A Guide to Belgian Beer Styles
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Abbey
Beers
Belgium owes its brewing culture to its monks, many of whom arrived as
refugees from the anti-clerical fervour of the French revolution. Abbey
beers can simply be branded to celebrate or exploit this historical
connection, though ‘Certified Abbey Beers’ are made with a genuine link
to a monastery.
Both Trappist and Abbey beers tend to produce traditional Dubbel and
Tripel beers, which with Enkels (enkel means single in Dutch and is now
no longer brewed) reflected the Holy Trinity and the alcoholic strength
of the beer. Some now produce extra strong Quadrupels.
We have two abbey-style beers from the St.
Feuillien Brewery |
Lambic
Lambic is the traditional
beer of Pajottenland, close to Brussels. It is spontaneously fermented
using wild yeasts making it dry, almost like wine or cider, with a sour aftertaste. They are hoppy, but not too
bitter, and aged for around three years.
Lambics are often blended or sweetened and come in a bewildering array
of styles, many of which are only now reaching an international
audience.
Geuze is bottle refermented lambic which will keep and improve for up to
twenty
years. Faro is a weaker version with added sugars. Kriek lambic adds
cherries for a dry, sour taste, and fruit lambics have taken the style
around the world, although not all are genuine lambics.
We have both Boon Kriek and Boon Geuze. |
Wheat beer in English, wit bier in Dutch and bière blanche in French
(and many of Belgium’s varieties come from French-speaking Wallonia),
nearly died out in the 1970s, until an enterprising young farmer thought
he’d try to revive the style in his village. You’ll know how successful
he was when you learn the village was called Hoegaarden.
Belgian brewers often add spices to their wheat beers, coriander is the
most popular, a reminder of the time when they brewed entirely without
hops and flavoured with a ‘gruit’ mix of herbs and spices. They are
cloudy and refreshing, wonderful on a summer’s day, and brewed across
the country in a multitude of flavours.
We have flavoured wheat beers from Florisgaarden.
They can be strong and a deep, beautiful gold or much lighter in both
colour and strength. Belgium’s golden ales are not overly strong in hops
or spices and provide a good introduction to more complex flavours if
you’re expanding your palate from a lifetime of lager drinking as they
often employ pilsner malts.
We have Duvel, meaning devil in Flemish dialect, which is one of the
most popular internationally and devilish imagery is common across the
type. Belgians love them too, particularly in Wallonia, though you’ll
find them everywhere. We
also
have the famous Wallonian golden ale, La Chouffe.
The red ales are the pride of West Flanders, coloured by the dark malts
used to produce them and often sold as blends, like geuze. They also
share that style’s tendency for a sour flavour, although generally in
moderation.
Based on the old English porters, red ales are often spontaneously
fermented and aged in oak barrels. Tasters commonly identify strong,
dark fruit flavours and these ales are the most wine-like of all beers.
In the dark, wet winter months, the farmers of Wallonia would set up
their brewing kettle to prepare a refreshing and not-too-strong ale to
keep their workers refreshed through the busy summer.
Saisons used to be much weaker than they are now, a scythe and a strong
ale not being the happiest of combinations. They retain the strong
hoppiness of their predecessors and are benefitting from the resurgence
in traditional beer culture that Belgium is currently enjoying.
Sometimes spiced or made using wheat, today’s saisons are carbonated
and, while still designed to refresh, tend to start at around 5% ABV.
If West Flanders is red, its eastern neighbour is brown. Oud Bruin (old
brown) are blends and approach lambic levels of acidity. Like lambics,
an injection of fruit flavours often lightens and sweetens many bruins,
and it’s this style – particularly Liefmans’ paper-wrapped bottles –
which have had the most international success, though connoisseurs will
urge you to try the real thing too.
Forget Guinness, Belgian stouts are stronger and more complex. Guinness – an international behemoth of the drinks industry – even produces a special stronger version of their flagship drink to sell to the discerning Belgian drinker. |
That’s just the start of the Belgian beer trail, an outline to get you
started. There is much more to explore such as the special glasses
almost all brewers make in which to perfectly enjoy their brews, cafes
with hundreds of bottles on their menus and the art and science of
serving beer with Belgium’s equally rich cuisine. |
These beers can be enjoyed at Albert's Ale MicroPub in Blackpool. Albert's Ale Micropub, 117 Albert Road, Blackpool FY1 4PW For more details, click HERE. . |