Finish is crisp and spicy. In the Belfry all communal charters were kept. Brewed in the Flemish town of Mechelen. 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. From the Struise web site regarding the Pannepot beer –, This ‘Old Fisherman’s Ale’, named after the fishing trawlers on which men would risk life and limb to feed their families, sits somewhere in between a Belgian strong dark ale and a stout. Claire handles all the marketing. It tastes more like a barley wine and has a lovely golden colour and an earthy aroma. Their widely available Rodenbach (5%) is a tangy brown ale with a hint of sourness. Traditional gueuze can be hard to track down and you may have to settle for the sweeter, more commercial brands, notably Belle Vue Gueuze (5.2%), Timmermans Gueuze (5.5%) and the exemplary Lindemans Gueuze (5.2%). I was totally blown away! 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’. Their Blond is a light and tangy pale ale, whereas the Bruin is a classic brown ale with a full body. Alexander originally came out as a one-time special in 1986 to commemorate the 200th anniversary of Brewery Rodenbach. It pours a wonderful straw wheat color with a nice rocky head that has very minute bits of wheat in it. It is dry, but not too. It is a classic tripel with notes of grain with a subtle spicy sweetness and nice lingering finish. It is off of a main tourist street separating the Markt from the Burg squares. Saison is his flagship beer and usually one you might be able to find rarely in the U.S. Get in touch to try our tailor-made travel service. This continued until Palm Breweries purchased Rodenbach and this beer was discontinued. Along with his 2 beautiful daughters, Claire and Anne-Catherine, they produce some world class beers and the Tripel Gueuze is one of those. ”. Here, the Norwegian dragon ended up in the hands of Bruges. Personally I like to keep this beer for a minimum of one year before drinking and even longer is OK. The key feature is, however, the use of wild yeast in their production, a process of spontaneous fermentation in which the yeasts of the atmosphere gravitate down into open wooden casks over a period of between two and three years. This beer is aged 24 months; 14 on new French oak and then transferred to Calvados oak barrels for an additional 10 months. #7) Triple Van De Garre – Staminee De Garre – Bruges – Brewed by Brewery Van Steenberge – Ertvlede. Aroma is tart, notes of honey, light tropical fruit, some mild spiciness and some floral hop presence. If you can find this beer, buy it and either drink it or save it for a year or ten…or twenty. The Rodenbach Grand Cru matures in oak foeders, or barrels, over a period of two years, giving the beer a unique, complex fruitiness that is reminiscent of wine. With a full-bodied flavor that still works thirst quenching, thanks to a balanced hopping. Note of all types of fruit… apple, pear, grape, lemon, stone fruit and that is all combines with a delightful spiciness including note of clove, pepper, grains of paradise and wheat; and this is all melded into a wonderful melange that actually carries through in the flavor. He went to brewing school and started brewing commercially in 2010. If you ever see any of this beer, buy it. For decades, St. Bernard Brouwerij in Watou brewed the Westvleteren range of beers for the Abbey to take care of consumer demands. Although Westmalle tripel is my favorite tripel in the world, this beer is a close second runner up for my favorite tripel. Like the dragon shines at the top of the city, the Gulden Draak is part of the international top of beers. #18) La Chouffe – Achouffe/Moortgat – Puurs. The aroma is very rich and lactic with tart black cherry notes and some port wine character. Once again a type of beer rather than a particular brew, Kriek is made from a base beer to which cherries are added or, in the case of the more commercial brands, cherry juice and perhaps even sugar. Gulden Draak – Brewery Van Steenberge – Ertvlede. The aroma is very complex with notes of malt, straw, fruit, pepper and mild notes of tobacco and oak. It is known for its Burgundy-brown colour and smoky bouquet. Lindemans Lambik is similar and a tad more commonplace. Straffe Hendrik, a smart little Belgian brewery located in the centre of Bruges, produces zippy, refreshing ales. Go tailor-made! Pours with a nice full off white head that produces an abundant amount of aromas that include vinegar, sour fruits, cherry, green apples, pepper, some caramel and other spices that meld into a wonderful melange of aromas. I may like 2, 3 or 4 or more beers from one brewery; but will only list my favorite two. Use Rough Guides' trusted partners for great rates. That’s why Gulden Draak is presented in a white bottle. The main difference between the Pannepot and the Pannepot Grande Reserva is that Pannepot Grand Reserva is matured the last ten months on Calvados oak barrels, adding extra complexity to the beer. The brewery has been in existence sine 1784…so they must be doing something right! One will also note some grassy and barnyard notes with a nice spiciness from the hops additions. 7 Bell Yard, London WC2A 2JR, United Kingdom The dragon had to protect these documents and it was also the symbol of the freedom and might of the city. Our selection of yeasts is the perfect base for these typical aromas and taste. To me, this is also a world class tripel comparable to Westmalle tripel; which IS the standard. The taste is incredible. #20) Piraat – Brewery Van Steenberge – Ertvelde. He offered the statue to the emperor of Constantinople (the current Istanbul) to put it on the cupola of the Aya Sophia. A trip to a specialist beer store will give you many options to try. Aroma was very thick malt base with loads of oak, coffee, bourbon, chocolate, some anise, smoke and molasses. It is now available in the Y.S. I would consider Dulle Teve a Tripel on steroids. It is hoppy, but not too. It pours a wonderful hazy golden color with a full head. Named after – and allegedly the favourite tipple of – the Habsburg emperor Charles V, Gouden Carolus is a full-bodied dark brown ale with a sour and slightly fruity aftertaste. This process makes gueuze a little sweeter and fuller-bodied than classic lambic. The initial taste brings forth all those great tripel flavors but then the funk follows, not abruptly…but gently…almost sneaking up on you with all those great gueuze characters… Just let the beer mellow in your mouth for a few seconds and the gueuze really shines. This was one of the three Belgian beers I tried for the first time back in the early 90’s. “Did you know the Gulden Draak (Golden Dragon) owes its name to the gilded statue on top of the Belfry in Ghent? The finish is semi-sweet , sour and dry. This site is owned by Apa Digital AG, Bahnhofplatz 6, 8854 Siebnen, 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. A Wallonian speciality, the Belgian brewery behind Bush claims that the original version is – at 12% – the strongest beer in Belgium. It is brewed from equal parts wheat and malted barley and is the ideal drink for a hot summer's day. It is a beer that is worthy of its name. Each sip hits you with complex flavors of toasty bitterness and deep caramel sweetness. Top 10 U.S. Want to put your beer knowledge to the test? #8) Malheur Brut Reserve – Brewery Malheur – Buggenhout. Brewed in Leuven, just to the east of Brussels, Leffe is strong and malty and comes in two main varieties. The finish is semi-sweet and semi-dry with a lingering taste from the hop additions. The hops don’t get in the way of the full malt bill and the alcohol, while slightly fusely, it is well constructed so that none of the components overwhelm the others. Named after and allegedly the favourite tipple of the Habsburg emperor Charles V, Gouden Carolus is a full-bodied dark brown ale with a sour and slightly fruity aftertaste.