OT: Belgian Beer

disgruntledgoat

Tom BB wrote:

Delirium Tremens on tap :shock: *starts a Forest Gump like run in the general direction of Glasgow*

If you can stand to be seen in a place called Vodka Wodka, you've earned it.

I've got a Strong Brown about ready to bottle at home, turned out at a cool 9.7%, a nice nut brown colour and smells spicy and rummy.

No_Ta_Doctor

Le Commentateur wrote:

The Bijble:

http://belgianbeerboard.com/index.php?o ... d=88888992

I have a copy... it's 3 inches thick and has entries for over 750 Belgian beers, including a photo of each beer's bottle and branded glass.

This is what I was equipped with: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Good-Beer-Guide-Belgium-Webb/dp/1852492619/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1333624453&sr=1-3
Superb guide if you're actually looking for places to drink in Belgium :-)
Can be a touch political about the beers themselves (strongly favours independent brewers) but that's to be expected from CAMRA.

This is also good though:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Michael-Jacksons-Great-Belgium-Edition/dp/0937381934/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1333624662&sr=1-3

rubertoe

Just wandered around Waitrose on my way home; noticed they do Tripel Karmeliet, bought myself a couple of bottles! chucked in a couple of Leffe's as well for good measure!

EKIMIKE

Went over to Belgium a few weeks ago. Alot of my family smoke so they do the standard thing of getting tabacco from Adinkerke. For the beer though, we found a place in De Panne which seemed to have a fairly decent selection. It's a cash and carry, drive your car in kind of place dedicated to beer called Dany Pynseel. Right next to 'Ambassador Hotel' on the main street.

Not sure how it compares to some of the other places mentioned here (can't remember the prices) but it's easy to find and also has a really good selection of glasses.

No_Ta_Doctor

Rick Chasey wrote:

No tA Doctor wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

Quite like De Konink, but I'm a real Dutch pilsner fan.

Juplier ( i know it's Belgian), and proper Heineken, Grolsch, etc.

Not the grotty stuff you get here.

Tom Boonen just called. He'd like to completely disassociate himself from you.

You sure he didn't just say he "draws the line"...?

He did mention that he would never, ever share his stash with you.

bigmat

EKIMIKE wrote:

Went over to Belgium a few weeks ago. Alot of my family smoke so they do the standard thing of getting tabacco from Adinkerke. For the beer though, we found a place in De Panne which seemed to have a fairly decent selection. It's a cash and carry, drive your car in kind of place dedicated to beer called Dany Pynseel. Right next to 'Ambassador Hotel' on the main street.

Not sure how it compares to some of the other places mentioned here (can't remember the prices) but it's easy to find and also has a really good selection of glasses.

Surely you just nick those?! Only joking, I'm not Spanish...

No_Ta_Doctor

Now I like Belgian beer glasses, and there's definitely some worth to the idea that the shape of the glass affects how the beer is delivered to the palate (and how the head forms) and thus how it tastes, BUT.....

Their primary purpose is to market bottled beer. If you brew bottled beer and you know it's going to be stored in a crate behind the bar, out of sight, then the beer glass, as distinctive as possible, displayed prominently on a shelf at eye level is the perfect mechanism. Especially if you can get your glasses on the shelf in place of a competitor.

disgruntledgoat

You're right about the glasses... but they do look nice. I've got quite a few at home

Chouffe
some limited Duvel ones
Westmalle
Orval
Kwak
Delirium Tremens
Leffe (people keep buying me them!)
Gulden Draak
Liefmans
Bruges Zot

I may have taken this too far.

MrTapir

disgruntledgoat wrote:

You're right about the glasses... but they do look nice. I've got quite a few at home

Chouffe
some limited Duvel ones
Westmalle
Orval
Kwak
Delirium Tremens
Leffe (people keep buying me them!)
Gulden Draak
Liefmans
Bruges Zot

I may have taken this too far.

Don't you test which glasses your own beer tastes best out of? I'd be interested to know about your beer brewing set up, is it quite substantial?

No_Ta_Doctor

MrTapir wrote:

disgruntledgoat wrote:

You're right about the glasses... but they do look nice. I've got quite a few at home

Chouffe
some limited Duvel ones
Westmalle
Orval
Kwak
Delirium Tremens
Leffe (people keep buying me them!)
Gulden Draak
Liefmans
Bruges Zot

I may have taken this too far.

Don't you test which glasses your own beer tastes best out of? I'd be interested to know about your beer brewing set up, is it quite substantial?

I'd be interested to know if he delivers to Denmark... :-)

No_Ta_Doctor

disgruntledgoat wrote:

You're right about the glasses... but they do look nice. I've got quite a few at home

Chouffe
some limited Duvel ones
Westmalle
Orval
Kwak
Delirium Tremens
Leffe (people keep buying me them!)
Gulden Draak
Liefmans
Bruges Zot

I may have taken this too far.

Nowt wrong with collecting them :-) I've only got Leffe glasses (if we're limited to Belgian). Would love a Duvel glass. Would love some Duvel as well.

No_Ta_Doctor

Oh and tonight's menu is St. Feuillien Trippel. Lovely.

Tom BB

I have:

Leffe
Kwak
Chimay
Duvel
Westmalle
Lindemans
Fruuli

glasses

I'm on mediocre shandy tonight though Playing a gig and driving!

APIII

On tonight's menu were:
Rochefort 10
Duvel
Rochefort 8

I always used to think the 10 was too strong, but love the stuff at the minute.

That leaves me with 160 odd bottles left from the weekend raid of Bruges Carrefour

Also, i love the special glass thing, however....this may be committing the cardinal sin, but I think Westmalle tastes better out of a Duvel glass :shock:

No_Ta_Doctor

APIII wrote:

On tonight's menu were:
Rochefort 10
Duvel
Rochefort 8

I always used to think the 10 was too strong, but love the stuff at the minute.

That leaves me with 160 odd bottles left from the weekend raid of Bruges Carrefour

Also, i love the special glass thing, however....this may be committing the cardinal sin, but I think Westmalle tastes better out of a Duvel glass :shock:

I hate you. For having 160 bottles of Belgian beer that I don't have.

You may well be right about the Duvel glass, btw. The Westmalle glass is very open, the Duvel glass will give you a bigger hit of aroma :-)

Le Commentateur

There are actually two styles of Duvel glass. The standard one is a tulip glass, but there's also a classic narrow tapering lager glass for the slightly lower alcohol (7.5%) Duvel Gefiltered.

I like the look of some of the goblet glasses best: Orval has a pleasing angularity; Moinette simple and generous proportions; Trappistes Rochefort has a lovely curved bowl that is emphasized by the tapered stem below it.

But I find the tulip glasses are nicer to drink from, the narrow tops of the glasses hold in the aroma, so that even the last dregs taste potent, whereas the open goblet and it's weight often make that last mouthful seem insignificant.

An intriguing one I'd like to try is Mousse de Toernich, which has a glass rather like our own heavy dimpled trad-style glasses, only without the handle – it kind of resembles a hand grenade as a result.

ocdupalais

BelgianBeerGeek wrote:

He may have been wearing a skirt. It was a hot day, though, so it may have been a comfort thing.

Excellent.
In a simple vague statement, you've beautifully conveyed that special squiffiness that only Belgian beer seems to induce.

Talking of which, if you looked closely, that geezer on the Kwak bottle used to have one normal eye and the other was represented by a spiral: is this still the case - I think they redesigned the label about 10 years ago?

Tom BB

Right then folks, what is on the menu for Roubaix this Sunday-I know that its French race, but Belgian beer is definitely the perfect accompaniment.

I've got a large bottle of Leffe Brun to go at, although I may have a mix of Westmalle and Delirium should I fancy it. What time of the day is it acceptable to start drinking by the way?!

hommelbier

Tom BB wrote:

Right then folks, what is on the menu for Roubaix this Sunday-I know that its French race, ...

For me it's going to be a large bottle of Jenlain Ambree, a lovely French biere de garde from a brewery in the village of Jenlain fairly close to the P-R route.

rubertoe

i shall be enjoying brakspear triple. English beer, after a carvery lunch.

watching the race as live later in the afternoon, bloody in-laws. :roll:

MrTapir

Tom BB wrote:

Right then folks, what is on the menu for Roubaix this Sunday-I know that its French race, but Belgian beer is definitely the perfect accompaniment.

Totally agree. We (me and girlfriend) are probably heading down to the Hogs Back brewery shop to get some stuff, maybe some Brugse Zot if they've got it, but other than that i don't know, some Lachouffe would be good if they have any.

EKIMIKE

I picked up two glasses. A tulip style Tripel Karmeliet one and a goblet style Westmalle one. These seem to be the two common, general types of glass.

I can see myself picking up more over the years. The Kasteel one is quite nice with a castle moulded at the bottom. Had some Kasteel Donker in a pub over there and man that stuff is dark.

Tonight, i've had a Karmeliet Tripel (really fruity) and a Rochefort 10. Gert Lush!

BelgianBeerGeek

No tA Doctor wrote:

Now I like Belgian beer glasses, and there's definitely some worth to the idea that the shape of the glass affects how the beer is delivered to the palate (and how the head forms) and thus how it tastes, BUT.....

Their primary purpose is to market bottled beer. If you brew bottled beer and you know it's going to be stored in a crate behind the bar, out of sight, then the beer glass, as distinctive as possible, displayed prominently on a shelf at eye level is the perfect mechanism. Especially if you can get your glasses on the shelf in place of a competitor.

^This. It is a well-designed sales ploy. I have several until the Mrs told me to stop. Its amazing how we all fall for it though. Some are real works of art, the Orval chalice in particular. I generally stick with one Duvel glass for all of them now to save on the washing up.

disgruntledgoat

I hate you. For having 160 bottles of Belgian beer that I don't have.

I hate him more, as I was supposed to be taking up the space in the car that the 160 bottles ended up with! Most annoying.

As to the Paris Roubaix menu... nowt. maybe some homebrew. Wedding in 2 weeks and funds are scarce.

No_Ta_Doctor

disgruntledgoat wrote:

I hate you. For having 160 bottles of Belgian beer that I don't have.

I hate him more, as I was supposed to be taking up the space in the car that the 160 bottles ended up with! Most annoying.

As to the Paris Roubaix menu... nowt. maybe some homebrew. Wedding in 2 weeks and funds are scarce.

You can't blame a man for swapping a mate for 160 bottles of Belgian beer. We'd all do it.

disgruntledgoat

APIII should take no blame here. It was the aforementioned lack of funds that did for me. He made good use of a crisis though.

durhamwasp

Ive got 24 bottles of Kronie in for tomorrow, had a pure Belgian day last week, so its a French one this weekend.

Im sure we will see far more Flanders than French flags on the course like!

APIII

In my defence, they weren't all for me. There were 12 bottles of Pecheresse for the wife.

ddraver

Had a night in Maastricht for Easter with a couple of friends. There's a Belgian Beer bar there called Take One (a proper smoky, peanut shells on the floor, beermats.bottle caps on the wall sort of place, if you re passing). The guy in there is a proper character. Him and his wife won't listen to anything you order but will just ask you what taste you like (sweet, dry, malty etc) and will then choose for you. He gave us some absolutely stunning ones!

When he brings it he pours it for you and then gives you the bottle to finish the sediment, and then tells you to take a gulp from the glass (and precisely how to do both). he then can describe in exquisite detail exactly how it tastes. Sweet on the tip of the tongue, dry in the middle and a little malty on the back, no taste in the throat etc. It was the most entertaining beer I ve ever had!

itboffin

Cool i'm off to Maastricht on Monday, will look this place up and hopefully report back