antiqua Renovata: an authentic recipe developed for modern brewing. So beer fans are ensured of enjoying the traditional taste of Affligem abbey beer.
Style description: Spiced Beer
Link to product website: Affligem
Photo credit: 365beers.wordpress.com
Style: Spiced Beer
ABV: 9%
Origin: Opwijk, Belgium
Appearance: A crystal clear dark copper color with a small off-white head. Bubbles are small and diminish quicky, so I expect this to be quite prickly.
Aroma: Fruit and spices, but very faint, even after swirling in the glass several times.
Taste: A lot going on here! Belgian yeast, fig, molasses, a hint of ripe cherry and then a light dose of clove and cinnamon spice comes through, especially as it warms up a bit.
Mouthfeel: Seems full bodied at first, but the high amount of carbonation makes the aftertaste light, prickly and dry. A warming alcohol burn at the very end.
Overall: Christmas (spiced) beers are not my favorite style, but I always look forward to them each year because they are constanly changing and always interesting. Overall, this is a good beer, but I think less carbonation would improve it considerably.
From the product website:
Affligem Abbey is located on the border between the provinces of Flemish Brabant and East Flanders. It was built in 1074, after six pillaging knights established themselves in Affligem to adopt the monastic life of the Benedictines. Over the centuries, the abbey has had to survive many torments. The wars that opposed Brabant and Flanders in the Middle Ages, successive wars of Independence and religion and the French Revolution ruined the abbey several times, obliging the monks to flee. Each time, however, they returned to Affligem. Since the Second World War, the abbey and its congregation seem to have found some stability. The monks have been able to undertake initiatives such as the creation of a farm for young people and a religious and cultural center.
Until the French Revolution, brewing at the abbey was undertaken by lay staff that were paid for their labor, until the monks decided to brew for themselves. During the First World War, the Germans requisitioned the copper vats. The brewery had to again stop working and close its doors. But they bought new vats in 1920. In 1970, it entrusted the current Affligem Brewery proprietors with the mission of brewing the abbey beer according to its Formula Antiqua Renovata: an authentic recipe developed for modern brewing. So beer fans are ensured of enjoying the traditional taste of Affligem abbey beer.
Style description: Spiced Beer
Link to product website: Affligem
Photo credit: 365beers.wordpress.com
Corsendonk - Christmas Ale
Corsendonk - Christmas Ale
Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale
ABV: 8.5%
Origin: Oud-Turnhout, Belgium
First brewed and released in 1998, Corsendonk Christmas Ale is a rich, dark, joyous brew with which to celebrate the holiday season. Its aroma of chocolate malt and spices is reminiscent of the wonderful smells of holiday baking in Mom's kitchen. On the palate this silky smooth ale is predominantly malty, with smoky, spicy and citrusy notes, and a long, lingering finish that is lightly tart and malty. Round and well-balanced, it will be a welcome addition to holiday tables and parties. Bottle conditioned for a fresh, lively taste, it will complement or contrast with virtually any holiday fare, from soup to nuts.
Original text from product website:
Corsendonk Christmas Ale is brewed every year during the holiday season and is available from November until February. For this reddish-brown Christmas beer, the brewer uses roasted special malts, the finest hops and selected yeasts, spiced up with a touch of coriander. With its delicate malty nose, Corsendonk Christmas Ale has everything that only the very best Christmas beer could possibly offer; a round, balanced taste with a dry and refined aftertaste.
Style description: Belgian Strong Dark Ale
Link to product website: Corsendonk
Photo credit: jstreetbeer.wordpress.com
Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale
ABV: 8.5%
Origin: Oud-Turnhout, Belgium
First brewed and released in 1998, Corsendonk Christmas Ale is a rich, dark, joyous brew with which to celebrate the holiday season. Its aroma of chocolate malt and spices is reminiscent of the wonderful smells of holiday baking in Mom's kitchen. On the palate this silky smooth ale is predominantly malty, with smoky, spicy and citrusy notes, and a long, lingering finish that is lightly tart and malty. Round and well-balanced, it will be a welcome addition to holiday tables and parties. Bottle conditioned for a fresh, lively taste, it will complement or contrast with virtually any holiday fare, from soup to nuts.
Original text from product website:
Corsendonk Christmas Ale is brewed every year during the holiday season and is available from November until February. For this reddish-brown Christmas beer, the brewer uses roasted special malts, the finest hops and selected yeasts, spiced up with a touch of coriander. With its delicate malty nose, Corsendonk Christmas Ale has everything that only the very best Christmas beer could possibly offer; a round, balanced taste with a dry and refined aftertaste.
Style description: Belgian Strong Dark Ale
Link to product website: Corsendonk
Photo credit: jstreetbeer.wordpress.com
Fantôme - de Noël
Fantôme - de Noël
Style: Saison
ABV: 10%
Origin: Soy, Belgium
A very dark and entirely unique holiday seasonal beer, at a whopping 10% alc. by volume. Reportedly spiced with honey, caramel, coriander, black pepper, and other secret ingredients.
“Beautifully warming with an amazing, almost overwhelming, depth of character. Well balanced bittersweet, fruity ale which must surely be the ultimate winter warmer.” (The Beers of Wallonia)
Both authors of The Beers of Wallonia also give this Noël beer perfect 10’s. The alcohol content probably goes a long way toward explaining that very warm and satisfied feeling one finds on the very first sip. A rich, dark-flavored beer with lots of deep-roasted chocolate malt, but still fairly dry, with a hint of sourness at the core. It is very spicy, with some winter spruce flavor in the bargain. The wild yeast sourness also adds to its welcoming character.
Style description: Saison
Link to product website: FANTÔME
Style: Saison
ABV: 10%
Origin: Soy, Belgium
A very dark and entirely unique holiday seasonal beer, at a whopping 10% alc. by volume. Reportedly spiced with honey, caramel, coriander, black pepper, and other secret ingredients.
“Beautifully warming with an amazing, almost overwhelming, depth of character. Well balanced bittersweet, fruity ale which must surely be the ultimate winter warmer.” (The Beers of Wallonia)
Both authors of The Beers of Wallonia also give this Noël beer perfect 10’s. The alcohol content probably goes a long way toward explaining that very warm and satisfied feeling one finds on the very first sip. A rich, dark-flavored beer with lots of deep-roasted chocolate malt, but still fairly dry, with a hint of sourness at the core. It is very spicy, with some winter spruce flavor in the bargain. The wild yeast sourness also adds to its welcoming character.
Style description: Saison
Link to product website: FANTÔME
Delirium - Noël
Delirium - Noël
Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale
ABV: 10%
Origin: Melle, Belgium
When the seasons’ spectrums have changed from a vivid rainbow of flora, fauna and fair weather to a monochrome blanket of snow, slush and frigid temperatures, so must one’s beer. A spicy, crimson brew that completes the Delirium Trilogy (including Tremens and Nocturnum), Delirium de Noel will bring color and zest back to the cold winter months and to your cheeks. With its combination of an invigoratingly sharp and peppery character, stirring bitterness and that rare, crisp winter freshness of flavor, your inevitable fondness for the subtle, yet familiar nuances of piquant Delirium de Noel will last through the seasons! Be sure to make plans to stay in when you pour out this memorable holiday beer, as its stout 10% alcohol content should keep you from going out in the cold more so than any blizzard ever could!
The history of the brewery:
In 1902, Leon Huyghe settled in Melle. Barely four years later, in 1906, he bought the brewery, which he named “Brouwerij-Mouterij den Appel”. During the First World War, several breweries got into trouble, and after the war the brewing-coppers, which the occupying forces had claimed, had to be replaced as quickly as possible.
(Nowadays, one of those coppers hangs above the bar in the museum as a kind of decorating dome). In 1938, the brewery was renamed “SPRL Brasserie Leon Huyghe”
In 1939, the new buildings along the Geraardsbergsensteenweg were finished. They contain the new brewery-hall, which is still the pride of the brewery.
On December 26th 1989, the famous “Delirium Tremens” was born. The particular character and the unique taste of “Delirium Tremens” result from the use of three different kinds of yeast. Its very original packing, which resembles cologne ceramics, and the colourful label contribute to its success. The label depicts the different phases of the production of “Delirium Tremens” the “Pink Elephant” was up and ready to conquer the world. To celebrate the bicentennial of the French Revolution in 1989, the topical beer “La Guillotine” was launched.
In 1992, the “confrerie of the pink Elephant” was founded. Its task is to promote “Delirium Tremens” and the other beers of Melle. The brewery Huyghe took over the breweries “Campus”, “St Idesbald” and “Vielle Villers”.
In 1997, the show-beer “Delirium Tremens” was nominated “best beer in the world”. A gold medal during the “world beer championships” in Chicago (1998) confirmed that worldwide recognition.
Link to product website: Delirium
Style description: Belgian Strong Dark Ale
Photo credit: craftonomy1.blogspot.com
Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale
ABV: 10%
Origin: Melle, Belgium
When the seasons’ spectrums have changed from a vivid rainbow of flora, fauna and fair weather to a monochrome blanket of snow, slush and frigid temperatures, so must one’s beer. A spicy, crimson brew that completes the Delirium Trilogy (including Tremens and Nocturnum), Delirium de Noel will bring color and zest back to the cold winter months and to your cheeks. With its combination of an invigoratingly sharp and peppery character, stirring bitterness and that rare, crisp winter freshness of flavor, your inevitable fondness for the subtle, yet familiar nuances of piquant Delirium de Noel will last through the seasons! Be sure to make plans to stay in when you pour out this memorable holiday beer, as its stout 10% alcohol content should keep you from going out in the cold more so than any blizzard ever could!
The history of the brewery:
In 1902, Leon Huyghe settled in Melle. Barely four years later, in 1906, he bought the brewery, which he named “Brouwerij-Mouterij den Appel”. During the First World War, several breweries got into trouble, and after the war the brewing-coppers, which the occupying forces had claimed, had to be replaced as quickly as possible.
(Nowadays, one of those coppers hangs above the bar in the museum as a kind of decorating dome). In 1938, the brewery was renamed “SPRL Brasserie Leon Huyghe”
In 1939, the new buildings along the Geraardsbergsensteenweg were finished. They contain the new brewery-hall, which is still the pride of the brewery.
On December 26th 1989, the famous “Delirium Tremens” was born. The particular character and the unique taste of “Delirium Tremens” result from the use of three different kinds of yeast. Its very original packing, which resembles cologne ceramics, and the colourful label contribute to its success. The label depicts the different phases of the production of “Delirium Tremens” the “Pink Elephant” was up and ready to conquer the world. To celebrate the bicentennial of the French Revolution in 1989, the topical beer “La Guillotine” was launched.
In 1992, the “confrerie of the pink Elephant” was founded. Its task is to promote “Delirium Tremens” and the other beers of Melle. The brewery Huyghe took over the breweries “Campus”, “St Idesbald” and “Vielle Villers”.
In 1997, the show-beer “Delirium Tremens” was nominated “best beer in the world”. A gold medal during the “world beer championships” in Chicago (1998) confirmed that worldwide recognition.
Link to product website: Delirium
Style description: Belgian Strong Dark Ale
Photo credit: craftonomy1.blogspot.com