On a tour of Europe you can pass through Belgium without necessarily knowing that you were there. Pretty in its own slightly-unique way, smallish and largely a non-player in the scheme of international intrigue, Belgium has become a geographic center of the brewing universe. Like the French monks who cultivated the science of winemaking, monks in the barley-and-hops climate of Belgium spend practically a millennium cultivating the art of beer. Unlike the Germans Belgian brewers had a free hand to experiment, resulting in a distinct style of strong, often unfiltered beer with a protein/yeast ‘haze’ that clouds the glass and lends a uniquely rich, often sweeter flavor. ‘Double’ ales are made by adding yeast twice during the brewing process and ‘triple’ ales take three separate shots of yeast to make, resulting in an impenetrably-sedimented and miles-deep beer. The challenge of correctly managing a triple fermentation process limits this style to breweries that have the patience and the experience to do it right.
Commercial brewers have reproduced the ‘abbey’ style with varying success (thumbs up for Leffe, thumbs down for Stella Artois) but if the old style is what you’re after check out the seven remaining breweries run by practising trappist monks:
Regular readers already know what I think of Rochefort. Heaven in a bottle. In general you won’t do wrong with any bottle that carries the Authentic Trappist logo.
Breweries across the US and Canada have taken on the challenge of a Belgian trappist ale, also with mixed results. While I’ll gladly drink anything that New Belgium brews, their Abbey ale comes across as sweet and rich, but without enough balancing acidity. I haven’t sampled their Trippel but word on the street is positive. Brewed in Dowingtown, PA, Victory’s Golden Monkey has an ideal balance but its general thinness compared with European siblings comes across as a smallish head which departs too rapidly.
One of the great players in Flemish-accented American brewing, Allagash brews exclusively in teh Belgian style from their mothership in Portland, ME. I’ve only tried one of the over-a-dozen varieties made by Allagash, a tasty-but-thin dubbel, so it’s highly likely that I missed their best work. As always, read what the pros say here.
North of the border the overachievers at Unibroue have a characteristically superb line of brews made in the Belgian style. I’ll say again that you can’t go wrong with a single thing made by Unibroue.
I’ll cap off my far-from-authoritative survey with a pleasant surprise. After sampling a decent number of American Belges (including an especially weak effort by Coors) I pretty much figured that only the Flemish, and maybe Unibroue on a good day, knew how to make a sufficiently rich, satisfyingly chewy ale in which you could practically stand a spoon. Then I met Stoudt’s. All I can say about Stoudt’s Trippel ale is, where’ve you been? Stoudt’s poors dark amber, with a medium head that sticks around (with lacing, although that might have been my imagination) and a healthy dollop of suspended protein. It’s big, balanced and constitutes as good an argument for specialized glassware as you’ll find in the States.
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On a related note, I finally picked up a four-pack of the Midas Touch that I mentioned back in the mists of ’05. An interesting experience, plummy and effervescent, like something between beer and champagne. Not necessarily a strong dinner beer (side-by-side with another Dogfish Head 4-pack, 90 Minute IPA, my wife and I finished the IPAs first) but it might go perfectly with hors d’ouevres or a royal funeral.
capelza
I don’t know nothing about beer, prefer a good vodka anyday, but I have very pleasant memories of a few bottles of Chimay.
LITBMueller
Any commenters who live in Philly, go to the Nodding Head Brewery! I had their “Grog” last weekend – its a dark ale that is so damn smooth, you’d swear it was hand-pumped. I was in dark ale heaven! :)
Par R
I share your enthusiasm for Belgian beer; I especially like the Belgian custom, at least in the nicer bars, of serving different brands of beer in their own unique glasses. If you are ever in Brugge, a truly beautiful little city built on a canal system similar to Venice, try several of our local small breweries that also have their own bistro-like facilities. Belgian beer and a large bowl of mussels is hard to beat on any day!
Keith
Dammit, and I just started a regimen of antibiotics and you throw a post about Belgian ales (my overall favorite). Chimay is the best beer I’ve ever tasted, even though it’s distinct enough that I put it in a different category than plain “beer” such I can still tell people that Belhaven (Scottish) is the best. It simply *tastes* expensive, which is hard to really elaborate on for those who’ve never tried it.
Most of my friends loooove Stella, although I can’t recall the taste very well. You’ve given me some good things to try once I’m back among the land of the healthy (and it’s been so long since I’ve had mussels – better steamed in beer than wine – that I think I need to treat myself to a bottle of Chimay & a bowl of mussels w/ a piece of baguette.
Slide
yawn… god your killing me with this stuff. Beer? freaking beer?
Bob In Pacifica
Back in 1971, when I was hitching across Europe, at the end of one long, hot, dusty day, I stopped into a cafe in Belgium and had a beer.
It was good.
radish
Have to agree that Belgium is the best beer country bar none, though based solely on exports and expats. In fact one of my favorite brewers ever was Pierre Celis. I haven’t been able to get the stuff for years, but Celis White is what introduced me to that style, and is still my favorite example. I’ve since come to conclude that it wasn’t entirely a traditional recipe because most of the Belgian whites I’ve tried aren’t so in-your-face different and spicy. I wonder now whether he had some secret yeast strain or maybe some kind of magic orange peels or something. Or maybe it was just a matter of freshness.
The Celis Grand Cru was really something as well. Strong and malty but still sort of summer-ale-ish; quite hoppy and noticeably yeasty, but amazingly well balanced… Maltiness in lighter bodied beers used to kinda rub me the wrong way (malty lights have grown on me since I moved to CA), but that Grand Cru was pretty light in both color and body and it was still fantastic. Knock you on your ass in a hurry, too. sigh…
My co-homebrewer and I went on an Orval kick at one point (strictly for inspirational purposes of course), but Chimay and Westmalle are the only other authentic trappist brews I’ve had, so thanks for the reminder! I’ve kind of drifted toward more and more domestics in recent years, and I think it’s time to reacquaint myself with those big bottles with the corks.
stickler
Yeah, Celis is pretty good stuff. Pierre sold the brewery to Anhaeuser-Busch a few years back, and they promptly fucked up and then shuttered it. I’m under the impression that a small brewer (New Belgium?) bought the name and reintroduced it recently. I know there’s some Celis White on the shelves of multiple grocery stores right now, but I’m in Portland, Oregon — aka Beervana.
For homebrewers excited about replicating some of the above styles, I can’t recommend the following book highly enough:
Stan Hieronymus’s Brew Like a Monk.
Contains quite a bit of great information about how the Belgian monks do what they do. Very different philosophy toward beer than the Germans have.
Apparently in World War II, German military authorities were shocked and appalled by Belgian breweries, monastic and otherwise. Dust everywhere, spiderwebs, mold — they thought they’d stepped back in time. Fortunately they didn’t get to implement their Reinheitsgebot on Belgium.
Callimachus
Stoudt’s and Victory are a Turnpike-exit away from one another down here. If you’re planning to visit the meccas, let me know and I’ll show you around.
Krista
Leffe is great stuff. They serve it all over France too. (In France, why bother making beer when Belgium is right next door?) I have fond memories of eating at this little cafe in Arras that proudly served “American-style” ribs. After too many days of Croque-Madames, we decided to dig into some ribs, and washed them down with some Leffe. The weather was beautiful, and it was the perfect end to what had been a perfect day. Just seeing the label brings it all back.
I don’t mind Stella, but the boyfriend loves it. We both adore Leffe, and also have fond memories of Grolsch (especially when you try to order it using the Dutch pronunciation!)
stickler
Krista, a beer geek would be tempted to tell you to dump the boyfriend. Stella Artois is crap.
(Not Budmilloors crap, but crap all the same.)
Dave Straub
I think that any discussion of Belgian styles brewed in North America ought to include Brewery Ommegang in Cooperstown, NY. Hennepin in particular is a fantastic spin on the saison style.
Do also come down route 222 from Stoudt’s and check out the Lancaster Brewing Company. I’m a local and a regular and would be happy to sit down for a pint. LBC doesn’t deal in Belgian styles, though, save for the very occasional gueuze. Troegs in Harrisburg is a fine brewery too, though without an adjoining pub.
I think of Stella Artois as the Molson Ice of Europe. Too strong, yellow, characterless. Give me a Jever or an Urquell instead.
Bob In Pacifica
It was real good.
Once-ler
It was Miller that bought Celis, and then they sold it to Michigan Brewing Company in Webberville, Mich. (near Lansing). I believe it’s still being produced there. Not being a big fan of Belgian beer I haven’t had it in quite a while. Michigan’s English ales are pretty good though.
Keith
Wow, Celis has gone downhill from the sound of it. Last time I had it, it was being brewed in Austin, TX as a microbrew. I had no idea that Miller bought it. Guess it’s gonna be the next Lowenbrau.
Bob In Pacifica
I’m having a Downtown Brown from the Lost Coast Brewery in Eureka, Cali. My girlfriend just got a new job and a raise, and so we’re having a kick-ass prime rib tonight. Mmmmm.
Hey, what about Frist’s threat to castrate the Intelligence Committee? ‘Cause we really don’t want to get to the bottom of the spying, do we? After Alberto’s latest note, his list of corrections to his testimony a few weeks back, I figure that a full disclosure would shake the last 30% out of Fantasyland.
Chris P
Ya’ll oughta start up a bourbon blogging supplement to your beer blogging. No other liquor could possibly compete to the pre-eminent export of Kentucky.
To start people out, two good lesser know bourbons that aren’t too expensive are Elijah Craig and Buffalo Trace. Both are the equal of Makers Mark imho, and are a bit less expensive. Now, whether they are easily available outside of the state is an open question, but if you can obtain them they are quite a treat.
Chip
New Belgium’s (Since we are speaking about Belgium)”Fat Tire” is pretty good stuff. Only problem: They are located in Ft. Collins CO Haha! HefeWeizen is pretty hazy, and there are some brands of it that are fairly strong. Personally, I am a STONE IPA man. Some nights it’s a toss up between Arrogant Bastard Ale, and Stone IPA.
Johno
What timing! Just this weekend I bottled a Belgian Strong Ale brewed with yeast from the Ommegang brewery. As long as the next six weeks doesn’t lead to oxidation during the bottle-conditioning process, it’s gonna be gooooooooooood.
Bob In Pacifica
Irish whiskey. We could have a drink-in. Everyone would sit in front of the computer with a bottle of Jameson’s and drink.
Hey, is it true that Missouri legislators want to make Christianity the official state religion?
Slide
Question: When did Balloon Juice cease to be a political blog?
With all that is going on now, with the incredible week we have just had, there is nothing worthy to post about? Oh well, BJ is now off of my daily “must read” list as it seems there is no longer much of anything going on here.. .unless of course one is captivated by the scintillating topics of beer and wine.
Par R
Look’s like poor Slide is upset. If he’s the individual I’m recalling, I frankly don’t think he’s up to reading “a political blog.” Not enough brain cells to comprehend…perhaps as a result of consuming too much beer and wine in his youth.
Paddy O'Shea
Slide: Seems to be pretty much the case throughout the so-called “conservative blogosphere.” It is just deadly quiet out there on the right.
The wooden stake has been applied, and the vampire is slowing sinking back into its woodwork.
Bob In Pacifica
Slide, did you know that Gloria Steinem was an asset for the CIA before became known as a feminist?
It’s something that went down the memory hole.
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We had prime rib last night. Very, very good.
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Did anyone watch the reruns for America’s Next Supermodel?
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Does anyone think that the BushCos are doing black bag jobs?
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I think it’s going to rain.
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Has anyone gotten the new expansion pack for Sims?
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Anyone else out there read Christopher Simpson’s THE SCIENCE OF COERCION?
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Anyone out there? Hellooo, ellooo, looo, ooo….
Slide
The silence is deafening… wish Par R was as well…
Bob In Pacifica
Penney’s is using “Bang A Gong” in its commercials. The end of the world is near.
The Other Steve
How about Cunningham sentenced to eight years in the pokey for accepting bribes?
It’s interesting, a few weeks ago the History Channel had a show on about great air dogfights. They talked about the Red Baron, and various dogfights of WWII, Korea, and then finally… Vietnam.
And it was the Cunningham/Driscoll ride of your life, after shooting down multiple migs and then basically going into a tail spin as they hoped to get out over the water so they could bail out and not get captured. Pretty exciting stuff.
Now that he’s in prison, he has some time to really think about what he’s done with his life.
Vladi G
What’s worse is that some beer company is using “The Slider” in a commercial. I hope someone in Marc Bolan’s family is getting the cash.
Al Maviva
A little late to the booze-up, but if you are in the D.C. area, Franklin’s brewpub in Hyattsville (just south of College Park on Rt. 1) makes an outstanding Triple, and a pretty fair double. The Triple rivals Chimay, and on Fridays if the triple happens to be the “cask” ale, it’s better. The food at Franklin’s is also worth a try, and the Sausages & Kraut – two brats, two knockwurst, over applesauced saurkraut with some sweet german mustard – is the perfect food to go with the epic Belgian ales.
Krista
Slide – John is trying to catch up on stuff after having been sick. Tim is also a busy man. So it was already pretty much understood that we’d have to entertain ourselves this week.
Patience, grasshopper.
Krista
And stickler – he puts up with me. Question his taste in beer all you like, but the man has the patience of a saint. :)