Marcobrau Beer Pages

Here is a glimpse of some of the popular styles of Belgian beer and some of my favorites:

THE TRAPPIST ALES

The Trappist beers are a very rare phenonema because there are only six authentic Trappist breweries left in the world. Other abbeys have licensed their names to beers, and although these beers can be quite tasty, they are not true Trappist ales. The name "Trappist" refers to the order of monks found in Belgium and the Netherlands that brew beer as their work at the abbey. Except for in Germany, the Trappists represent the last group of dozens of monastic breweries that once flourished across Europe. The Trappist and abbey beers are typically made to three different strengths: enkel (single), dobbel or dubbel (double) and tripel or Triple style. The designations refer to the strength and amount of malt used in making each of the beers.

Chimay: My first Belgian Beer

Chimay is the first Belgian beer I tasted and the first beer I have had that came in a corked bottle. Many Belgian beers come in 25-ounce corked bottles, but the first sight of one of these big brown beauties was kind of scary. I was in college at the time and my friend Ryan persuaded me to try the beer. When I asked him how it tasted, he said,"Kind of like apples with spices." I was nonetheless intrigued, and split the bottle with him.

I haven't been the same since!

The Chimay beer is made in a monastery. Monastic brewing is a part of the history of Belgium and although strange to Americans, is quite common for people in the low countries. Monks make the beer (this still cracks me up, I don't know why) which comes in three styles: Red (or Premiere), White or (Cinq Cents) and Blue (Grand Reserve) each in a a 25-ounce corked bottle and 11.2-ounce capped bottles. Chimay is pretty much my favorite Trappist brewery next to the hard to find Westvleteren, also called St. Sixtus.

The Chimay Blue is my favorite, it also is the strongest, weighing in around 9 percent alcohol. It is a dark brown beer that malty, almost syrupy, with port wine-like notes and a hint of raisins. When fresh it has an aromatic fruitiness that is quite wonderful. On some occasions I just sit there and sniff the beer a few times before taking the first sip. The other flavors of Chimay can be described as such: the Premiere comes across as a little like the Grand Reserve only not as strong. It is a copper color and is not as intimidating as the Reserve. Chimay White (or Cinq Cents) is best characterized as a Belgian Triple. The Trappist monks usually give three designations to their beer by strength: single (enkel), double (dobbel) and triple (tripel.) Chimay's tripel is best described as drier than some other breweries' tripels and is slightly acidic, which to me makes it quite quenching. Chimay beer is good entry-level Belgian brew is the most accessible brand of this style of beer. It can be found at your better liquor stores and upscale pubs and restaurants.

The Legend of Orval

Forget all that Harry Potter wizarding crap, our current fixation with spells and potions and stuff. This is the only alchemy that matters, the changing of barley into gold that occurs at the Orval brewery. At $5 per bottle, it's a beer for special occasions, but you would not want to immunize your buds to this taste anyway. It's strawberry blonde in its proper glass, with a subtle sour then sweet smell. The taste is metallic, yes, but like your tongue is touching a pure rare metal about to be forged by ancient craftsmen. It has a slightly fizzy front and finish and, at 6.9% abv, a nice alcoholic kick between the eyes. You want to keep sipping to get more of the unique taste, but this is a take-your-time beer.


	Although not adhering to any particular Trappist designation of beer (double or triple) Orval beer (coaster pictured to left) is one of the most beguiling beers around. Orval is a beguiling beer that suggests mysticism and folklore. There is a legend that tells about a princess and her wedding ring, which was lost in a pond near the brewery. The wedding ring actually belonged to her beloved husband who died at war. As the fates would have it, a trout surfaced from the pond and returned the ring to her, thus the depiction on the label. The beer itself is difficult to describe. It has very complex malt flavors, with the yeast suggesting interesting fruit and spice flavors with a hint of Old World mustiness. The strength of the malt is not at all overwhelming and the beer provides a good hop bite. The overall alcoholic strength of the brew is subtle, yet effective.

Westmalle Trappistenbier

This beer is probably my favorite Tripel and is probably the definitive example of Triple (Tripel) style of beer.

With a wonderful aroma of a fruit and flowery hops, Westmalle Tripel is a beer that is sweet, malty, slightly alcoholic and just dry enough to be one of the most pleasing higher alcohol beers around. Weighing in at roughly 9 percent alcohol by volume, the Westmalle is hearty enough to improve through the years. In fact, there are some vintages known to be almost 70 years old!
The brew is produced at the monastery of Westmalle, a village northeast of Antwerp, that was established in 1821. The label depicted on this page represents the Triple version of Westmalle beer. The same brewery also makes a dobbel-style beer that is lighter in alcohol, but not in body, with a caramel sweetness and slight nuttiness. Such flavors are common for the double style of Trappist beer. Both types of Westmalle beer can be found at your better liquor stores; in the the Chicago area I shop Total Beverage (several locations) or Sam's Wine Warehouse on Besly Court near Goose Island Brewpub in Chicago.

Trappist Monastery of St. Sixtus (Westvleteren)

This is one of the smallest and one of the best Trappist breweries in Belgium. This monastery produces three notable styles of beer, two of which I am familiar with, and found to some of the best beer in the world. The versions I have tried include Westvleteren Extra at about 6.4 percent alcohol and the Abbot, which is about 10.6 percent alcohol, both were sampled at a tasting I attended in September.
At the tasting, the Extra version was sweet, fruity, slightly acidic, and a little rustic tasting. (You probably would have to know Belgian beer to understand how rustic can describe how a beer tastes.) The Abbot was pretty much the same except stronger, but very soft on the palate with a slightly alcoholic finish. In the Chicagoland area you can find this beer (and all the others mentioned here) at Sam's Wine Warehouse in Chicago, otherwise good luck trying to find it in the States.

There are other Trappist beers in the world such as La Trappe and Rochefort, which I enjoy, but not as much as Westmalle and the others I've already mentioned. Also, there are the abbey beers that are definitely worth mentioning and will continue to show up in my reviews, such as my tasting of Bornem Triple. You may find other beers that claim to be monastic and may be presented in a large, brown, corked-bottle similar to Chimay or Westmalle. An example of such a beer is Affligem, which is based on a recipe from an Abbey that used to brew the beer, but most (if not all) the production has ceased at the abbey. Affligem is still an excellent beer and is worth trying, especially the spiced holiday version known as Nöel.

STRONG GOLDEN ALES: THE DEVILISHLY TASTY BEERS

Duvel

The beer simply know as Duvel (which means "devil" in Flemish) is the one of the most subtle beers of all Belgium. I first discovered this beer after college. It's light color and perfumy, mousse-like head made the beer look like a very appetizing pilsner. Ah, but looks are deceiving, and upon tasting this beer you will find that is very strong. It is smooth like lager, but it is slightly fruity and yeasty, as a top fermenting yeast is one of the strains used in making this beer. Yes, one of the strains, because many strains are used to make Duvel. According to British beer writer Michael Jackson, in his book Great Beers of Belgium, two different yeasts are used -- one for the primary fermentation and one when the beer is bottled -- making Duvel a bottle-conditioned beer. It's maturation is also very important as it is first fermented warm, then brought down to cooler temperatures and the temperature is raised again after the beer is bottled as it ages for eight to 14 days. One of the most interesting facts about Duvel is that it actually started out as a dark beer. According to Jackson, many years ago in Belgium British ales were popular. When the tide changed and people in Belgium started to drink pilsners, the Moortgat brewery crafted Duvel. It became a "devil of a beer" with strong alcoholic kick, yet a smooth and mellow flavor. It can be purchased in 4-packs of 11.2 oz. bottles and 25 oz brown corked bottles, and can even be found in larger "magnums". Seek this beer out and try it two ways -- nearly ice cold and at almost room temperature -- it almost acts as two different beers, as the flavor changes depended on the serving temperature. I believe it is more fruity and soft when served warm and more crisp and dry when served cold.

Other golden strong beers are made in Belgium and you may find such brands as Lucifer, Sloeber and Judas. As far as I know, Lucifer is the only one of the three that is imported.

SAISON: THE ORIGINAL "LAWNMOWER" BEER

Saison DuPont

The label of this beer with its yellow and green checkered design, to me, totally suggests a summer picnic. According to information provided by the Vanberg & DeWulf distributors Saison is a rare "almost extinct" form of beer brewed in the Hainaut region of Belgium. In my opinion, it also is quite tasty. I discovered this beer a few years ago, when I was first trying various "big Belgians." (A term I use when referring to the Belgian beers that come in the champagne bottles.) I think the first time I had this beer, it was summer, and it seemed very refreshing. On a warm spring afternoon the other day, the crisp bitterness and slightly fruity, pepper-like spice flavor was even more refreshing than I had remembered. The beer is made at Brasserie DuPont. According to Michael Jackson, who is probably the most knowledgeable Belgian beer writer, this beer was traditionally consumed by farmers and other everyday rural folk. Here in the States, however, it is more of a delicacy. This is a style that I wish were more popular in America, although I'll admit it is probably not suited to most American palates and is not a beer style that is readily avaiable in this country. There is one prominent American producer in Upstate New York, which is affiliated with the distributors I mention above. Their beer is called Hennepin and is reviewed in the Tasting Room elsewhere on this site.

Saison de Pipaix

I am featuring this beer because it is so strange. Noted beer critic Michael Jackson, in his Pocket Guide to Beer calls this beer "fresh" (among other things.) I disagree with this notion and think it tastes old and much like a French basement. I do agree with Jackson when he says the beer includes such ingredients as anise seed, black pepper and other spices. I've read that this brewer even has been known to put spices such as cumin and ash leaves in his beer. This beer has very far out flavors that really leave you wondering what the heck the brewers put in it. By the way, this complex blending of flavors is not a bad thing, as it is not overwhelming. This beer inspired me to brew my own Saison-style beer with spices, including black and white pepper, bitter orange peel and Grains of Paradise. I make it in the late winter for drinking over the hot summer months, just as was originally done in Belgium before refrigeration.

LAMBIC BEER: THE CHAMPAGNE OF BELGIUM

The first time I ever (intentionally) had a sour beer was when I had my first sip of a Kriek beer. Kriek is the flemish word for cherry and Kriek beer is made with cherries. Like all lambic beer it is spontaneously fermented. What does spontaneously fermented mean? It means that the beer is fermented with a "normal" ale strain and then with a "wild" strain. This may be cultured up, but the old fashioned method is to open windows in the brewery and let nature have its way with the beer. This is a scary proposition to many brewers, especially the Germans, who pride themselves on clean tasting beer and clean breweries. However, in Belgium sour beers are made and their character is that of champagne or wine, especially when fruit is added. The term "Lambic" which is pronounced "Lam-beek" orginated from the town of Lembeek in Belgium. The "Straight" version of lambic, that is to say the basic beer, is simply fermented wild without fruit and therefore can be very intimidating. It is especially sour and some breweries even add sugar to sweeten the beer. This sweetened beer is called Faro.

Then there is Kriek, like Liefmans' example, one of the Belgium Beers of the Month. There is also Peche (Peach), Framboise (Raspberry) and other flavors such as apricot and black currant. I haven't had the courage to try a Cassis (or black currant) beer, but the others are excellent substitutes for champagne or wine. When young and old Lambics (without fruit) are mixed, the result is Gueuze, a very rare style of beer. This is the most wonderful of the variations of Lambic. As a blending of young and old Lambic beers Gueuze makes for a very interesting acidic and very tart ale. It is not for the uninitiated beer connoiseur. Unfortunately, these beers are more expensive than most other Belgium beers, and because of this I don't have them very often. A small 11 oz quantity of these can set you back $6, which compared to a 25 oz bottle of Chimay at about $9, is a little pricey. Seek them out nonetheless, especially the Kriek or Framboise, as an excellent substitute for Champagne at Valentine's Day.

THE SOUR RED & BROWN BEERS

The red and brown beers of Flanders include ales such as Liefman's Goudenband and Rodenbach. Both of these examples (that I have had) are sour beers. In just about any other country, this would be considered to be a very bad thing. However, in Belgium sour beers (such as the Lambics described above) are actually treasured. Once again, the beer is soured using a wild yeast culture, and sometimes (as the case with Rodenbach) blended with a younger and clean fermenting beer. The combination of the beers makes for a sweet and sour taste, which may sound nasty, until you try it. Rodenbach is a red ale, but certainly not in the sense that Killian's is a red beer. The color of the beer takes on a reddish hue, but with Rodenbach and Rodenbach Grand Cru the beer is quite tart and full-bodied. The acidity makes these beers excellent as dessert beers and as a good choice for marinades in cooking. If Saison and the fruit Lambic are considered champagne then the sour brown and red beers of Flanders are wine. Many years ago advertising for the Rodenbach brewery declared their as such. "C'est Vin!", declares an old ad, stating in French that the beer is wine. I believe Rodenbach's kinship with wine can be linked to the fact that both beverages are aged in oak. On average, Rodenbach beer spends two years in large oak tuns and the beer absorbs tannins during this long process. Liefman's Goudenband is another example of "sour beer" that is a little less like wine and more akin to "wild" brown ale. This is a harder to find beer these days as the brewery is facing bankruptcy. Think of a Newcastle Brown or Samuel Smith's Nut Brown Ale (both from England) that has gone through a spontaneous "wild" fermentation. Wonderful brown ale flavors of caramel malt and nutty chocolate malt with a tart acidity. It is very different but worth trying.

THE "CRAFT" BREWS & REGIONAL SPECIALTIES

These are beers that come from brewers most like our microbreweries here in America. They are often small operations, sometimes operating in a shed or a garage (really!) but can also be larger operations. There are not so many of these tiny breweries in Belgium anymore, so drink up! My favorites are perhaps De Dolle Brouwers (The Mad Brewers) and the beers made by the Dubuisson family. One of the Mad Brewers' beers is called Bos Keun and has been featured here as a Belgian Beer of the Month. My favorite from the Dubuisson brewery is called Scaldis. It is known in Belgium as Bush beer, but because there already is a Busch beer is America, it is imported under a different name. Scaldis is very strong beer (at one time the strongest in the world) at 12 percent alcohol by volume. At this strength a beer becomes more like a wine and develops wine-like flavors. I think I like Scaldis because although it is strong, the brewers use liberal amounts of hops to offset the sweetness of the malt. A lighter version of Scaldis is sometimes available in America as Clovis and has some of the same tawny malt characteristics. It is not as alcoholic and is said to be hoppier, although I've found it to be pretty well balanced.

The country of Belgium offers a wide variety of beers that is unparalleled by any other region. The information I have provided above is just a small sampling of what kinds of Belgian beers exist. There are many more examples of each of the styles I have described as well as other beers that do not fit into any particular category. I have tried to highlight the most accessible styles of Belgian beer. If you are very interested in these beers I have described, I would recommend Michael Jackson's Great Beers of Belgium, found at BeerBooks.com. (There's also a lot of other good beer books for sale there.) Or, if you don't want to buy a book, you can try one of the links below.

The Belgian Beer Corner
inspired by:

Bon Secours
Brasserie Caulier

Found this at Blue Max in Burnsville, Minnesota. (I was attracted to the cool swingtop botlte and the cool copper tun artwork on the label.) This Belgian ale poured with virtually no head, just a ring of bubbles, but offered up a wonderful phenolic aroma with a touch of vanilla and maybe maple. A hazy golden ale, Bon Secours Biere Vivante had a very pleasant malt flavor balanced by an herbal hoppiness and peachy fruitiness. A touch of malo-lactic character rounded out the finish, which was fairly dry. An excellent, and fairly strong, Belgian ale.

Past reviews:

For more information on Belgian beer:

The Real Beer Page: Belgium and Belgian Beer

The Online Multimedia Guide to Belgian Beer

Global Beer Network

Send comments and suggestions to: marc@marcobrau.com