Wednesday, 8 May 2013

20 Belgian Beers to try before you die!

If you've read my blog before you'll know how much I love Belgian beer. I consider it the very best in the world. Here are 20, that I've drank over the last few months. Most of them are 'classics' of the genre. I bought the majority from Bottlestop in Cheadle, they have an excellent choice although a few of the older members of staff can be quite rude it seems if you're not a local. On my last visit I was served by a couple of younger staff members who were very friendly though. The choice is superb and the prices are amongst the best out there locally.
Taras Boulba (£1.89) Very dry indeed, clean but a little too bitter and citrus lemony for me. 6/10.


St Feuillien Tripel (£2.98) Lovely Belgian beer, very dry and bitter, but has that pleasing sweet and spicy element. Decent. 8/10.

Straffe Hendrick Tripel. (£3.40) Nice and fruity but peppery, it's quite bitter and you can really taste the alcohol burn. 8/10.

St Feuillien Grand Cru (£2.98) Very Belgian, big, strong dry, slightly sweet and bubbly. Hoppy but not in the American way. Good. 8/10.

Westmalle Dubbel (£2.36) A stone cold classic. If a shop only has space for 2 Belgian beers, I'd choose this one and the tripel. They're the standard by which others are judged. The dubbel has a slightly Dandelion and Burdock taste. Soft and very drinkable, sweet, dark brown and a bit of caramel. 8/10.

Daas Witte. (£2.50) As this was from tree hugging Chorlton Vegan deli Unicorn (they don't stock honey or sugar) I didn't expect much. The beer is chosen there strictly if it's organic not whether it's any good, and sometimes the two don't meet. But this was nice though, clean, spicy, citrus and fresh coriander. 7/10.

Westmalle Tripel (£3.12) The epitome and original dry blond tripel. Foamy in the mouth, sweet, bitter, hoppy and a little floral. A classic. 8/10.

Struise Elliot  Brew. I'm normally a fan of this brewery but this is way too bitter for me. It just tastes brown! 6/10.

These bottles were nought from BeerPlanet in Brussels and shipped over before Christmas, they are hard to source in the UK.

Bink Blond. Nice and soft, hoppy but light 7/10.
Zinnebir. Very dry and not too strong. Lovely. 9/10.
Kapittel ABT Tripel. Superb, sweet dry and fruity. 9/10
De Dolle Litchevelds Blond. Slightly more citrus than the previous, a little tart but decent. 8/10
Arabier Peppery blond tripel. 8/10.
Troubador Magma. A good hoppy ale. 8/10.
Witkap Pater Tripel. Light, hoppy, thin and lacking complexity. 7/10.
Witkap Pater Stimulo. Blond, dry, light, yeasty, reminds me of Orval but even more peppery. 8/10.
Hopus. Average pale ale, not hoppy enough 7/10.
Oerbier. Another dark one. 7/10.
Dolle Tuve. (Mad Bitch) Very bitter. 7/10.
Urthel Quad. Tastes like a quad should, malty strong and sweet. 7/10.




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