Beer
Comments
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I am off to Belgium soon, and having just got into beer (as opposed to lager) am looking for some recommendations to bring back, I have the following on my list:
Chimay ( red, white & blue)
Rochefort Trappistes 10
Kwak
Delirium tremens
Tripel karmeliet
Any other suggestions would be great
Thanks
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Nice list!
Personally, if I was going to drink Chimay I'd always stick with the blue one. That said, it's so easy to get at home that I probably wouldn't bother with it over there - better to try something a bit rarer. It's worth remembering that Chimay tends to have a high carbon content so unless you particularly like your beer fizzy (you may well do as a recent lager drinker) then it might pay to open the bottle 20 minutes before you drink it; I've told myself this many a time but not actually managed it ;-)
Rochefort comes several different varieties (three I think). All are lovely, as as is Pawel Kwak.
Belgium is big on sour beers and fruit beers. They aren't my cup of tea but if you like cider, it might be worth trying these as an alternative.
Bosteels Karmaliet Tripel, Maradsous, Orval and Westmalle (personally I prefer the tripel to the dubbel) are all worth a try.
Duval is very tasty and refreshing, but the same probably applies as Chimay - it's so easily available you might not want to bother. De Konick is very nice if you want something that's not quite as strong as the others (only 5%). But if you really want to push the boat out, go for a Bush Ambree 12%.
Finally, there's some brilliant beers from just over the border in France. In particular St Sylvestre 3 monts which is lovely and La Choulette Ambree which to my mind is better than anything produced in Belgium.
Have a great trip.0 -
In that case Maradsous, Bush Ambree and both of the French beers I mentioned are available from Carrefour in Cite Europe ;-)0
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What part of Belgium/city are you visiting? It's worth the effort to look out for a pub/café that has got a lot of special beers, not those you can get in the supermarket. I'll make a list of special beers to try later on.1
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See if you can find the book "The Great Beers of Belgium" by Michael Jackson (no, not that MJ).0
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That's indeed a nice book, however written some time ago (MJ died a couple of years ago). There's a new vibe currently amongst Belgian beers now. Lot's of micro/garage beers - sometimes incredible stuff. Some pubs have 100+ beers. Do try to avoid driving afterwards, 'cause fines are no joke lately.1
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I am a bit behind the times Luke. What that book made me realise is that the Belgians take their beer VERY seriously and consequently there are some amazing brews to be sampled. I made a pilgrimage to Belgium as a result of reading that book - at that time you could find bars with long "beer menus" - hope they've survived.1
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Where are you off to?cafcbrown said:I am off to Belgium soon, and having just got into beer (as opposed to lager) am looking for some recommendations to bring back, I have the following on my list:
Chimay ( red, white & blue)
Rochefort Trappistes 10
Kwak
Delirium tremens
Tripel karmeliet
Any other suggestions would be great
Thanks
If Bruges, there is a wonderful little bar called Staminee de Garre hidden down an alleyway. Their De Garre Triple house beer (in my profile pic), is absolutely magic.
Kwak is one of my all time favourites as well.
Delirium is worth a go.0 -
Doing Oostende , Bruges and may fit somewhere else in!0
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Not been to sample it myself but someone who would know tells me that monasteries in Belgium brew a decent drop.0
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Why does beer taste so different in similar locations ?
I know it's to do with storage and cleaning the lines. But even so.
Guinness in Charlton:
The Bugle 8 out of 10. Lovely, thick & creamy. Always good.
The Anchor 8 ditto.
The Swan 7 decent but not as good, sometimes not good at all.
ROD 7 ditto.
White Horse 5 not much body or taste
The Oak 5 quite often undrinkable even off different pumps, sometimes ok at best.
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I think you'll have a nice time in Bruges (but it is a rather small city). Ostend, however, might turn out disappointing (old & dirty). Lot's of things to do in Antwerp.
Try for blond beers (up to 7% alc.):
Brugse zot blond
Strandgaper
Quinto
Palm Hop Select (extra hop is a trend lately)
XX Bitter ( very refreshing)
Try for blond beers (more than 7% alc.):
Bersalis tripel
Buffalo bitter
Duvel Tripel Hop (American hop, so lots of citrus)
La Chouffe ( you can find this easily in the supermarket)
La Chouffe Houblon (French for hop) IPA
Hopus (excellent - refreshing )
Gouden Carolus Hopsinjoor
Straffe Hendrik
Wolf 7 lupus
Brown beers:
Brugse zot dubbel (as in double)
Goudenband
Gouden Carolus Classic
McChouffe (also easily found in supermarkets)
Oesterstout ( a stout - = magnificent)
St-Bernardus Abt 12 (don't leave Belgium without trying this one)
Straffe Hendrik Quadruppel
Trappist beers:
Westmalle dubbel (brown beer - found in supermarkets)
Westmalle tripel (one of my favourites)
Chimay blauw (blue)
La Trappe Quadruppel (brown beer) normal version, there's an oak aged version of this one (with a cork), but you'll probably pay 15-20 € for a 37,5cl beer. Better try the others first (between 2,5 and 3,5 € / beer)
If you take your mss, let her try Lindemans Kriek (fermented on cherries): not too sour, but sweet. Other kriek/cherry beers are more sour1 -
FYI : there's a difference between a trappist beer and a monastery beer. Trappist is made & bottled inside a monastery, run by real Cistercian monks. Untill a couple of years ago, only 7 trappist beers existed: Chimay, Westmalle, Westvleteren, Orval, Achel, Rochefort in Belgium and La Trappe in Holland. About two years ago Zundert (also Dutch) and Engelszell in Austria were added. There's one more coming probably ... out of the US ! There's another one in France called Mont des Cats, however it's not allowed to call itself a real trappist, because it gets bottled elsewhere, not between the walls of the monastery.
Other beers (Leffe, Maredsous, ...) are beers made by large breweries made using a trappist style. They didn't really see a monk or the inside of a monastery. (as modern day Hoegaarden is made by a large brewery-same as stella and jupiler, the original one 30 years ago was completely different).1 -
@skywalker , thank you, awesome information. I am thinking of missing Ostend, is Antwerp far from Bruges?0
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Don't discount Ghent either, cracking place.1
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How could I forget the Westmalle Tripel. A wonderful drop.skywalker said:I think you'll have a nice time in Bruges (but it is a rather small city). Ostend, however, might turn out disappointing (old & dirty). Lot's of things to do in Antwerp.
Try for blond beers (up to 7% alc.):
Brugse zot blond
Strandgaper
Quinto
Palm Hop Select (extra hop is a trend lately)
XX Bitter ( very refreshing)
Try for blond beers (more than 7% alc.):
Bersalis tripel
Buffalo bitter
Duvel Tripel Hop (American hop, so lots of citrus)
La Chouffe ( you can find this easily in the supermarket)
La Chouffe Houblon (French for hop) IPA
Hopus (excellent - refreshing )
Gouden Carolus Hopsinjoor
Straffe Hendrik
Wolf 7 lupus
Brown beers:
Brugse zot dubbel (as in double)
Goudenband
Gouden Carolus Classic
McChouffe (also easily found in supermarkets)
Oesterstout ( a stout - = magnificent)
St-Bernardus Abt 12 (don't leave Belgium without trying this one)
Straffe Hendrik Quadruppel
Trappist beers:
Westmalle dubbel (brown beer - found in supermarkets)
Westmalle tripel (one of my favourites)
Chimay blauw (blue)
La Trappe Quadruppel (brown beer) normal version, there's an oak aged version of this one (with a cork), but you'll probably pay 15-20 € for a 37,5cl beer. Better try the others first (between 2,5 and 3,5 € / beer)
If you take your mss, let her try Lindemans Kriek (fermented on cherries): not too sour, but sweet. Other kriek/cherry beers are more sour0 -
Bruges - Antwerp = approx. 100kms0
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Bruges I was very impressed with browny0
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La Trappe Blond is a personal favourite of mine from the list above....the good bars will have beer menus and probably do 'paddles' to allow you to try a few in the same round...enjoy!0
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Thought the bitter in the Oak was pretty poor the last time I was in there (Brighton game).Covered End said:Why does beer taste so different in similar locations ?
I know it's to do with storage and cleaning the lines. But even so.
Guinness in Charlton:
The Bugle 8 out of 10. Lovely, thick & creamy. Always good.
The Anchor 8 ditto.
The Swan 7 decent but not as good, sometimes not good at all.
ROD 7 ditto.
White Horse 5 not much body or taste
The Oak 5 quite often undrinkable even off different pumps, sometimes ok at best.0 -
Cheers all0
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Come and try our stouts and porters at The Long Pond. We'll have a 7% ABV Imperial Porter on at the weekend.Covered End said:Why does beer taste so different in similar locations ?
I know it's to do with storage and cleaning the lines. But even so.
Guinness in Charlton:
The Bugle 8 out of 10. Lovely, thick & creamy. Always good.
The Anchor 8 ditto.
The Swan 7 decent but not as good, sometimes not good at all.
ROD 7 ditto.
White Horse 5 not much body or taste
The Oak 5 quite often undrinkable even off different pumps, sometimes ok at best.0 -
I'm off on a pub crawl around Chelmsford tomorrow. Can't wait.0
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I heard a rumour there was a lager in the long pond ....1
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Shame you weren't there when I lived around the corner in Well Hall Road.Riviera said:
Come and try our stouts and porters at The Long Pond. We'll have a 7% ABV Imperial Porter on at the weekend.Covered End said:Why does beer taste so different in similar locations ?
I know it's to do with storage and cleaning the lines. But even so.
Guinness in Charlton:
The Bugle 8 out of 10. Lovely, thick & creamy. Always good.
The Anchor 8 ditto.
The Swan 7 decent but not as good, sometimes not good at all.
ROD 7 ditto.
White Horse 5 not much body or taste
The Oak 5 quite often undrinkable even off different pumps, sometimes ok at best.0 -
Mauldons (Suffolk based brewery) Blackberry Porter.....well worth trying if you get the chance it's 4.8%.0
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Sounds like they don't keep things clean then. Over here it makes all the difference to a Pilsner Urquell. The worst places to drink Czech beer in Prague are the British and Irish owned pubs. Worst places to have a piss too, come to think of it.Hastingsaddick said:
Thought the bitter in the Oak was pretty poor the last time I was in there (Brighton game).Covered End said:Why does beer taste so different in similar locations ?
I know it's to do with storage and cleaning the lines. But even so.
Guinness in Charlton:
The Bugle 8 out of 10. Lovely, thick & creamy. Always good.
The Anchor 8 ditto.
The Swan 7 decent but not as good, sometimes not good at all.
ROD 7 ditto.
White Horse 5 not much body or taste
The Oak 5 quite often undrinkable even off different pumps, sometimes ok at best.
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Stig said:
Just had a birthday and have the following collection thanks to getting several beer presents and more left at my place after my party. Not expecting it to last long ;-)
well why not
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