OT: Belgian Beer

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  • EKIMIKE wrote:
    Tagged along with the old man's baccie run and landed myself a nice haul.

    Spoilt for choice but fancying the Tripels for tomorrow: Westmalle Tripel, St. Bernardus Tripel or Tripel Karmeliet?
    (Can't get too pissed 'cos I have essay writing duties :( )
    So you can't get "too pissed"? Oh dear. The Karmeliet are good, but Sint Barnardus are ace, and you will not be disappointed. The Westmalle I would put away for a more mellow, reflective moment. Or if you win PTP.
    Ecrasez l’infame
  • slimreaper
    slimreaper Posts: 738
    slimreaper wrote:
    Out of interest, how do you pronounce Duvel? One of the Drs. at work lived in Groningen for a few years. He speaks reasonable Dutch and as Dutch is closer to Flemish than English, I am inclined to accept his pronunciation which is "Doofle".
    Sounds about right. The Belgians/Dutch have always been too polite to contradict me, anyway.
    Cool. Thanks.
    Just got to figure out all the rest now!
    Sod it, I'll just have another drink.
  • EKIMIKE
    EKIMIKE Posts: 2,232
    So you can't get "too pissed"? Oh dear. The Karmeliet are good, but Sint Barnardus are ace, and you will not be disappointed. The Westmalle I would put away for a more mellow, reflective moment. Or if you win PTP.

    Cheers for the suggestions! I absolutely love the St. Bernardus and made sure I got a fair few this time. Somehow I ended up with only a few Westmalle's - so much beer, too little time. More reason to save some.

    Whilst i'm at it, is there any 'best practice' with the darker ones - Trappistes Rochefort 10, St. Bernardus Abt. 12 - or just pour the lot in, sediment and all. I've always just gone and poured the lot. I have a lot to learn!
  • It's all about the glass it's served in. Goblet vs tulip.
  • FJS
    FJS Posts: 4,820
    OCDuPalais - no way, Duvel is amazingly good beer at at time or place.

    Maredsous is now a brand of Duvel/Moortgat. so although once upon a time it may have been Wallonian, I'm happy it's Flemish. Welcome to the interesting world of Belgian beer!
    Caveat: anything can change in the world of Belgian brewing.
    Oh, didnt know that. Adopting that rule makes Moretti and Fosters Dutch beers, and Budweiser and Corona Belgian..
  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 13,200
    EKIMIKE wrote:
    So you can't get "too pissed"? Oh dear. The Karmeliet are good, but Sint Barnardus are ace, and you will not be disappointed. The Westmalle I would put away for a more mellow, reflective moment. Or if you win PTP.

    Cheers for the suggestions! I absolutely love the St. Bernardus and made sure I got a fair few this time. Somehow I ended up with only a few Westmalle's - so much beer, too little time. More reason to save some.

    Whilst i'm at it, is there any 'best practice' with the darker ones - Trappistes Rochefort 10, St. Bernardus Abt. 12 - or just pour the lot in, sediment and all. I've always just gone and poured the lot. I have a lot to learn!

    Avoid the sediment unless you have the constitution of an ox and plenty of soft loo roll.
    Warning No formatter is installed for the format
  • mooro
    mooro Posts: 477
    Avoid the sediment unless you have the constitution of an ox and plenty of soft loo roll.

    if ever there was advice you wish you had read earlier in the day.
  • FJS
    FJS Posts: 4,820
    Just picked up three Geuzes: a Boon, Girardin and Lindemans and had to think of this thread - I'll keep one of them for Paris-Brussels :D
    If you find yourself in Amsterdam, go to De Bierkoning - http://bierkoning.nl
    They even have a special Geuze section downstairs. They have five 40 year old bottles of De Vits, at €90 each...
  • slimreaper
    slimreaper Posts: 738
    I love how this thread keeps popping up every few months.
  • ridgerider
    ridgerider Posts: 2,851
    It looks like my daughter is going to spend the next three years at Maastricht University.

    This will be the start of a beautiful relationship between myself and the Amstel Gold race, washed down with a selection of regional brews cherry picked from this thread!
    Half man, Half bike
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,348
    You re very lucky mate!

    If you go over the main pedestrian bridge from the main town centre (so toward the station), take the first Left and just down that street is the best Belgian Beer bar I ve ever been to (i know, ironically not in Belgium). From the outside it looks like a horrible place and sin of sins has a Heineken sign over the door, but it's a proper dingy smokey, peanut shells on the floor with one of the best barmen I ve ever met there.

    He won't let you name a beer but will just ask you what taste you like then quietly write it down on a beer mat. What he ll bring you will be the perfect example of what you asked for. He ll pour it for you and will then describe every mouthful in exquisite detail down the the last one! He is an absolute HEAVYWEIGHT (literally) True Champion!
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • ridgerider
    ridgerider Posts: 2,851
    Stop it, you are scaring me!
    Half man, Half bike
  • pottssteve
    pottssteve Posts: 4,069
    Ridgerider wrote:
    It looks like my daughter is going to spend the next three years at Maastricht University.

    This will be the start of a beautiful relationship between myself and the Amstel Gold race, washed down with a selection of regional brews cherry picked from this thread!


    Welcome to Maastricht! If you need any advice, just ask....

    Steve
    Head Hands Heart Lungs Legs
  • ridgerider
    ridgerider Posts: 2,851
    Will you come with me to ddraver's bar?

    I don't want to go alone!
    Half man, Half bike
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,348
    God have I painted a really bad picture of this? It's Holland! Dodgy places don't exist!
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • graeme_s-2
    graeme_s-2 Posts: 3,382
    Going back to how to pronounce Duvel. I've always pronounced it Doovle (a bit like devil), but poncy bars in England seem to pronounce it Du-vel and look at you like they've no idea what you're talking about if you pronounce it any other way (in my experience if they can't pronounce it then they can't pour it properly either). I think Du-vel is closer to the French-speaking pronunciation, and Doovle is the Flemish. Certainly when I was in Brussels it always seemed to be Doovle.
  • disgruntledgoat
    disgruntledgoat Posts: 8,957
    Ann odd one... As a recet student of Dutch, I was taught that "e" makes an "ay" sound. But in most Dutch words, like "een", it seems to take more of a "uh" (perhaps I'm just listening to people from the wrong region!)

    Therefore, Doofle wouls see, about right.
    "In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"

    @gietvangent
  • pottssteve
    pottssteve Posts: 4,069
    ddraver wrote:
    God have I painted a really bad picture of this? It's Holland! Dodgy places don't exist!

    Ridgerider - I'll give it a go!

    ddraver - There's a few dodgy places in Maastricht - full of hammered old Dutch fellas with weird facial hair, all listening to sh!t Limburgish music and smoking nasty little cigarettes...
    Head Hands Heart Lungs Legs
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,348
    True, but all they re going to do is stare at you...

    Duvel in NL is pretty much pronounced Doovle (as Graeme says). In reality its probably different if you re speaking French or Dutch, these things usually are... Took me flipping ages to work out what people were talking about when they said Leuk-Bastenaken-Leuk in April too
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • FJS
    FJS Posts: 4,820
    In Dutch/Flemish Duvel is pronounced with stress on the first syllable, so certaintly no French Du-vel with stress on the second syllable.
    The 'u' in Duvel is a sound in Dutch/Flemish that doesnt exist in English, but the 'ew' as in 'new' comes close. It's like the German ü.
  • above_the_cows
    above_the_cows Posts: 11,406
    It's kind of like the U in duvet but a bit sort of dirtier.

    Now everyone repeat after me Scheveningen... Ik houd van Nederlands :D

    Anyway can I come to this dirty bar in Maastricht, it sounds echt lol!*


    *Under no circumstances should you replace the O with a U in this word. Well you could but...
    Correlation is not causation.
  • pottssteve
    pottssteve Posts: 4,069
    ddraver wrote:
    True, but all they re going to do is stare at you...

    Duvel in NL is pretty much pronounced Doovle (as Graeme says). In reality its probably different if you re speaking French or Dutch, these things usually are... Took me flipping ages to work out what people were talking about when they said Leuk-Bastenaken-Leuk in April too

    As long as they don't start singing......


    Steve
    Head Hands Heart Lungs Legs
  • slimreaper
    slimreaper Posts: 738
    FJS wrote:
    The 'u' in Duvel is a sound in Dutch/Flemish that doesnt exist in English, but the 'ew' as in 'new' comes close. It's like the German ü.
    That sounds similar to how my Dr. friend was pronouncing it.
    It's all a bit complicated this languages stuff!
  • disgruntledgoat
    disgruntledgoat Posts: 8,957
    I'm off to road test my Dutch in Amsterdam and Ghent in a couple of weeks.

    I am scared.
    "In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"

    @gietvangent
  • above_the_cows
    above_the_cows Posts: 11,406
    I'm off to road test my Dutch in Amsterdam and Ghent in a couple of weeks.

    I am scared.

    Good luck. Be warned that in Amsterdam people will more than likely just speak to you in English when they realise (and they will realise almost immediately unless you have mastered a Noord Holland accent) that you are not Dutch. Also be prepared for people to not understand you, or pretend not to understand you. As evidence of this I have Flemish friends who get talked to in English here. My suggestion just carry on talking Dutch and if it means having a bi-lingual conversation with, you the buitenlander speaking Nederlands and the Nederlander speaking Engels then so be it. As long as you get your biertje, daarna het is helemaal goed.

    In Gent and other parts of Flanders I have found people much more willing to attempt to understand and to talk to me in Nederlands/Vlaamse, but be prepared for the difference in pronunciation, accent and words between the two.

    Have fun! Be prepared for wind and if you want any tourist tips then PM me.
    Correlation is not causation.
  • disgruntledgoat
    disgruntledgoat Posts: 8,957
    I'm off to road test my Dutch in Amsterdam and Ghent in a couple of weeks.

    I am scared.

    Good luck. Be warned that in Amsterdam people will more than likely just speak to you in English when they realise (and they will realise almost immediately unless you have mastered a Noord Holland accent) that you are not Dutch. Also be prepared for people to not understand you, or pretend not to understand you. As evidence of this I have Flemish friends who get talked to in English here. My suggestion just carry on talking Dutch and if it means having a bi-lingual conversation with, you the buitenlander speaking Nederlands and the Nederlander speaking Engels then so be it. As long as you get your biertje, daarna het is helemaal goed.

    In Gent and other parts of Flanders I have found people much more willing to attempt to understand and to talk to me in Nederlands/Vlaamse, but be prepared for the difference in pronunciation, accent and words between the two.

    Have fun! Be prepared for wind and if you want any tourist tips then PM me.

    Many thanks.

    My tutor says my accent is quite Flemish... let's see how that goes. I tried to listen and translate a woman reading Jip and Janneke last night, with mixed results.
    "In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"

    @gietvangent
  • Just tweeted by Michelle Cound, it seems it's not just the cycling fans who enjoy a bit of Duvel:

    http://t.co/WZoSRX4fCB
    I have a policy of only posting comment on the internet under my real name. This is to moderate my natural instinct to flame your fatuous, ill-informed, irrational, credulous, bigoted, semi-literate opinions to carbon, you knuckle-dragging f***wits.
  • Le Commentateur
    Le Commentateur Posts: 4,099
    slimreaper wrote:
    FJS wrote:
    The 'u' in Duvel is a sound in Dutch/Flemish that doesnt exist in English, but the 'ew' as in 'new' comes close. It's like the German ü.
    That sounds similar to how my Dr. friend was pronouncing it.
    It's all a bit complicated this languages stuff!
    The good news is that it tastes the same whatever language you speak.
  • awavey
    awavey Posts: 2,368
    slimreaper wrote:
    FJS wrote:
    The 'u' in Duvel is a sound in Dutch/Flemish that doesnt exist in English, but the 'ew' as in 'new' comes close. It's like the German ü.
    That sounds similar to how my Dr. friend was pronouncing it.
    It's all a bit complicated this languages stuff!
    The good news is that it tastes the same whatever language you speak.

    and that is so not true of Belgian beer :lol: