Belgian Beer Appreciation Thread (2023)

That pairing must have been sublime, great looking steak!

 

My 5.0 Overall beers are less than 1% of my beer ratings, but De Garre Tripel was one of two beers which made the cut out of 213 new to me beers in 2022 (Jester King Biere de Miel the other). So glad The Beer Temple brings this in, an absolute treasure.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/best-new-beers-of-2022.669861/#post-7648028

@GuyFawkes - What is the major demarcation in terms of loving Quads versus Tripels being your least favorite?

I love these two styles as well, Hard to find American examples, and can be hard to find imported examples unless you have a solid craft beer store which imports or live near a big box liquor store.

We didn’t have a huge turnout in the Flanders + Wild Ales & Brett Beer tasting last year, but those who did dive enjoyed their selections. Just not a broad number of people familiar and or have access.

 

How about a photograph of Jeanneke Pis so the girls aren’t left out!

 

AwwMan! Yer killin me.

 

The first Australian beer I've reviewed since 2010...

4.43/5 rDev +1.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Blend #23; Packaged July 2019 (best before July 2024) - enjoyed January 8th, 2023. Poured from a 375mL capped bottle into my Drie de Fonteinen tumbler.

Not quite clear gold body with a cosmic latte collar and faint surface slick. Very fine delicate lacing; OK retention.

Bright, acidic aroma with lemon and woodsorrel. Secondary funk and stone fruit aromas, and tertiary floral notes round things out.

Tart palate entry follows the nose. Low funk, herbaceous hop notes, hay, apricots, and pear lead into a medium-dry finish with some residual minerality. Very low bitterness. Well balanced and refreshing mixed fermentation.

Crisp yet soft with moderate carbonation. Low astringency.

Very well crafted/executed wild ale.

 

Quads remind me strongly of English Barleywines, and the similar tasting notes between the two are a real sweet spot for me. Leather, plum, caramel & pleasant booze heat...yeah man, that's the stuff.

Tripels, however, feel a bit abrasive to me...spice-y, yeast-y and the booze feels a bit harsher in that context. However, that's not the case with De Garre's Tripel, which is as luxurious as a Quad, while retaining the classic Tripel elements. I can't really explain it, it's the brewer's alchemy!

I ran into this beer while visiting family in Virginia...I enjoyed it, and hope to see more from this brewery!

 

Flying Fish makes an excellent Abby Dubbel as well.

 

GASP!

Get your artificially inoculated kettle
sours away from my divine local fauna and flora graced nectar of the gods!

 

Those have been sorted out as a new style
Fruited Kettle Sour | BeerAdvocate

 

In Seattle last year, Delirium Tremens on tap, in a small tap room within a dollar store.

I'm heading back there soon and will check it out to see if other Belgian beers are on tap.

 

Did that beer cost a dollar?

Cheers!

 

A few months ago, picked up an adjunct Tripel from Whistle Hop in Fairview, which is next door to Asheville. The Orange Blossom Ginger Tripel lived up to its name. The ginger was front and center but not too overpowering. The orange was well played, very subtle. The mouthfeel was very light but i could not detect esters and phenols the brewer extracted from the yeast. Anyway, it was fun to try but would not have again.
Cheers!
Tom

 

I have not seen a commercial version of a flavored Tripel such as I homebrewed: Grapefruit Tripel.

I added grapefruit zest to the beer after primary fermentation was complete; a sort of 'dry hopping' but with grapefruit zest. That beer turned out great. I will have to remember to re-brew that beer.

Cheers!

 

@JackHorzempa - (Ignoring any craft tripels with grapefruit that cross fewer paths, and sticking with beers with more cultural presence) Rochefort's Triple is brewed with orange peel (and spices as well). Close enough? In all seriousness, have you tried that one yet?

 

Short answer: no.

Longer response: I was not aware that Rochefort Tripel used flavorings. Do you happen to know how the orange peel is utilized? Is it added post ferment akin to how I produced my Grapefruit Tripel?

Cheers!

 

I have no idea, but since the beer contains wheat, spices and orange peel, I wouldn't be surprised if the ingredients are utilized in a fashion similar to witbier production. Having said that, I have no idea if modern witbier production in Belgium tends to follow some brewing norms or if there is a lot of variety between producers regarding the ingredient usage.

 

Coriander and orange peel, what other spices are used? Black pepper?

 

Well, I can relate how I use coriander and dried curacao orange peel when I brew my Witbiers: they are added to the kettle and boiled. I add the dried curacao orange peel during the last 15 minutes of boil and the freshly crushed coriander seeds during the last 5 minutes of boil.

Cheers!

P.S. The dried curacao orange peel does not add an orangey flavor.

 

Duvel - Duvel Moortgat





This is the quintessential Belgian Beer.

Spicy banana, funky apple, celery, and sourdough aroma. Something about the interplay of funk and sweet is mesmerizing.

This bottle is less pronounced than past recollections. It follows the aroma, with pear supplanting the apple. Quick sharp bitterness sandwiches the sweet lemon and banana, with an endless spicy finish elevating the alcohol and watercress.

A light to medium body and raspy texture from the tremendous fine carbonation. Alcohol is as expected.

I just love this beer to fidget with while sitting quietly and contemplating issues of the day. It is equally welcome with casual conversation in a pub. In both cases it is just right when whiling away the hours. It just so happens that it pairs nicely with Morrocan stew as well.

Proost, or even, Fi sihatik!

 

Hmm, premature!?!

https://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/duvel-tasting-january-27th-29th.670813/

Cheers!

 

It’s gonna be hot wherever you’re going!

 

One of my favorite quads. I will say I like the green label ones more than these...Do they still make the green label? I feel like thats the old school version

 

Yup, I have a bottle of this one in my fridge from a holiday beer exchange. I will report back in this thread when I drink it.

Honey Orange Tripel | New Belgium Brewing

 

Not sure what you mean by green label, but in my brain, the labels should look like this....

 

My kids indoor soccer team is called the devils and they practice in a church gymnasium. At the end, they all get into circle and put their hands together. The coach yells, "who are we?" The kids all scream, "Devils" at the top of their lungs in church. Cracks me the hell up every time I can't help but think of David Puddy and that poor priest.

 

i’ve never heard of a more appropriate mascot / team name for a kids’ indoor soccer team

 

Ya...Thats it..or close. The other bottle I have at home doesn't mention the Kriek and seems like it's a little sweeter than the bottle I had last night. Three Philosophers has had a lot of different labels, I've never even seen the one that @jmdrpi posted. I wonder if the blend has always been the same..Maybe it's all in my head?

I'll post the label I have when I get home tonight.

 

I once took a tour of Hoegaarden, (to me the Belgian wit standard), and they moved production from Hoegaarden, BE when they were acquired (by In-Bev) quite some time ago. This changed the water supply and the locals refused to buy it so they moved production back to tiny Hoegaarden. Best brewery tour ever in that they left us alone in their "pub" for about 30 minutes and allowed us to pour as many drafts as we wanted.