Belgian Beers - Help me!

Sky King

Hi Everyone.

So I like my beer a lot and once again I will be travelling to Belgium fairly regularly. You lucky sod I hear you say... well not so.

I have never found a belgian beer that I like the taste of. Sacrilidge, I know I know...

I don't know a whole lot about beer but I like a great many different types. My favourite brands tend to be the english ales like Old Speckled Hen / spitfire and I also really like the Dungarvan red ale. I am more than happy to drink stout, lager, weissbeer, cider and pale ale too, so I wouldn't at all say that my tastes are restrictive.

So off I go to Belgium which is renound for its beers and I think I am going to be like a kid in a candy store. But have tried loads of different types there and I don't like any of them ... they all invariably have this weird sweet almost syrupy aftertaste going on that I don't like at all.

Maybe theirs is an aquired taste. Maybe I am an uncultured pleb. I don't know to be honest but I do know that I have never enjoyed one so I just end up drinking Jupiler there which is a cheap and inoffensive macro. But it's like drinking Heineken or something.

I just can't fathom how a country so famous for beer could not have any that I like... and how they all taste the same with the weird sweet aftertaste. It's really frustrating

I currently believe I have just been unlucky in my selection and a world of delicious beer awaits me and I am asking you kind boardsies to recommend one that you think I will like based on what you can see of my tastes above. In particular I am looking for one that I am likely to get in a decent bar... not some weird specialty brew that monks make in the mountains that you have to trek to on a camel to get.

Thanks!

irish_goat

I'm not crazy on Belgian beer either, although I have a few favourites.

Rodenbach is very good and you'll find it in loads of bars over there yet strangely it's not imported to Ireland. It's a slightly sour, bitter red beer and only 5.2% so quite sessionable by Belgian terms.



Orval is another nice, slightly more sour beer that isn't too sweet. A bit more full on than the Rodenbach though.



And if you like wheat beer you could try Hoegaarden but I'd assume you've had that over here anyway?

enda1

I think for you OP, the Saison style would suit. Restrictive on the sugar, generous with the hops.

oblivious

Belgian wit beer maybe of interest to the op, different from the classic German weissbeer but a lovely beer

the beer revolu

+1 on the Orval , Saison too.

tteknulp

You could try westmalle dubbel ,its a dark red but nice ,they do a triple also which is a golden ale its over 9% though

oblivious

Also I nearly forgot about Belgium pale ale, De Koninck and Palm are the two of the classic version and are generally available. A little more like and English pale ale plam is the milder of the two

BeerNut

Good suggestions.

I'd add Taras Boulba by Brasserie De La Senne: it's an American-style pale ale, fairly low strength for Belgium, and increasingly available in bars there.


And if sweetness is a real problem, some proper gueuze should sort you out: Cantillon, Girardin, Hanssens, 3 Fonteinen

Sky King

Cheers all, I'll make a list to try from this thread for next time I am over.

Insect Overlord

Sky King wrote: »

Cheers all, I'll make a list to try from this thread for next time I am over.

If you do happen to visit the monks, bring us back some Westvleteren 12. :P

Pang

My OH swears by Brugse Zot. Very tough to get over here. Sweeneys in Glasnevin is one of the few places we can get it from.

We discovered it on a trip to Brugges years ago when we did a visit of the Halve Maan brewery. Great little trip.

H_Lime

SK maybe consider (generally speaking) staying away fior dubbels and quads, try some of the better Belgian Pale Ales.
La Chouffe is a fav usual suspect of mine and not a cloying sweet drink, quite crisp, as is duval, hoegaarden grand cru etc. Talk to the staff and ask for advice/tasters. I guarantee you there is a niche for you!

munchkin_utd

Pang wrote: »

My OH swears by Brugse Zot. Very tough to get over here. Sweeneys in Glasnevin is one of the few places we can get it from.

We discovered it on a trip to Brugges years ago when we did a visit of the Halve Maan brewery. Great little trip.

its good stuff all right. The blonde is straight lager beer with a bit of taste and punch and the dark one ("brun" no doubt) has more in the way of flavour but couldnt be accused of being sweet.

The Strafe Hendrik Quadrupel might be another one the OP husband to try as its got a bit of a twang off it and the brewery literature does admit that its fairly high in hops. The triple is more my cup of tea as I'm not a fan of overhopped stuff but its still not remotely sweet.
http://www.halvemaan.be/index.php?id=59&L=2

Saruman

Sky King wrote: »

I am more than happy to drink stout, lager, weissbeer, cider and pale ale too, so I wouldn't at all say that my tastes are restrictive.

Belgium is home to at least one well known lager. Almost everywhere in Belgium serves it so if you are stuck and don't fancy the candi sugar after taste, you can always ask for some reassuringly expensive lager

Aglomerado

H_Lime wrote: »

SK maybe consider (generally speaking) staying away fior dubbels and quads, try some of the better Belgian Pale Ales.
La Chouffe is a fav usual suspect of mine and not a cloying sweet drink, quite crisp, as is duval, hoegaarden grand cru etc. Talk to the staff and ask for advice/tasters. I guarantee you there is a niche for you!

+1 for La Chouffe and Hoegaarden grand cru. Chimay Red is nice too.
Try some Kwak as well, just for the yoke they give you to drink out of!

Have you tried any of the Lambic beers? I've only had Kriek, liked it, but it is very sweet.

maximoose

Try this, and bring me loads back. Delicious.

BeerNut

maximoose wrote: »

Try this

Kwak's nice, but if the OP is trying to avoid

Sky King wrote: »

this weird sweet almost syrupy aftertaste

it's one to steer well clear of.

Seaneh

My favourite widely available Trappist beer is Westmalle Dubble.
I'm not a fan of the Triple/Blonde/Pale Belgian beers though, so I'm not much use there.

Seaneh

irish_goat wrote: »

Rodenbach is very good and you'll find it in loads of bars over there yet strangely it's not imported to Ireland. It's a slightly sour, bitter red beer and only 5.2% so quite sessionable by Belgian terms.

Fine Wines in Galway stock this, they must be getting it from somewhere?

BeerNut

Premier International imports Palm's beers, including Rodenbach.

Saruman

BeerNut wrote: »

Premier International imports Palm's beers, including Rodenbach.

Speaking of which.... yoink

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Triple Karmeliet. It's gorgeous.