Thread: Belgian Beer

Bart, you are correct, I am very fond of the beers brewed by Dupont. I love both the Saison and the Moinettes both. They are very hoppy for Belgian standards ;-). I am yet to try the Bière de Beloeil. Orval uses a complex mixture of yeast strains for fermentation, indeed very atypical, fish and ring legend and all.

Ralph, most Belgian beers are fermented in the bottle. Those that are high in alcohol (big), age really well, yummm.

Al raz.

Bart, talking abut hoppy Belgian beers. I just tried the Houblon Chouffe Dobbelen IPA Tripel last night. I was very impressed, very well balanced beer. This one is not really and IPA but a hoppy example of good Belgian beer.

Al raz.

Originally Posted by Maximilian

No comment

Same here

Lovely sunny Sunday today here in Utrecht. Not quite the temperature yet, but still: had my first Blanche de Namur of the year. Hmmm! Can't wait 'till summer!

Originally Posted by Oldengaerde

Lovely sunny Sunday today here in Utrecht. Not quite the temperature yet, but still: had my first Blanche de Namur of the year. Hmmm! Can't wait 'till summer!

Good one!! I reviewed that about 8 or 9 months ago here:
http://straightrazorpalace.com/finer...ou-prefer.html

Originally Posted by Alraz

Bart, talking abut hoppy Belgian beers. I just tried the Houblon Chouffe Dobbelen IPA Tripel last night. I was very impressed, very well balanced beer. This one is not really and IPA but a hoppy example of good Belgian beer.

Al raz.

Yeah, Chouffe knows how to brew a decent beer. Sadly they lost their independence some time ago, and or now owned by Duvel. (that does not predicts the best...)

I have no idea why, but IPA suddenly became a very fashionable term in the Belgian beer world. "Indian Pale Ale", I was told it supposes to mean. I've seen at least half a dozen new beers entering the market, carrying those three letters, during the past year. The best one, in my opinion, was "Brigand IPA".

Bart.

Originally Posted by Bart

Yeah, Chouffe knows how to brew a decent beer. Sadly they lost their independence some time ago, and or now owned by Duvel. (that does not predicts the best...)

I have no idea why, but IPA suddenly became a very fashionable term in the Belgian beer world. "Indian Pale Ale", I was told it supposes to mean. I've seen at least half a dozen new beers entering the market, carrying those three letters, during the past year. The best one, in my opinion, was "Brigand IPA".

Bart.

You are correct!!! Belgian IPA is becoming a recognized beer style. There are more and more Belgian beers marketed under that name. I will make an effort to find the Brigand, which I have not had yet. Thanks for the tip. For the history of the India Pale Ale style, check: India Pale Ale - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is a fun beer style whose essence has been recaptured in the US and recently in Belgium. Recently, brewers in the US have tried to push the envelope and brew monstrously BIG! beers. They call them imperial or double to evoke the similarities in strength with the stouts and Belgians. Not surprisingly, due to its history, the IPA was the first beer caught in this trend. It is only natural that Belgian brewers followed up as they have vast experience with high alcohol beers. The examples from the UK no longer have the pop that they once had due to taxation :-(. Bart, love talking beer with you.

Al raz.

Not to stray from the Belgian theme here, but since you mentioned it... IPA's from microbreweries in the northeastern and western USA (California, Oregon) are exceptional beers as well, and I'm not sure if you guys overseas have had a chance to sample any of them. Some notable names are Smuttynose, Stone, Yards, Dogfish Head (one of my favorites), and Troegs.

What's really great about checking out local beer festivals is that you get access to some great microbrews that are not even available in stores due to the fact that they are upstarts and do not have the marketing or funds to get their names out in the open. They rely purely on the strength of their brews on the palates of the tasters. A forgotten concept in today's advertising-heavy liquor/beer industry.

If anybody has a chance, check out Saint Somewhere, a local brewery in Florida. They have two herb-infused brews that are unlike any beer I've ever tried. Here's the website: http://www.saintsomewherebrewing.com/

And who has tried an oud bruin?

The name literally translates as "old brown", referring to the long
aging process which can take up to a year. It undergoes a
secondary fermentation, which takes several weeks to a month,
and is followed by bottle aging for several more months. The
extended aging allows residual yeast and bacteria to develop a
sour flavor characteristic for this style. While some examples
of an Oud Bruin may be aged in oak, typical beers in this style
are not, and this is what helps Flanders Brown ales distinguish
themselves from the more sour Flanders Red ales. This style
of beer is medium bodied, reddish-brown, and has a gentle
malty flavor and no hop bitterness. The aroma is a complex
mixture of fruits and estery smells of plum, raisin and cherry.
The flavor is sweet, caramel, fruity, tart, and slightly acidic,
caused by various bacteria in the maturation process. In a
good example, the tartness is often balanced with a malty
character, tasting of toffee and a giving a "sweet-and-sour"
impression. Commercial versions may mix aged beer with
younger, sweeter beer to temper the acidity and create
a more complex flavor.

(wikipdia)

Originally Posted by Carioca

And who has tried an oud bruin?

The name literally translates as "old brown", referring to the long
aging process which can take up to a year. It undergoes a
secondary fermentation, which takes several weeks to a month,
and is followed by bottle aging for several more months. The
extended aging allows residual yeast and bacteria to develop a
sour flavor characteristic for this style. While some examples
of an Oud Bruin may be aged in oak, typical beers in this style
are not, and this is what helps Flanders Brown ales distinguish
themselves from the more sour Flanders Red ales. This style
of beer is medium bodied, reddish-brown, and has a gentle
malty flavor and no hop bitterness. The aroma is a complex
mixture of fruits and estery smells of plum, raisin and cherry.
The flavor is sweet, caramel, fruity, tart, and slightly acidic,
caused by various bacteria in the maturation process. In a
good example, the tartness is often balanced with a malty
character, tasting of toffee and a giving a "sweet-and-sour"
impression. Commercial versions may mix aged beer with
younger, sweeter beer to temper the acidity and create
a more complex flavor.

(wikipdia)

Isn't Rodenbach an example of one? I do like it when I can find it in good condition.