Chimay Ale

Look: Ale Brown with foamy, off white head

 

Taste: Semi-sweet, but not over the top like your traditional Belgian

 

Conclusion: This beer was one of the better Belgian beers I’ve had. Once you get past the Belgian sweetness and citrus flavors, it offers a great roasted ale flavor. It is not your typical over the top Belgian sweet brew. Instead of pouring a sweet syrup into your glass, this beer tastes like the natural sweetness you get from roasted malted barley. This time, its a good thing though; the natural sweetness overtakes the citrus flavor just enough to give you a decent balance.

Although its still sweeter than a beer I’d regularly drink, it’s a decent beer.

 

I give this Belgian a 5 out of 10.

Stone, Cali - Belgie IPA

Look: Golden Brown with minimal white bubbly head

Taste: Sweet, warming fruit flavors followed by hops

Conclusion: My brew reviewing buddy and I both jumped on this special edition brew when we saw it. This beer is essentially a hybrid of a Belgian and an IPA.

I was both intrigued(IPA) and disgusted(Belgian) when I picked it up. The fact it was made by Stone, however, swayed my opinion. I have never liked Belgians so I crossed my fingers and drank.

To my delight....it was GREAT! The first half of the drink you get the IPA bite, but it gets it's throat stomped on by the sweet and lightly fruity traits from the Belgian side of things. The thing I loved about this drink was that the Belgian side never becomes overly sweet as most tend to. Instead it's tempered by the IPA and the hop flavors come in near the end of the taste to mellow things out and prevent the sugary sweet Belgian coup.

This beer surprised me and I'd actually try another. I've never said that about any Belgian beer, so this is progress. Give me that diploma, I'm on my way to Belgian grad school! Well, maybe I'll start by aiming for my GED for now. I am again floored by Stone's genius and cunning.

8 Brews!

Unibroue 16

Taste: Belgian…

Conclusion: Although this is a dreaded Belgian beer, it was not overly sweet, and actually kind of sour. It has promise to be really good, but the sweet Belgian citrus is just a score killer. At 10%, you will definitely catch a good buzz… if you can handle the Belgian-ness of it.

A tolerable 5 out of 10

Maredsous Doubbel

Taste: another freakin’ Belgian…

Conclusion: I still don’t see the attraction to this brew style. Usually, Belgians are overly sweet, and overly fruity, which to me does not equate to a good beer. This one was slightly different. It was not overly sweet, nor overly citrusy, and actually had a smokey flavor to it. This is not your everyday Belgian beer. I do give it props for that, but its still a Belgian, so it loses major points for that.

A 5 out of 10

Hiver Fantome

Taste: it’s a freakin’ Belgian…

Conclusion: Bleh! Your typical sweet, citrus rubbish. Surprisingly, it was not as sweet as most Belgians, but the overly fruity flavors were still there.
I am done with this beer…

I give it a 5 out of 10

Flemish Primitive Wild Ale

Taste: Kind of skunky, like a warm cheese…

Conclusion: This is a Belgian style beer, but it is not your typical overly sweet beer. The citrus sweetness is still there, but it takes a back seat to the skunky taste. The beer is not bad it taken in very short amounts, but the skunkyness of it all culminating after each drink is too much. I could not finish my pint. It was just wrong after a while.

2 out of 10

Brother David’s Double Abbey Style Ale

Taste: smokey chocolate and malted barley

Conclusion: this beer has a strong initial kick, but it washes away all too easily. It lingers for a bit, but the lingering flavors are not strong at all. It has a semi-citrusy flavor, but the citrus flavors are not overpowering at all.
At 9% alcohol, you will definitely feel its effects, but its not so bad you cant kick back a few.
Its best if served very cold. I thoroughly enjoyed this beer… I enjoyed it a lot!

I give it an 8 out of 10

Affligem Dubbel

Taste: Yea, its another Belgian… there is no end to these beers

Conclusion: This Belgian is nothing special in its Belgian way. It is kind of bland, and actually washes way all too quick. It’s bitter sweet flavor is a different spin on the Belgian concoction, but its still a Belgian.

A 5 out of 10

Victory, Golden Monkey

Look: Orange cloudy body with floating sediment. White, silky head reminiscent of lemon meringue topping

Taste: Smells of vinegar and spices. Fruits and spices

Conclusion: This fine brew was recommended by someone on this site. I'd been looking for it in an individual bottles and didn't want to pony up the cash for a whole sixer.

This was actually the best Belgian I've ever had. It still had the strong vinegar smell and finish but was lightly equipped with tasty fruits and spices. Definitely not as brash and sickly sweet as other Belgians. A welcome respite from my arch nemesis'(Belgians) sickening attacks. Thanks Victory!

P.S. Big ups to "Jeremy" from the East Coast for recommending this to me. It took me a year to find, Jeremy, but I did it! My excuse is I could only find this in a 6 pack and I have personal rules against buying 6 packs of Belgians(no offense Mr. Golden M0nkey).

7 Brews! (That's like a 9 for a Belgian in my book)

Stone Vertical Epic

Look: Amber color, light foamy white head when poured

Taste: Lots of citrus, definitely barley… almost Belgian, but not as sweet.

Conclusion: I know, I know, it’s a Belgian-ish beer, but this one is different. It does not have the horrid, over-the-top sweetness that many other Belgians do (Delirium Tremens). Vertical Epic has the citrus tang to it, the natural barley sweetness, and the malt liquor taste to it, but it does not have the “extra sugar added to cover up our errors” flavor.
At first sip, the citrus and sweet hit my nostrils like a Mike Tyson punch. “Aw Crap!” I thought, “a freakin’ Belgian…” My first few sips were not too exciting. It had a distinctive malt liquor taste to it and a distinct citrus flavor, but the sweet was not there. After a few sips, I began to enjoy the beer. It could have been that my taste buds to used to the flavor, or that I was getting buzzed rather quickly, but after a while, the beer is not bad. The strong flavors last through out the drink (and my buzz), and eventually you get used to it. Don’t get me wrong, its not the best offering Stone has, but its not the worst… or maybe it is, but that’s not a bad thing, it still Stone!

The alcohol content was not listed on the growler label, but I imagine this one to be in the 9-10% area. Even the Stone site does not give a percentage, only that it “varies.” Well, this one varied well.
I give Stone’s Belgian-ish offering a 7 out of 10.

Delirium Tremens

Look: Foamy white head floating above an orange/ amber color beer

Taste: Fruity citrus flavors of orange and grape fruit throughout

Conclusion: It’s a Belgian… my brother brought over this bottle for me to try. He said he loves it because, “it tastes like malt liquor, but with citrus.” I couldn’t agree more. That’s probably the reason I am not a big fan of Belgian beers to begin with, but I digress.
At first pour, it releases a fruity aroma that takes over your senses. Its fruity yet it has that familiar new beer smell. There is a semi-sweet malt flavor through out, but it washes down much like a Budweiser would… only mixed with orange and grape fruit juice.

I still don’t get the mass appeal of this style…

I give this beer a 6 out of 10. One or two of those points are because the bottle looks cool.

Avery Brewing, Collaboration Not Litigation

Look: Cloudy almond with smooth 1/2 white head

Taste: Vinegar/yeast start with oak, nut flavor, finished with sweet malt

Conclusion: This brew was a joint venture between Russian River Brewing and Avery Brewing Company. It's intent(as openly discussed on the side label) is to raise funds for an "educational trip" to Belgium where they will travel with brewers from Port Brewing, Dogfish Head, and Allagash Brewing to further unravel the mysteries of Belgian brewing.

Both Russian River and Avery Brewing have beers named "Salvation" so they took the best of both beers and joined forces(sounds like a comic book) to create this fine Belgian. Like other Belgians it starts with the pungent and strong smell of yeast and vinegar. This is the difficulty I've always had with drinking Belgians, along with their sweetness. This one was no different but the oak and nut flavors serve to get your senses back under control. The finish is a rich, sweet malt flavor that lingers but doesn't stick to your tongue. All in all, actually a pretty good Belgian. Never thought I'd hear myself say that! I could be coming around on these ultra sweet brews...maybe.

7 Brews!

Magnolia – Tweezer Tripel (seasonal)

Look: nice light amber color

Taste: very sweet with a slight sharp bite to it

Conclusion: You guessed it, a Belgian… was it the name? I should have figured that out, but I was too buzzed to pick up on it. Oh well, duty calls, and I had to drink all six beers for your benefit. At least that’s what I told myself.
This beer was a bit too sweet for my liking. It had a very citrusy flavor, the trademark of any Belgian beer, but this one had a bit too much carbonation. The carbonation gave it the feel of drinking a strong soda, and had it not been for the light body it would have made it too hard to drink. (A thick, strong beer with a lot of carbonation does not sound too appetizing) I feel they probably cold have cut back on the carbonation in this one and allowed you to hold the beer on your tongue for a minute to savor the different fruits and spices they put in this beer, but alas.

I give this Belgian a slightly above average 6 out of 10.

Magnolia - Double Clutch Doppelweizen (seasonal)

Look: dark amber color with light cream foam head

Taste: sweet, citrus flavors through out

Conclusion: Belgians… why did it have to be Belgians… If you’ve read the blog before, you probably concluded that I am not the biggest fan of Belgian ales. This one was actually one of the better Belgians that I’ve had though. The sweet was there, but it was not overpowering. It was a seasonal brew for Strong Beer Month, so it had plenty of kick to it. So much so that you can smell the alcohol as you lift the glass to your lips. They did well to mask the strength, but you can definitely feel it taking effect.

A 7 out of 10

Brewery Van Steenberge, Gulden Draak Ale

Look: Cloudy, dirty orangish-brown. Large foam head that stays full through the entire drink

Taste: Aged fruits with a very sweet kick and yeast/wheat body

Conclusion: Oh you Belgian beers...always so sweet and powerful. Man, no matter how many Belgians I drink I just can't prepare myself for the overpowering sweetness of them. I love candy as much as the next guy but with all the fruits and bold spice tang, this one had me by the short and curlies and wouldn't let go. Coupled with the 10.5% alcohol, the sweetness was too much to bear.

I try again and again, hoping that Belgians will win me over like stouts did but no luck to date. If you absolute love richly decadent treats, here's a beer that'll satisfy your sweet tooth. It's definitely a delicious drink but too much for me.

5 Brews!

Delirium Noel

Look: Cloudy red/brown with a foamy white head

Taste: Flat fruit flavors with winter spices and a powerful yeast/vinegar finish

Conclusion: It's true, I'm not a fan of Belgian ales, but I'm always up for something new. Don't judge a book by it's cover and all that, you know. This brew brings the heat at 10%. The fruity and spice flavors are there but as the taste finishes your left with an overpowering yeast aftertaste. It was almost like vinegar it was so strong. The warming finish comes but I found myself reeling from the potency of the yeast flavor.

If I were Belgian or a fan of their beers I suppose I'd consider this one refined and tasty. Too bad I'm not. I just could not stomach this holiday rendition and found myself dreading the next sip instead of looking forward to it. Like a nagging girlfriend this one is persistent and just won't shut up. This brew has won awards and is a proven soldier in the army of Belgian ales so, if you're brave enough take a drink! I'm giving it an average score but only because I'm not a Belgian ale guy. More of a knock on my limited pallet than anything.

5 Brews!

Trader Joe’s 2006 Vintage Ale

Look: Black with a thick, creamy nut brown head.

Taste: Definitely a Belgian. Fruity, citrusy, lots of spice flavor this one however, has a very high amount of carbonation.

Conclusion: This brew is not capped, but has a cork to seal in the goodness. I was shocked that this brew came out as dark as it did. I did not expect that at all. This brew was brewed on 2006, and left to ferment in the bottle for one year before hitting store shelves. For those of you who, like me, really cant wait months to age a beer, this is the easy way out. You can really tell that the spices and fruits have let out a lot of their flavor over the re-fermentation period. At first pour it was a bit thicker than your average beer; however the vast amount of carbonation was ever present as the thick head took forever to go down.
My first sip was a bit alarming. I did not expect this dark beer to be so fruity and spicy. It hits you with three distinct waves of flavors. The first is the strong, fruity flavors and the carbonation. Once the sweet fruity flavors die down, you are left with a slight smoky flavor on your tongue and a very mild bitter, hoppy taste. This is almost immediately eclipsed by a very strong spice finish. I don’t know what was in it, but I tasted some clove and cinnamon floating in there.
I am not a big Belgian Ale fan, and this beer will not change my stance on the subject, but I did appreciate the complex flavors and was impressed by the three layers of flavor. It was comparable to having a chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry three layer cake and eating each layer separately so you get the full appreciation for each flavor. However, this was in one drink, as opposed to three beers. It was really well done in that aspect.

I give this beer a 6 out of 10.

The Reverend Belgian-Style Quadruple Ale

Look: Amber with a foamy white head

Taste: Sour, bitter, tangy, fruity and sweet all at the same time! Strong alcohol after taste that you cant get over.

Conclusion: This beer was strong, and not afraid to say it! At 10% alcohol, it goes strait to your head. It is not quite a barley wine so much as a very, very strong beer. It does not do much to mask the strong alcohol flavor, even with all the bitter, sweet, and fruity elements going on. It is initially bitter, but the alcohol flavor kicks in rather quickly and lingers for a while. To be honest, the lingering alcohol flavor is not what I wanted to taste in a beer. That’s what I’m looking for in cheap liquor.
For having such complex flavors all going on at the same time, this beer comes right at you and slaps you in the face with every drink. I wish they would have done more to mask the alcohol flavor. The beers motto is, “Created by God, Feared by Satan, Loved by all.” I’d change it to, “Created by man, Feared by all, Loved by few.” This beer has promise, but the alcohol flavor is just so hard to get over…

4 out of 10