Belgian Beer Appreciation Thread (2023)

Unibroue - Ce n'est pas La Fin du Monde. Belgian style IPA

 

The branding of that beer leaves a lot to be desired. It’s just too close to their more well known offering. It’s also amusing how the US label has India Pale Ale on it while the Canadian label has new world triple on it (beyond the Belgian IPA tag that’s on both).

 

Petrus Aged Pale - De Brabandere

Far less sour than I recall, possibly because my expectations have shifted over the years. Ton of oak. Just a real nice, solid beer. Very happy to have a six-pack on hand. Surprisingly I haven’t recorded any notes for this one yet.

 

Yeah, I'm not sure why they didn't just give it a separate name. Even if it's just a hopped up version of La Fin du Monde.

 

Forgive me if I'm a bit behind the times, but I don't recall seeing Petrus in a can before. Very cool glass too, and excellent picture!

 

Thanks.

First time for me. And I kinda wonder if the can made a difference. More likely the bottle made the difference, but either way it's hard to purely trust memory.

 

NewCoolship Cerise - Allagash

Nice acidic punch with an intense Gruyére. Chilled is good, but at ambient temperature it sings, especially when paired with the cheese. It’s good to take time off and let the world drift for a few days. Even if it seeks vengeance next week.



Once the condensation clears the beer is gem clear with clouds of fine carbonation wafting upward.

The aroma is pleasantly acidic with barnyard sourness following. Oak starts out strong, softens, then almost returns to full strength as the beer progresses and warms. Earthy sour cherries slowly build with warmth.

Acidity is similar to vinegar. The sour cherries start strong an build throughout. This reminds me of a Flanders Brown Ale. The oak can be a bit crazy.

Medium body, coarse silk texture, with explosive carbonation.

 

Revisiting this classic today. Always was, and always will be... a favorite.

 

Duchesse Cherry - Verhaeghe

Such a great beer! Not to take anything away from the Allagash Coolship beer, but this is spectacular. Paired with the rest of the Gruyère, which is kind of a neutral experience.

The crisp freshness lets the cherry shine against mild tartness and leather. This would be amazing at a late afternoon garden party.

 

Here's a great brew...i don't remember these being so orange, but I do remember how great they taste....Especially ice cold on a hot summer eve.

 

Rosette - Ommegang

For the record, there are two more cherry beers waiting downstairs.



While a decent beer, this one is kinda safe. Oud Bruin should be somewhat offensive, IMHO. Not that this will stop me from enjoying the whole four-pack that I scooped up at the brewery last weekend.

 

By "offensive" is your position that the beer should be more sour?

I discussed Rosetta in a past NBW thread:

"Overall:

I think this beer is very good – excellent!

Sour beers are typically not in my ‘sweet spot’ (pun intended) but I was a big fan of this beer. It had a very tasty flavor profile and the tart/spritzy aspect was indeed very pleasing for my palate."



https://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/new-beer-weekend-103.667859/#post-7562837

The fact that this beer was just tart and not too sour was a positive for me.

Cheers!