Top 10 Beers

OK. The traditional question. “What is your favorite beer?”

This is usually a hard question to answer for most. Since I have had the pleasure of traveling numerous times throughout Belgium, my favorite beer or beers are not something that I can choose easily, but I will attempt to provide what I feel are the best offerings in Belgium. Please keep in mind that this ‘list’ might change periodically and I will try to update it as something new hits my taste buds.

In an effort to not populate the list with many beers from one brewery, I will only list my favorite beer from each brewery. I may like 2, 3 or 4 beers from one brewery; but will only list my favorite. 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.  

#1) Westvleteren 12 When I first tasted this beer in 1998, the eternal question was answered. For years many people would ask me, “What’s your favorite beer?” And this was a question that had no easy answer; until Westvleteren. This beer, brewed by St. Sixtus Abdij in the Southwest region of Flanders is in a class by itself. I could go on for pages speaking about the history, the brewing, and the fermentation of this beer and the beauty of the region. It is one of my favorite visits on every trip to Belgium.

St. Sixtus is one of 7 remaining Trappist breweries. It is a ‘cloistered’ monastery, which means that they do not allow visitors normally. They do have a ‘guesthouse’ where visitors may come and stay for a period of time, but it is expected that the visitor will rise with the monks, partake in the daily activities, eat and sleep at the same times. It is not possible to visit the brewery, even if staying as a guest. Brother Joris, who is in charge of brewing operations, allows one visitor per year to the brewery and this is usually someone from the media who might write about the monastery and the brewery. I have been fortunate enough to spend a morning with Brother Joris and visit the brewery. Brother Joris is a very articulate man who is very humble about the fact that he produces one of the world’s finest beers. His dedication to his craft and to the security and stability of Westvleteren beers is never doubted.

Westvleteren 12 (Yellow Cap) pours a very dark brown with a creamy tan long lasting head. This is very unusual for a beer with 10.2% alcohol. The aroma is very complex and rich with notes of plums, dates, raisins, hints of chocolate, caramel, pepper and a nice floral tone. The taste follows through with the same characteristics as the aroma with a great mouthfeel and residual malty sweetness. The alcohol is subdued but noticeable. This beer is meant to be enjoyed at cellar temperature of 54-58 degrees.

Westvleteren also comes in a Blonde (6- Green Cap) and 8 (Blue Cap). The caps carry all the information about the beer; there are no labels. Currently the only way to purchase Westvleteren beers is to make an appointment with the Abbey and drive through their beer koop (drive thru) and pick up one or two cases per visit. Not every style is always available. Westvleteren is not available in any beer stores or pubs in Belgium except for a select few that are a well-kept secret.

#2) Struise Pannepot Grande Reserva Oak Aged I first tasted beers brewed by Struise in 2006 and it was love at first sip.

I have tried numerous beers brewed by these mad genius’s, but while visiting Urbain and Phil during a brewing of Pannepouet in late February 2008, Urbain opened a bottle of this beer and shared it with me. The beer poured a very dark brown and the aroma, oh, the aroma! 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. All this as well as some very nice oak aromas. The flavor profile is incredible. Wonderful notes of chocolate, dark fruits, spices, coffee mingled with nuances of multi-dimensioned wood flavors; not in your face but subdued due to the rich malt quality of this beer.

When I first tasted this beer I thought to myself; ‘This is the finest beer I have ever tasted.’ The only reason I do not rate it number one, is because I only had a small sampling and the appreciation of any beer has to do with the time of drinking, the atmosphere and who you are drinking with, and this event was one of those perfect days.

It is unfortunate that this beer is not readily available anywhere. It is aged 24 months; 14 on new French oak and then transferred to Calvados oak barrels for an additional 10 months. If you can find this beer, buy it and either drink it or save it for a year or ten.

As per my earlier statement, ALL the beers from Struise are excellent. I understand that Black Albert is rated very high on other web sites. I have had the Black Albert as well and it also is incredible; but each person has different tastes. Since stouts, in my opinion, are not traditional Belgian style beers, I tend to lean towards ‘traditional’ beers in my selections.

#3) Rochefort 8 The Rochefort range of beers includes Rochefort 6,8 & 10. Rochefort is also a Trappist designated beer and is brewed by the Abbaye de Notre Dame de Saint Remy in the Ardennes foothills.

Most of my friends like the 10-degree style better than the 8, but I think the alcohol content might sway their opinion.

As for the 8, it pours a dark reddish brown with a nice off white head. It starts with a nice earthy malty aroma with hints of dark fruit, dark sugar and slight florals. The taste is very malty with dark fruits, bread, some floral hop aroma and an alcohol presence. Wonderful aftertaste with some residual sweetness and a warming alcohol feel.

#4) St. Bernardus Abt 12 This great beer has many of the characteristics of Westvleteren 12, but is not quite as complex. For decades, St. Bernard brouwerij in Watou brewed the Westvleteren range of beers for the Abbey to take care of consumer demands. When the Trappist designation became a strict appellation a requirement was that the beers had to be brewed within the monastery, ending the arrangement with St. Bernard. Today St. Bernard brews a half dozen beers each unique and each excellent. The Abt 12 ale pours a dark brown and has an incredible dense off white head. Aroma carries notes of rich dark fruit, coriander, allspice, orange peel and chocolate, bread and rich malt with a nice floral hop nose. The flavor is fantastic and carries through with rich dark fruits, chocolate and spices. I had the pleasure of helping brew a batch of Abt 12 with then brewer Bert Van Hecke in 2006. Bert left the brewery shortly after my visit and now the brewer is

#5) Chimay Blue Grande Reserve Chimay beers are brewed by the Abbaye de Notre Dame de Scourmont and is another one of 7 Trappist breweries. While Chimay is one of the most commercial of the Trappist breweries AND while the recipe HAS changed for the worse in the past decade; Chimay Blue remains a world class beer and is usually one I will share with people new to Belgian beers. It pours a very dark ruby brown with an off white head that does not remain long. Aroma is dark tropical fruit, great malty tones, spicy peppery notes, some oak tones mixed with licorice and chocolate. Flavor is a very rich malty beverage with a great caramel, cocoa, spicy, herbal tonic sure to cure anything that ails you.

#6) Chouffe Houblon I love all the Chouffe beers. Brewed in a great brewery nestled into a valley in the Ardennes, this is a brewery that should not be missed. All the Chouffe beers have a very distinctive taste, a combination of the house yeast and the well that draws water from hundreds of feet below. I particularly like the Houblon, not because I’m a hop head, but because it brings all the great characteristics of Chouffe beers to the very front, plus has a great hop nose and bite. The beer pours a cloudy golden straw color and has a huge white head that is long lasting. The aroma consists of citrus fruits, fresh baked bread, floral hoppy esters, spices and great yeast character. The flavor is incredible with all the aromas bursting forth in a very complex way, the way the intense hops are so well established within the malt is incredible. When one sees this beer in a glass, it appears to be a nice session beer; maybe a type of Saison, but drinker beware; this beer packs a wallop.

This is truly a world-class beer; but then again, so are all the Chouffe beers.

#7) Urthel Samaranth The entire range of Urthel beers are unique and excellent. The recipes are developed by Hildegard van Ostaden are and are being contract brewed currently. The beers are not 100% contract as such but are brewed by head brewer Hildegard van Ostaden and owner/husband Bas who also designs all the labels and is responsible for their great web site.

Samaranth pours a clear copper/amber with a nice frothy head that lingers for some time.

The nose is complex with spicy dark fruits, rich honey with floral hop notes, with an herbal spicy bread nose. This beer reminds me of some of the great Belgian waffles I have enjoyed. The taste is rich, complex spicy fruits including apple, plum, dates, pear and notes of maple syrup and a nice alcohol kick. I will admit that the more recent bottles I have had have what I would consider a bit more astringent alcohol hit, where earlier bottles (and draft) are not so ‘in your face’. The finish leaves a lingering complex spiciness and bread coating with the lingering alcohol bite.

I do enjoy all of these beers, but as with another of my brewing friends, there has been some variance between samples; but this is what sets great beers apart from ‘production beers.’

#8) Malheur Brut Reserve Malheur beers are brewed by De Landtsheer Brewery. The Brut Reserve is produced using the Champagne method which means that the bottles are stored at cave temperature in an inverted position. 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 ‘plug’ is removed and the bottle is corked.

Brut Reserve pours a golden straw color and produces a huge head that remains for some time. The aroma is very complex with notes of malt, straw, fruit, pepper and mild notes of tobacco and oak.

The taste is a wonderful complex cornucopia of a malty herbal fruity carbonated wonder. It is sweet, but not too. It is dry, but not too. It is hoppy, but not too. Maybe brewer Manu Landtsheer should rename it ‘No Too Ale”. It finishes with a wonderful sweet dryness with a slight peppery note. Wonderful!

#9) DeDolle Dulle Teve DeDolle Brouwers (The Mad Brewers) is owned by the Herteleer family who purchased the 150 year old brewery in 1980. Brewer Kris and his wife Els run the brewery and mother Moes gives the tour each Sunday. This is one of my favorite visits in Belgium and the Herteleers are wonderful people.

Dulle Teve means ‘Mad Bitch’ in Flemish and there is more that one story as to where the name originated. You will have to visit to find out which one is correct.

I would consider Dulle Teve a Tripel on steroids. It pours a wonderful hazy golden color with a full head. The nose produces straw, citrus fruit (heavy on the grapefruit) some faint pineapple and pears, herbs, some bread, some honey - -will it ever end??

The taste is incredible. Another complex mixture of fruits, hops, earth, candi sugar, herbs and alcohol. It has a great finish that leaves faint traces of fruit and straw that lingers and begs you to have another taste.

This is a ‘World Class” Tripel.

#10) Girardin Gueuze 1882 Black Label The main problem with listing my Top 10 favorite beers is that I could list my Top 10 in each style category. (Hmmm) I never realized how difficult it is to actually decide which 10 beers I like the best. I love all Gueuzes and Lambics (at least the real ones) and to pick one that I love over all others was a daunting task. Hanssens is great, as well as 3 Fontinen and Cantillion, but if I had to pick ‘one to bring to the desert island’ it would be Girardin 1882 Black.

This Gueuze pours a golden color (like straw) and produced a rocky head that exhibits small flecks of yeast and particulate. The head fades quickly leaving a nice ring of sediment around the top of the glass.

The aroma of this unfiltered Gueuze is fantastic. The initial barnyard and horse blanket smell give way to a tart fruity mix of herbal excellence combined with some lactic aroma, wood, grain, bread and actually makes your mouth water profusely with the expectations that you will quench the saliva with this great tonic.

The taste is what one would expect in a great Gueuze. There is the initial mouth puckering with an explosion of flavor. One detects notes of citrus, musk, floral hops, wood and funk, spices, pepper, grass, and Granny Smith apples.

The finish is like any great Gueuze; a dry grapefruit like mouthfeel and a lingering finish where one can faintly detect all the above attributes.

This is a beer I could drink all day.

(Honorable Mention) Rodenbach Vin de Cereal This is another very hard to find beer and might not be to the liking of everyone; but I loved this beer, but I use the term ‘beer’ lightly as this is closer to a wine than it is a beer.

Pours a golden orange color with almost non-existent head with virtually no lacing. Aroma is tart, notes of honey, light tropical fruit, some mild spiciness and some floral hop presence. Taste is incredible and very complex. Notes of mild honey, mild dark and tropical fruits, some mild spiciness and that wonderful Rodenbach yeast character that I have always loved that seemed to have dissipated in recent offerings from Rodenbach/Palm. If you ever see any of this beer, buy it. If you don’t like tart beers, please e-mail me and tell me where you saw it.