Tag Archives: belgium

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Belgian Tripel, Belgium, Brouwerij Haacht NV

Tongerlo Prior Tripel

Sunday, 30 August 2015 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Brouwerij Haacht NV
Country: Belgium
ABV: 9%
Style: Belgian Tripel

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 and wheat malt.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.51
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.4

Intro: A 330ml bottle with a best before date of 10th October 2016 and poured into a Chimay goblet glass.
Appearance: The beer poured a clear deep golden colour with a fluffy two finger white head which lasts a long time and leaves stringy lacing.
Aroma: Mainly bready malts and unripe banana with hints of pear.
Taste: Flavour is strong with sweet banana, clove, honey and bready malts. There was also a hint of spicyness and the booze comes through towards the end.
Mouthfeel: Dry, medium bodied with good carbonation.
Overall: This was quite a nice tripel especially when comparing its price to other decent tripels.

1 - Poor (never again), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Brouwerij Van Honsebrouck N.V., Fruit Beer

Bacchus Kriekenbier

Friday, 31 July 2015 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Brouwerij Van Honsebrouck N.V.
Country: Belgium
ABV: 5.8%
Style: Fruit Beer
Other Notes: 15% cherries, beer flavoured with cherries, beer with sugar and sweetener, contains barley malt and wheat.

Brewer Description: (from wrapping) Van Honsebrouck is a family owned brewery in West Flanders Belgium. It makes a range of beers including Bacchus, a beer in the local style of the region. This is the beer on which kriek is based, as well as framboise, a premium fruit beer for which Belgium is well known. Hand wrapped and presented in half champagne bottles, these are remarkable beers.

My rating: 1
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.17
My ratebeer.com rating: 2.8

Intro: A 375ml wrapped bottle with a best before date of 22nd May 2016 and poured into an oversized wine glass.
Appearance: The beer poured a clear deep ruby colour with a one finger very light pink head that dissipated slowly ending in patches of foam and nice lacing.
Aroma: Mainly sweet cherry and raspberry. Basically candy berry smells.
Taste: Sweet tart cherry, a little bit artificial but getting to the cough syrup flavours that I like so much.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with light to medium carbonation.
Overall: This was nice, although maybe a little on the sweet side. However unfortunately, according to the wrapping, it seems they add Stevia to the beer. I don’t use sugar substitute sweeteners in anything ever, and I don’t see why I need to start doing so in beers.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgian Witbier, Belgium, Brouwerij van Hoegaarden

Hoegaarden Original White Ale

Friday, 24 July 2015 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Brouwerij van Hoegaarden
Country: Belgium
ABV: 4.9%
Style: Witbier

Brewer Description: (from website) 500 years of hard work went into making this beer that features the aroma of orange peel, coriander and herbs that the merry monks imported from sunny Curacao. Speaking of which: pouring Hoegaarden is just like letting the sun fall into your glass: light yellow and naturally murky. And the soft foam adds a cloudy finish. And then there’s the soft taste, light and slightly sweet and sour and with subtle citrus notes… ah, just go ahead and taste it instead of reading about it!

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.8
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.6

Intro: A 330ml bottle with a best before date of 2nd March 2016 and poured into a Hoegaarden pint glass.
Appearance: The beer poured a hazy straw yellow with a one finger white head that dissipates slowly into a thin creamy layer with nice curtain like lacing.
Aroma: Starts with wheat bready malt aromas before leading into some banana, honey, spice and bubblegum.
Taste: Some breadiness at the beginning followed by banana, honey sweetness and a tinge or citrus orange and clove to finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with medium to high carbonation.
Overall: A good beer that is refreshing and quite tasty. Internationally, it is probably the most recogniseable and easily accessible witbier. In Hong Kong its price is very competitive as most good craft is at least double the price.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Belgian Pale Ale, Belgium, Brouwerij Haacht NV

Tongerlo 6 Blonde

Wednesday, 8 July 2015 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Brouwerij Haacht NV
Country: Belgium
ABV: 6%
Style: Belgian Pale Ale

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.3
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.3

Intro: A 330ml bottle with a best before end date of 4th June 2016 and poured into a D’Achouffe tulip glass.
Appearance: It poured a slightly hazy copper colour with a huge three finger head. Most of it dissipated within a minute but it left some thick lacing on the glass.
Aroma: Some slight funk at first followed by some fruity banana and apples, caramel and honey. There are also some bread, cracker malt aromas.
Taste: Flavour is sweet banana and honey first, but there’s definitely candied sugar, bubblegum and caramel mixed in.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, medium to high carbonation, sticky.
Overall: This was not bad but perhaps slightly too sweet for me. Leffe is also a tad too sweet for me, but I still may prefer Leffe slightly more.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Belgian Tripel, Belgium, Brouwerij St. Bernardus NV

St. Bernardus Tripel

Thursday, 11 June 2015 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Brouwerij St. Bernardus NV
Country: Belgium
ABV: 8%
Style: Tripel

Brewer Description: (from website) St. Bernardus Tripel is a traditional abbey ale brewed in the classic “Triple” style of Belgium’s best Abbey Ales. It has a blond to pale amber color with a wonderful head, slightly sweet aroma and the orangey-grassy flavors of hops in the finish. Wonderfully drinkable and surprisingly light.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.7
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.7

Intro: Bought this 330ml bottle from Bangkok, Thailand and took it back to Hong Kong in my suitcase as mostly can only find the Abt 12 quad version in Hong Kong. It has a best before date of 7th August 2016 and was poured into a Chimay goblet.
Appearance: The beer poured a hazy murky dark gold colour with one finger creamy white head that has great retention but leaves a nice set of stringy lacing.
Aroma: Mainly floral and citrus lemon and lime aromas along with some bready buscuit malt.
Taste: Taste is sweet fruity pear and some caramelised banana, maybe even banana bread. The bready malts come through and the finish is slightly bitter and peppery.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, medium to high carbonation and somewhat dry.
Overall: This is a pretty good tripel but not my favourite. I still prefer the La Trappe and Westmalle versions more as this was less fruity overall.

words of another dreamy traveller