Belgian Beer Recommendations?

Agreed. If you like saisons, that is.

Best tripel on the market, IMO.

 

Agreed on Saison DuPont and Duvel. I'd add Tripel Karmeleit and La Chouffe. Achel Extra is a long time favorite of mine, from right on the Dutch/Belgian border, but I rarely see it these days.

 

Canada is part of North America

 

Indeed, but you didn't say "North America," and in the dialect and ordinary usage of many folks, including some Canadians, "America" is a short-form name for the United States.

 

I wasn't going to mention Allagash since O.P. was asking about authentic Belgians. However, because others have mentioned Canadian and American examples I will mention Allagash . . . Did I mention Allagash ?

 

Also, Allagash. You missed Allagash.

 

It isn't part of South America, though. Confusing, this "America" thing.

 

Another thing I may suggest...Belgian Beer pairs great with....you guessed it....Belgian food! If you’re in the city, check out one of the handful of restaurants. My favorite is B Cafe on the upper east. The moules frites (mussels and fries) goes great with most Belgian brews!

 

Owned by Sapporo.

 

I want to add that although Saison Dupont left quite an impression on me the first time I had it, my love for it came over time. Sometimes the real magic of a beer only reveals itself over time. This is always worth keeping in mind in this day of having a little taste of a beer and then folks judging it as if they fully grasped it.

 

That's a great point. And it's not just sometimes. In a way, that's why I have no problem assigning a perfect 5 to certain beers; and it took years of appreciation to come to that conclusion.

 

I'm actually doing this journey again myself. After I turned 21 I tried a bunch, and my palate wasn't ready. So I'm revisiting a bunch of classic Belgian/German beers. Saison Dupont is one of my favorites. I recently had Westy 12, hate I only bought one bottle but it was awesome. Lived up to the hype, and I think St.Bernardus 12 is the same recipe (?)

 

I'll just add: De Ranke XX Bitter.

Which until corrected by a historian I will consider the foundation sire of the "Belgian IPA" (although Orval certainly is nicely bitter & has a pretty big hop nose thanks to the dry-hopping).

(and I must confess ignorance as to whether De Ranke XX preceded Houblon Chouffe or not, but I THINK it did, and by a considerable amount time...)

 

Glad you posted this. I was gonna mention De Ranke XX in my first post as a recommendation to the OP and I forgot. Especially on tap since the odds are better that it's fresher. It's another favorite of mine, and there's no substitution for it from any other brewer. FYI - it preceded Houblon Chouffe by a decade.

 

One that I like that is widely available here is Leffe Blonde. I had this in Brussels after trying many of the more famous brands. It won't overpower you and can be a nice entryway into the style. For a US take on the style you might want to try Fat Tire Belgian White.