The little country of Belgium is a giant when it comes to beer brewing. Not only is it home to the largest brewing company (AB InBev), it also boasts a huge variety of styles and brewing traditions with over 1000 types of beer. For that reason it can seem a daunting task for the uninitiated visitor to figure out which beers to try when in Belgium. Of course you can always ask the bartender or a friendly native, who will gladly help you. For now this list might help to get an overview of what’s out there.
1. Trappist beers
1. Trappist beers
Some Trappists probably rank among the most well-known Belgian beers. Trappist is a protected trademark and the beers are brewed by Cistercian monks in a monastery. Only 11 Cistercian monasteries in the world brew Trappist beers, six of which are in Belgium. Although they are all labeled as Trappist, each of these beers has its own style and taste. The Belgian Trappists are Westmalle, Westvleteren, Achel, Chimay, Rochefort and Orval.
You might recognize Westvleteren because its “12” has been consistently rated as the best beer in the world. This one might be a bit tricky to find. Some people get it straight from the monastery (http://sintsixtus.be/) but most specialized beer shops should have it.
A personal favorite of mine is Orval. It is a bit of an odd one out among the Trappists. Only one type is brewed, which is an amber, dry hopped beer of 6,2%. The scent is fruity and hoppy. The taste is lightly sour due to wild Brettanomyces yeast involved in the brewing process. Some bars will serve different ages of Orval because the taste evolves as it ripens in the bottle. Young Orval has a fruity and hoppy aroma, while year-old Orval will start to develop a more complex bitter taste.
For a stronger hit you can try Westmalle tripel (9,5%) with a strong taste and rich aroma, Chimay bleu (9%) with a smooth and malty flavor or Rochefort 10, a full-bodied, complex dark brown beer.
Just in case you are curious about the other Trappist beers there is Gregorius from Austria, Spencer from the US, Tre Fontane from Italy and Zundert and La Trappe from the Netherlands. La Trappe was actually the first Cistercian monastery and started this brewing tradition in 1685, hence the term Trappist beers.
2. Spontaneous fermentation
You might recognize Westvleteren because its “12” has been consistently rated as the best beer in the world. This one might be a bit tricky to find. Some people get it straight from the monastery (http://sintsixtus.be/) but most specialized beer shops should have it.
A personal favorite of mine is Orval. It is a bit of an odd one out among the Trappists. Only one type is brewed, which is an amber, dry hopped beer of 6,2%. The scent is fruity and hoppy. The taste is lightly sour due to wild Brettanomyces yeast involved in the brewing process. Some bars will serve different ages of Orval because the taste evolves as it ripens in the bottle. Young Orval has a fruity and hoppy aroma, while year-old Orval will start to develop a more complex bitter taste.
For a stronger hit you can try Westmalle tripel (9,5%) with a strong taste and rich aroma, Chimay bleu (9%) with a smooth and malty flavor or Rochefort 10, a full-bodied, complex dark brown beer.
Just in case you are curious about the other Trappist beers there is Gregorius from Austria, Spencer from the US, Tre Fontane from Italy and Zundert and La Trappe from the Netherlands. La Trappe was actually the first Cistercian monastery and started this brewing tradition in 1685, hence the term Trappist beers.
2. Spontaneous fermentation
Another typical Belgian product are the beers of spontaneous fermentation. These beers are produced in the region around Brussels called Pajottenland and along the Zenne river. What makes these beers unique is that they get fermented by wild yeasts from the environment, like Brettanomyces. The first fermentation produces lambic beer, which is aged on oak barrels. Lambic is a flat beer with a sour refreshing taste. Because aged hops are used in the brewing, there is little bitterness.
A second fermentation with a blend of young and aged lambic produces Gueuze. It ferments further in the bottle resulting in strong carbonation. This gives the beer a crisp sparkly taste and is the reason why it is often called the Champagne of beers. Other complex flavours and aromas derive from the wild yeast and aging process. Fruits like sour cherries or raspberries are macerated in the lambic to produce Kriek and Framboise respectively.
Some well-known Gueuze makers are Cantillon, Oud-Beersel, Girardin, Boon, Lindemans (try the cuvée René), Timmermans, Hanssens and 3 Fonteinen.
Most bars in Belgium should have one or more beers of spontaneous fermentation but to have the real experience, a visit to the Pajottenland region is advised. A personal recommendation is a little bar in the Gueuze heartland called In de verzekering tegen de grote dorst. This bar also hosts a biannual international festival of spontaneous fermentation attracting many foreign beer enthousiasts. One town over you can also visit De Cam, a nice bar and small-scale Gueuze-blender where you can taste the local cuisine and drink the locally produced Gueuze, Lambic, Kriek or Framboise.
3. Flemish red
A second fermentation with a blend of young and aged lambic produces Gueuze. It ferments further in the bottle resulting in strong carbonation. This gives the beer a crisp sparkly taste and is the reason why it is often called the Champagne of beers. Other complex flavours and aromas derive from the wild yeast and aging process. Fruits like sour cherries or raspberries are macerated in the lambic to produce Kriek and Framboise respectively.
Some well-known Gueuze makers are Cantillon, Oud-Beersel, Girardin, Boon, Lindemans (try the cuvée René), Timmermans, Hanssens and 3 Fonteinen.
Most bars in Belgium should have one or more beers of spontaneous fermentation but to have the real experience, a visit to the Pajottenland region is advised. A personal recommendation is a little bar in the Gueuze heartland called In de verzekering tegen de grote dorst. This bar also hosts a biannual international festival of spontaneous fermentation attracting many foreign beer enthousiasts. One town over you can also visit De Cam, a nice bar and small-scale Gueuze-blender where you can taste the local cuisine and drink the locally produced Gueuze, Lambic, Kriek or Framboise.
3. Flemish red
This style of beer is remarkable for its fruity taste and red color despite any presence of fruits in the brewing process. The beer originates from the region “West-Flanders” and owes its distinct color and taste to a combination of the use of malt and the aging on oak barrels. The classic to try is Rodenbach, if possible in combination with some fresh grey shrimp at the Belgian seaside. Another Flemish red ale is Duchesse de Bourgogne.
4. Old brown
4. Old brown
The region of East-Flanders also has a typical style of beer. Old brown is a beer with a long aging process in stainless steel tanks. The color is more brownish than red and the taste is smooth and malty with a light sourness. Liefmans Goudenband and Brouwers Verzet Oud Bruin are great examples of this brewing style.
5. Saison
5. Saison
Going to the French speaking part of Belgium, in the region of Henegouwen, we find the origin of saison beer. This used to be a seasonal beer that was brewed in winter to provide a thirst quencher for the harvesting period. Saison beers tend to be ambery blond with complex flavours coming from hops and yeast. Saison Dupont is a standard in this genre.
6. Speciale Belge
6. Speciale Belge
This type of beer is an amber ale of about 5 to 6%. Caramelized malt is used in the brewing, which gives this beer a smooth taste with a gentle hoppy aroma. Palm is the most well-known and can be ordered in any bar by showing the palm of your hand to a waiter. De Koninck is another great example of this style, usually ordered as a “bolleke Koninck”.
7. Belgian white
7. Belgian white
Belgian white or “witbier”, is named after the light blond, hazy look of the beer. This is caused by suspended yeast and wheat proteins in the beer. Beside hops, coriander and orange peels are used in the brewing process and give the beer its fresh characteristic flavour. This type of beer was revived by Pierre Celis who started the Hoegaarden and later the Celis brewery in Austin Texas.
8. Abbey beers
8. Abbey beers
Aside from Trappist monks there are several other monasteries that produce beers. Certified Belgian Abbey beers are brewed by non-Trappist monasteries or under license of a monastery. Like Trappist beers there is no single style for Abbey beers but most breweries make strong blond triple and lighter brown double beers. One of my favorites is Maredsous triple, a well-rounded 10% amber beer with fruity aromas. There are some 23 certified Belgian Abbey beers but many more brewers brew following the Abbey tradition. Some of these uncertified ones to try are Triple Karmeliet, Witkap triple and Sint-Bernardus Abt 12 (this last one is a good alternative if you can’t find Westvleteren 12).
Guest post by Robrecht.
Guest post by Robrecht.
