Belgian Beer

pneumatic

Advice Please!

The minor Pneumatics are going away on a school trip and Mrs Pneumatic and I are taking the chance of an ankle-bite free trip to Flanders (woo-hoo!)

Mrs Pneumatic will be taking the opportunity to sample a range of unrealistically expensive chocolate products. I am thinking of making a connoisseur's survey of Belgian Beer:

So: where should I start and what will be the pinnacle of my adventure?

(I already know Duvel, Chimay and, of course, Stella Artois - although I don't intend to consume a single sip of that latter mass produced Eurobelch)

nicensleazy

I love Westmalle Trappist....one of the very best !

Anonymous

Leffe (brun or blond...) on draught. Boodiful!
Hoegaarden on draught. Boodiful!

Much nicer than the stuff here...

andy_f

Leffe = 'orrible, like drinking marmite cordial.

gregster10217

ANDY F wrote:

Leffe = 'orrible, like drinking marmite cordial.

+1 - not my cup of tea.

However, I do remember some lovely, and far to easily consumed strawberry beer a while ago. I'm surprised I remember it actually, don't remember much else after drink it!!!

millar time

I would start with Grimbergen (A good morning beer), work my way through Orval and end up with Rochefort. A word of warning; consumption of more than 3 or 4 of the above may impair your ability to watch any of the Ronde... or do anything useful at all.

crumbschief

Oh plenty,there are many and alot of styles too,best to try a variety in small amounts if you can,lambic,stout,wit,spice,fruit,depends on your taste and what you fancy trying really,best to keep it simple and get into a bar or cafe and look at the list.I hope this can help a bit for places. http://www.ratebeer.com/places/countries/23/

Lagavulin

I do like Duvel and Leffe blonde (not a fan of the brun). Only problem being it gets me absolutely trolleyed and very, very quickly.

I like it but I'd much rather sup several Cumberland, Cockerhoop or Alnwick IPA.

pneumatic

Excellent, thanks people. I shall compile a careful route map in the expectation of ending up just short of wildly trolleyed! Grimbergen for breakfast sounds like a grand depart, I just need to be sure I'm still in touch with the breakaway group for a trappist sprint finish!

Mrs P is now miffed that I didn't ask about chocolate recommendations. Godiva springs to mind; otherwise I am at a loss.

RonB

Hoegaarden Verboden Vrucht (Forbidden Fruit) beer might be a good ending.

At 9% I sure wouldn't want to start with one!

crumbschief

http://www.visitflanders.us/index.php?p ... ate-lovers

pneumatic

crumbschief wrote:

http://www.visitflanders.us/index.php?page=chocolate-lovers

Mrs P will be forever in your debt (and I am looking forward to the collateral advantage!).

takethehighroad

If you ever need something a little lighter to see you through to (or through) your lunch, try Pelforth. It's impeccable, although more of a Paris-Roubaix drink than a Flanders one

simonaspinall

For unbelievable quality go for Trappiste Rochefort 10 - Absolutely mind-blowing punch around the face yumminess which can only really be expressed by comparing it to how Boris Johnson must feel when giving a speech. You'll never drink another beer again and be satisfied.

http://www.beersofeurope.com/ (Go to on-line shop > Belgium > Trappiste Rochefort > 3rd Beer down)

Seriously - TrappyRoch 10 + Olives, Antipasti and the love of a buxom woman!

I'm so middle class it hurts :oops:

eskimo Joe

Have a Kwak , its in a glass like a yard of ale with its own woodedn holder , and you have to give up one of your shoes as a deposit until you hand the glass back .
Another one for Westmalle Dubbel my favoutite

Le Commentateur

Leffe is OK, but once you've had something better it will seem a bit bland. Not as bland as UK lagers though.

If you can find them have a taste of Gulden Draak (a fruity brown ale), Judas (awesome), Adriaen Brouwer Dark Gold, Westmalle (better than Leffe IMO)... also the oddly named Gordon Finest Gold (a sweetish full-bodied malty brew, and indeed very golden in colour).

You can also get gift packs, usually a pair or quartet of bottles plus the particular design of glass that they get served in at the bars: the hilarious but delicious Kwak has a glass that resembles a mad scientist's flask in a wood frame that doubles as a handle*; the aptly named "Delerium Tremens" (9%, made by the oldest brewery in Gent) is served in a tulip goblet dotted with little pink elephants:




(*as if you drink too many you will undergo a Jekyl & Hyde-like transformation into some crazed sub-human beast)

tlw1

NapoleonD wrote:

Leffe (brun or blond...) on draught. Boodiful!
Hoegaarden on draught. Boodiful!

Much nicer than the stuff here...

+1 with happy memories of doing the classic poppy rally in Ypres last year!

It also resulted in being away for mothers day guilt & resulted in £50+ of chocolate

daviesee

While in Brugge, I often enjoyed a Grimbergen.

The beer produced in Brugge, Zot, was very refreshing on a warm summers day.

SteveR_100Milers

Leffe blonde, Duvel. The former is very distictive 'marmite' taste, the latter is deceptively powerful, more dangerous than Carlsberg's Elephant beer!

STEFANOS4784

Special brew = good times

Chip \'oyler

Tripel Karmeliet is very good

Nuggs

As has already been mentioned, Kwak's a great beer.

Bacchus Frambozenbier (raspberry) and Kreikenbier (cherry) are fantastic tipples and make great aperitifs.

Maredsous 10 (same brewery as Duval) and Leffe Triple are great, but at 10%ish are a lot like being punched in face but in a good way.

Try to see if you can find some Rodenbach Grand Cru. It's a Sour Red Beer and they tend to be like Marmite (not in taste, I mean you either love or hate them) - I love them!

Happy drinking

58585

You should really try and sample all the trappist beers, preferably in one sitting
Or if you want to actually catch the ferry back, try at least one blonde, one dubbel, one tripel, a strong dark ale and a lambic.
Definitely worth a try: Achel blonde, Rochefort 10, St Bernardus 12, anything Cantillion
Try and track down a Westvleteren, but you might need to book an appointment at the monastery...

pneumatic

Now this is getting serious! So many beers, so little time. Hmm. Maybe I should do some training today!

meanredspider

Can't believe Corsendonk hasn't been mentioned. I stayed at the Monestary whilst doing a project management training course - lovely straight from the barrel.

My advice is to go for variety - I love Leffe myself but Grimbergen or any number of others would do fine. 3 years living in Brussels gave me plenty of time to learn about beer. Now I'm living in the Highlands, I'm learning about Scotch - it's a dirty job....

simonaspinall

You do realise you'll get back to England and not be able to drink in an English pub and be satisfied ever again

Dunk_911

I reckon your best bet is to get to a pub and try all of the stuff you have never heard of, thats what I did.

Kwak sticks in my head as a good bet though.

pneumatic

simonaspinall wrote:

You do realise you'll get back to England and not be able to drink in an English pub and be satisfied ever again

The damage is already done. I spent some time in Bavaria in my youth. My heart sinks most times I enter a British pub. there are some notable exceptions, however,

My local serves a fine pint of Deuchars IPA (we insist upon it).

On my travels, I am also particularly fond of:

the Bow Bar, Victoria Street, Edinburgh (magnificent place to sip really good beer and, once a year, also watch the nocturne series cycle racing as it is half way up the steepest cobbled climb)

the Swan, West Peckham, Kent (microbrewery of considerable merit)

Nuggs

simonaspinall wrote:

You do realise you'll get back to England and not be able to drink in an English pub and be satisfied ever again

Hold on a minute, let's not get silly here.

Yes, Belgian beer is great but there are some FINE British beers as well. They're all different and there are times when only a good British pint hits the mark.

Let's embrace the diversity and enjoy all the beers on this Earth!

guinea

In Brugges they have a tourist bar/museum/shop thing that has every single Belgian beer.

Go. Even if it's just to take photos.

Nelson Longflap

My nearest offy does all six trappist ales (excluding the virtually unobtainable Westvleteren - but substitutes it with Sint Barnardus 8 and 10), and all the regular Grimbergens, Krieks and lambics. I am truly blessed.

Westmalle dubbel with its fruity nose (it has a hint of bananas) is probably my everyday drinker, with Rochefort 10 my tipple-of-choice for high days and holidays.

When I can afford to move out of my poky garrett, first on the list of must-have features will be a cellar, so that I can start trying to brew my own trappist-like beers. Or maybe I should just move to Belgium.