Category Archives: Belgium

5 - Excellent (must buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Brasserie Fantôme, Farmhouse Saison

Fantôme Saison

Monday, 23 May 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Brasserie Fantôme
Country: Belgium
ABV: 8%
Style: Belgian Saison
Other Notes: US label bottle. Belgian Ale brewed with spices

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Fantôme is a classic artisanal farmhouse brewery in the heart of the Ardennes Forest. Its brews are in the robust, flavorful ‘saison’ style, and recall the early days of Belgian brewing. Brewer Dany Prignon is known for his regular Fantôme Saison and for the creative and adventurous brews he makes to mark each of the four seasons. The recipes change every year, but don’t ask what makes them so tasty… the Fantôme never gives up its secrets.

My rating: 5
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.64
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.5

Intro: A 750ml US label bottle with no best before date (Belgian label bottle has a best before end date). Poured into a Duvel tulip glass.
Appearance: It poured a lightly hazy golden colour with a slightly less than two finger white head that dissipated fairly quickly but left nice streaky lacing.
Aroma: Barnyard funk, honeydew melon, banana, clove, honey, lemon and grass.
Taste: Similar to the aroma, there is musty farmhouse funk, sweet honey, banana, clove, fleshy melon with a hint of citrus lemon, grass and a bready finish.
Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied with high carbonation.
Overall: Wow, a very nice Saison. Great aromas and mouthfeel with nice fruit and funkiness.

5 - Excellent (must buy), Beer Reviews, Belgian Dubbel, Belgium, Brouwerij der Trappisten van Westmalle

Westmalle Dubbel

Thursday, 19 May 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Brouwerij der Trappisten van Westmalle
Country: Belgium
ABV: 7%
Style: Belgian Dubbel
Other Notes: Trappist beer. As per the website, the larger 75cl bottles mature differently to the 33cl bottles. They say that in the larger bottles, you will notice a more subtle aftertaste.

Brewer Description: (from website) Westmalle Dubbel is a dark, reddish-brown Trappist beer with a secondary fermentation in the bottle. The creamy head has the fragrance of special malt and leaves an attractive lace pattern in the glass. The flavour is rich and complex, herby and fruity with a fresh-bitter finish. It is a balanced quality beer with a soft feel in the mouth and a long, dry aftertaste. The Dubbel contains 7% alcohol.

My rating: 5
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.66
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.4

Intro: A 330ml bottle with a best before date of 24th July 2016 and poured into a Chimay goblet glass.
Appearance: It poured a dark brown colour with a slight reddish hue and a two finger beige head that slowly settles to a nice thin but creamy puffy layer while leaving nice curtain lacing.
Aroma: Strong dark fruits with cherry, plum, prune, raisin, grape and a hint of banana, toffee and caramel in the background.
Taste: Some toffee and caramel before a blast of lightly sweet dark stone fruits, cherry, plum, grape, fig and raisin.
Mouthfeel: Dry, medium to full bodied with moderate to high carbonation.
Overall: Excellent Dubbel, excellent beer. Nice complexity and balance in the aromas and taste and is definitely a must buy beer for me.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Brasserie de Blaugies x Hill Farmstead Brewery, Farmhouse Saison

Blaugies x Hill Farmstead La Vermontoise

Friday, 13 May 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Brasserie de Blaugies x Hill Farmstead Brewery
Country: Belgium
ABV: 6%
Style: Belgian Saison
Other Notes: Collaboration beer

Brewer Description: A spelt saison brewed with Amarillo hops and made in collaboration with Hill Farmstead.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.99
My ratebeer.com rating: 4

Intro: A 750ml bottle with a best before end year of 2018 and poured into a Cantillon Iris ballon glass.
Appearance: It poured a very nice clear golden colour with a two finger white head that had pretty good retention and left nice lacing.
Aroma: Farmhouse mustiness, straw, hay, red apple, honey, lemon zest and a hint of banana esters.
Taste: Cereal grains, honey, herbal, grassy, zesty lemon with a hint of peach and peppery spice.
Mouthfeel: Dry, light bodied with high lively prickly carbonation.
Overall: A solid saison from Blaugies and Hill Farmstead.

2 - Maybe (likely wouldn't buy, might drink), Beer Reviews, Belgian Dubbel, Belgium, Brouwerij Haacht NV

Tongerlo Brune

Wednesday, 4 May 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Brouwerij Haacht NV
Country: Belgium
ABV: 6.5%
Style: Belgian Dubbel

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Abbey beer brewed with the approval of the Norbertins of Tongerlo. This beer was refermented in the bottle for a more refined aroma and a broader, richer taste palette. Contains barley malt.

My rating: 2
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.04
My ratebeer.com rating: 3

Intro: A 330ml bottle with a best before date of 7th November 2016 and poured into a Chimay goblet glass.
Appearance: It poured a reddish brown colour with a one finger beige head that had good retention and settled down to a creamy puffy layer with good lacing.
Aroma: Light plum, banana and some metal mineral-ness.
Taste: Started pretty decent with plum, brown sugar, raisin, caramel and banana. But for some reason, the finish is a little watery.
Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied with medium carbonation.
Overall: Looks great, but the minerally aroma and the watery finish didn’t help the beer.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgian Strong Dark Ale, Belgium, Brouwerij Huyghe

Delirium Nocturnum

Thursday, 17 March 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Brouwerij Huyghe
Country: Belgium
ABV: 8.5%
Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale
Other Notes: Triple fermentation

Brewer Description: (from website) Initially, a very good mouthfeel of alcohol and softness. This is followed by an increasing bitterness, partially from the hop, but also from the roasted malt and chocolate malt. Towards the end a nice balance between bitterness, sour and sweet.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.06
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.9

Intro: A 330ml bottle with a best before end date of April 2016 poured into a Chimay goblet glass.
Appearance: It poured a cloudy dark brown colour with a one finger tanned head that dissipated fairly quickly to a nice thin fluffy layer leaving some nice lacing.
Aroma: Strong dark fruits of raisin, plum, prunes, grape, dates and a hint of caramel.
Taste: Much like the aroma, there is strong sweet plum, raisin and prunes at the start. Sweet candied sugar and caramel midway. Before a light bitter finish with the alcohol coming through.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied and high carbonation.
Overall: This was nice and fruity but could be even better if the alcohol was hidden more.

words of another dreamy traveller