Yes, here it is. It's been a long time coming.
I know most of us are just barely past the holiday hangovers from our over-indulgences. But hey, its not like we're going to stop drinking beer or anything. And if for some absurd reason you resolved to call it quits, well, that's your problem. I dare you to follow along on this ride of awesomeness that is Belgian beers and not try some.
First things first... what makes a beer a "Belgian Beer".
Well, the most obvious reason is that is brewed in Belgium (duh). But as craft breweries have exploded in the US, many have taken advantage of the flavors and technique learned from those Belgian breweries. My (very unscientific) way to describe what make a beer a “Belgian style” is the yeast. I read a bunch of articles to try and give a better description of “Belgium” and found a good example. Drink a Stone IPA. Then drink a Stone Cali-Belgique. They are almost identical except the latter is brewed with a Belgian strain of yeast. (here is that complete article)
A old friend of mine who works at a local craft beer distributor gave me this brief explanation. (which i proudly state supports my butchered description)
What makes it a Belgian style? Well its pretty much the the yeast. The malt and hops too and overall recipe but the yeast kind of distinguishes it...some Belgian brews use German hops or malt but they always have their own yeast strain. When it comes to the Us Belgian styles they typically use the Belgian recipes as models and then put their own twist on it..particularly when it comes to things like Saison. A lot of these recipes were developed centuries ago so they are sort of deemed "Belgian" by tradition. does this make any sense? I am writing while drinking wine so its all off the top of my head.
So there you have it... you are now an expert on Belgian beer.... Lets drink!
For this thread I didn't want to to a typical shootout. There are so many awesome styles of Belgian beer, I didn't want to waste a whole thread on just one. So instead I have a list of beers from both Belgium and the US that cover a wide range. From Ales to Stouts and a bunch in between. And while i’ll ask who likes which one better and we will eventually crown a winner, there won't be any losers. All of these beers are delicious... I promise. And who knows, maybe I can convince the powers that be to get a keg of the winner at the next MTBNJ event. Probably not though. Actually, there isnt a chance in hell of that happening.
I asked that same old friend of mine for a list of 12 beers. 6 from Belgium and 6 counterparts from the US. I asked her to make sure they would all be easily available so you shouldn't have any problems. But in case you do, go to http://greatbrewers.com, search for the beer, and click the “find this beer” icon. I feel obligated to tell you in advance, some of these beers aren't cheap. But hey... we all know the best things in life aren't cheap!!!!
In this thread we will sample the following beers....
Belgium
Saison/Farmhouse - Saison Dupont
Strong Dark Ale - Chimay Blue/Grand Reserve
Strong Pale Ale - La Chouffe
Tripel Ale - Tripel Karmeliet
Flemish Brown - Liefmans Goudenband
Belgian Amber - Bosteels Kwak
US
Wit - Allagash White
Belgian Pale Ale - Weyerbacher Verboten
Tripel Ale - River Horse Tripel Horse
Stout - Allagash Black or Weyerbacher TINY
Dubbel - Ommegang Abbey
Saison/Farmhouse - Lost Abbey Red Barn
OR Biere de Garde - Lost Abbey Avant Garde
I'll tally up the results And start a new round each Friday
Thanks for playing
I know most of us are just barely past the holiday hangovers from our over-indulgences. But hey, its not like we're going to stop drinking beer or anything. And if for some absurd reason you resolved to call it quits, well, that's your problem. I dare you to follow along on this ride of awesomeness that is Belgian beers and not try some.
First things first... what makes a beer a "Belgian Beer".
Well, the most obvious reason is that is brewed in Belgium (duh). But as craft breweries have exploded in the US, many have taken advantage of the flavors and technique learned from those Belgian breweries. My (very unscientific) way to describe what make a beer a “Belgian style” is the yeast. I read a bunch of articles to try and give a better description of “Belgium” and found a good example. Drink a Stone IPA. Then drink a Stone Cali-Belgique. They are almost identical except the latter is brewed with a Belgian strain of yeast. (here is that complete article)
A old friend of mine who works at a local craft beer distributor gave me this brief explanation. (which i proudly state supports my butchered description)
What makes it a Belgian style? Well its pretty much the the yeast. The malt and hops too and overall recipe but the yeast kind of distinguishes it...some Belgian brews use German hops or malt but they always have their own yeast strain. When it comes to the Us Belgian styles they typically use the Belgian recipes as models and then put their own twist on it..particularly when it comes to things like Saison. A lot of these recipes were developed centuries ago so they are sort of deemed "Belgian" by tradition. does this make any sense? I am writing while drinking wine so its all off the top of my head.
So there you have it... you are now an expert on Belgian beer.... Lets drink!
For this thread I didn't want to to a typical shootout. There are so many awesome styles of Belgian beer, I didn't want to waste a whole thread on just one. So instead I have a list of beers from both Belgium and the US that cover a wide range. From Ales to Stouts and a bunch in between. And while i’ll ask who likes which one better and we will eventually crown a winner, there won't be any losers. All of these beers are delicious... I promise. And who knows, maybe I can convince the powers that be to get a keg of the winner at the next MTBNJ event. Probably not though. Actually, there isnt a chance in hell of that happening.
I asked that same old friend of mine for a list of 12 beers. 6 from Belgium and 6 counterparts from the US. I asked her to make sure they would all be easily available so you shouldn't have any problems. But in case you do, go to http://greatbrewers.com, search for the beer, and click the “find this beer” icon. I feel obligated to tell you in advance, some of these beers aren't cheap. But hey... we all know the best things in life aren't cheap!!!!
In this thread we will sample the following beers....
Belgium
Saison/Farmhouse - Saison Dupont
Strong Dark Ale - Chimay Blue/Grand Reserve
Strong Pale Ale - La Chouffe
Tripel Ale - Tripel Karmeliet
Flemish Brown - Liefmans Goudenband
Belgian Amber - Bosteels Kwak
US
Wit - Allagash White
Belgian Pale Ale - Weyerbacher Verboten
Tripel Ale - River Horse Tripel Horse
Stout - Allagash Black or Weyerbacher TINY
Dubbel - Ommegang Abbey
Saison/Farmhouse - Lost Abbey Red Barn
OR Biere de Garde - Lost Abbey Avant Garde
I'll tally up the results And start a new round each Friday
Thanks for playing
