The brew master from Westvleteren, Mathieu Szafranski (from Polish origin) became a partner in the brewery and brought along the recipes, the know-how and the St.Sixtus yeast strain. Claire handles all the marketing. It is sweet, but not too. Brut Reserve pours a golden straw color and produces a huge head that remains for some time. When the beer is properly aged the temperature is lowered until the beer (and all residual dregs) is frozen in the neck of the bottle. The head remains for some time and then leaves some nice lacing in the glass. Then this beer became a second refermentation in the barrel. The result is a complex beer with a great deal of wood and esters, vinous and with a very long aftertaste, just like a Grand Cru wine. 10 great places to go walking in Scotland, Why you should visit Eastern Europe this winter. With 9.5% ABV, this is a strong drink that gives a dry and spicy taste. The beer was only brewed as a once a year special on February 24th, but it became so popular that it is now brewed for the entire month of February. This was and is ‘the sour’ long before the more recent wave of sour beers took over the market. It is a beer that is worthy of its name. It is brewed from equal parts wheat and malted barley and is the ideal drink for a hot summer's day. It is produced at the Cantillon brewery, in Anderlecht, which is home to the Gueuze Museum (see below). The beer pours a dark reddish brown with a full head of tight light tan foam. Hoegaarden is easily recognisable for its distinctive octagonal glass © Marcel Bakker/Shutterstock. The flavor is fantastic and carries through with rich dark fruits, chocolate and spices. Want to put your beer knowledge to the test? The actual drink is dark and strong with a spicy aroma and has something of a cult following in Belgium. Be aware that usually, if a beer listed comes from a particular brewery, you can usually be sure that the other beers produced by the particular brewery are also exceptional. With , thanks to a balanced hopping. Brewed in Leuven, just to the east of Brussels, Leffe is strong and malty and comes in two main varieties. There is a new bottle style out currently that is darker, so just look for the Alexander label. They will not offer tours for individuals or small groups. Fortunately, you can find this beer in bottle shops in a 750ml size bottle and is also available on draft in the U.S. from time to time. I am a sucker for tripels, and this is one of the best on the planet. After the battle on the field of Beverhout in 1382, the inhabitants of Ghent took the dragon as war booty and put it on top of their Belfry. Leffe Blond is bright, fragrant, and has a slight orangey flavour, whereas Leffe Brune is dark, aromatic and full of body. The original brewery was started as part of the hospital that was run by the beguinage, an order of pious woman that dedicated them selves to the treatment of others without taking vows or leaving the ordinary world, but did dedicate themselves to God and others. When cold, the spices and the hop bite are negligible, but when it warms up it really blossoms. Since 1844, this beer has been brewed in our farm-brewery, during the winter time. But it is the complex taste with hints of caramel, roasted malt and coffee in combination with the creamy hazel head that makes it unique. The beer is categorized as a Belgian pale ale and it fits this bill as well as a strong golden and if it had a bit more haze, one could say it has some characteristics of a saison. If you don’t like tart beers, please e-mail me and tell me where you saw it. If you ever see any of this beer, buy it. I was hit square in the senses with notes of chocolate, dark fruits, cinnamon, five spice, coffee and the sour appeal of a Flemish sour beer, but more subtle. It is known for its Burgundy-brown colour and smoky bouquet. When poured into other glassware, a similar head is produced, but not as dramatic, not as long-lasting as in it’s original chalice. This pleasant golden blond beer is preferred by all who loves heavier, somewhat seasoned and refreshing beer. That’s why Gulden Draak is presented in a white bottle. #19) Petrus Aged Red – Brewery Brabendere – Harelbeke. The beer pours a amber red and has a full head that dissipates quickly. Duchesse is a Flanders red style ale which after a primary and secondary fermentation is matured in oak foeders for 18 months and then blended with a younger 8 month old beer before bottling or kegging. It is off of a main tourist street separating the Markt from the Burg squares. Located in the Flemish town of Roeselare, the Rodenbach brewery produces a reddish-brown ale in several different formats, with the best brews aged in oak containers. It was this practice that caused them much grief in the early 2000’s when the beer became known worldwide and they saw thousands of visitors from all around the globe showing up and wishing to purchase the beer from the monastery. This continued until Palm Breweries purchased Rodenbach and this beer was discontinued. All those aromas are transferred into the taste as your mouth starts to salivate uncontrollably because of the lactic character of the ale. I was IN LOVE… Since that time, these three beers can always be found in my home bar and I drink them regularly. This is a remarkable beer. I may like 2, 3 or 4 or more beers from one brewery; but will only list my favorite two. One of the world's most distinctive malt beers, Orval is made in the Ardennes at the Abbaye d'Orval, which was founded in the twelfth century by Benedictine monks from Calabria. ‘. The traditional question. The 7.5% Bush is a tasty pale ale with a zip of coriander. In an effort to not populate the list with many beers from one brewery, I will only list my favorite two beers from each brewery. The aroma is very complex with notes of malt, straw, fruit, pepper and mild notes of tobacco and oak. #5) Rodenbach Grand Cru – Brewery Rodenbach – Roselare. Their widely available Rodenbach (5%) is a tangy brown ale with a hint of sourness. Rodenbach Grand Cru consists of 1/3 young beer and 2/3 beer matured two years in oak. They start with a base of Dubbel Bruin (Brown) ale to which 15% addition of Petrus Aged pale is added and then the beer is transferred to a foeder on top of fresh cherries and allowed to meld for a period of time determined by the cellar master. Use Rough Guides' trusted partners for great rates. They gave a license to the Sint Bernard cheese factory, and Brewery St.Bernard was founded. The brewery started selling the Trappist beers under the brand names Trappist Westvleteren, St.Sixtus or even later Sixtus. I first tasted beers brewed by Struise in 2006 and it was love at first sip. ” Despite the technological advances, this beer is brewed according to ancient tradition and unites, as before, the best raw materials from our soil as ripe barley and fine hops, to preserve a maximum of pure flavor. #10) Duvel – Brewery Duvel Moortgat – Puurs. A tasting flight is a great way to try multiple brews – especially when travelling in a group © Victor Wong/Shutterstock. The role model of all Belgian wheat beers, Hoegaarden – named after a small town east of Leuven – is light and extremely refreshing, despite its cloudy appearance. From 1923 onward, the beer was marketed under this name – no mean feat in the Catholic Flanders of the time. Such an imposing symbol that has lasted for over 6 centuries needs an equally imposing beer. De Garre has a menu that is like a small book with hundreds of bottles selections as well as several more beers on ‘vat’ (tap); but you are here for the ‘grail’. The aroma is pure tripel, sweet, malty, spicy, with note of lemon, white grape, apple, stone fruit, banana and pear along with some spiciness including coriander, peppercorn, clove, candi sugar, bread or cracker, herbs along with some floral grassiness and yeast earthiness.