Malheur 12 Belgian Dark Ale

Following a feed of moules frites in Brussels, I ordered a 330mL bottle of Malheur 12 Belgian Dark Ale (to aid with digestion or some such thing). The 12% ale poured with a fluffy off-white head and displayed a handsome burnt umber colour. Born in Buggenhout, Belgium, Malheur 12 is produced by Brewery de Landtsheer.

To my nose, the beer was malt-driven, sweet, and extremely warm, with notes of date and caramel. An extremely boozy flavour was cushioned around rich notes of dried fruit and tobacco.

A delightfully satisfying after dinner sipper, Malheur 12 was a large and bold Belgian ale with loads of depth. As it warmed, I found the flavours to expand even further, leaving me much pleased. As with many beers on the mischievous side of 10%, Malheur 12 was a bit sweeter than I’d have liked, but it sure warmed me up.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

Delta IPA

 When I came to Belgium, I wasn’t expecting to drink a whole lot of IPAs, and certainly not many good ones, but one of the first beers that I tucked into was a Delta IPA from the Brussels Beer Project—though it certainly put a healthy Belgian spin on it. Called a “saison IPA”, the 6% brew is made with saison yeast and a quintet of Cascade, Challenger, Citra, Mosaic, and Smaragd hops. Sold in 33cL bottles, the beer pours a dull gold colour with a fluffy white head.

Delta has a bold aroma with notes of grapefruit, lemon, and a healthy dose of wild yeast. The flavour walks a similar path, intersecting farmyard funk and dry texture with classic IPA elements—a good marriage of yeast, citrus and tropical fruits, and bitterness.

Brussels Beer Project strikes me as an incredibly cool operation. They brew innovative and sometimes unusual beers each year and allow their community to vote between four prototypes—the annual winner is added to BBP’s all star roster and becomes a permanent member of their stable. Delta was apparently the first winner back in 2013 and it clearly struck a chord because it can be found all over Brussels. I’m no stranger to hybrid “Belgian-style IPAs”, but I found Delta to have its own unique charm—rooted in its saison pedigree.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

Tripel D’Anvers

After a late night meal in Brussels with new friends, the Bitter Wife and I hit up a convenience store near our hotel and I came home with a bottle of Stadsbrouwerij De Koninck’s Tripel D’Anvers. The effervescent blond ale comes from Antwerp in 330mL bottles, weighing in at 8% alcohol. 

Tripel D’Anvers is a dull golden ale with loads of carbonation. It has a warm, yeasty aroma with notes of clove and banana. The flavour, too, has over-ripe banana notes, in addition to some citrus, spice, and a rowdy yeast profile and a fizzy texture. Perhaps a touch too sweet, but otherwise satisfying.

The fact that this low-key beauty is available at 11:30 PM at a dingy tobacconist is a truly remarkable facet of visiting Belgium.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

Blanche des Honnelles 1979

Blanche des Honnelles 1979 is billed as a “Dubble Wit”. It’s a 6% wheat beer from the Belgian Brasserie de l’Abbaye des Rocs. Sold in 330mL bottles, the beer is a dull bronze colour. It pours with an almost non-existent white head.

1979 has a hefty sweet wheat and yeast aroma. The flavour is also quite sweet—it has a yeasty vibe with notes of citrus, banana, and spice. The finish remains fairly sweet and has spicy, with not a lot of bitterness.

 

Honestly, I didn’t love this beer. I found its limited carbonation to be a major drawback. Similarly, the flavour was not nearly as assertive as I was hoping for. The double wit style—if there is such a thing—isn’t one that I have any experience with, but if 1979 is an exemplar, I’m not keen to dig much deeper. To my mind, witbiers ought to be crisp and light. Adding weight doesn’t totally float my boat. That said, if you’re a witbier zealot, this stuff might be really interesting to you.

Rating: 6.0 out of 10.

Westvleteren 12

When my ol' pal WFM returned from his honeymoon in Belgium, he came home with a sixer of Westvleteren 12, reputed to be the best beer in the world. Lucky me, I got to enjoy one 12 oz bottle of the stuff because my friend is magnanimous. At 10.2%, this brew is a hefty tripel. It's a hazy rusty ale that pours with a thick, creamy head. It comes from Sint Sextus Abbey in Vleteren, in West Flanders, Belgium.

W12 doesn't have a powerful aroma, but it has some serious subtlety, with notes of raisin, rich yeast, and some tart cherry. The flavour, though, isn't the least bit tart. It's very smooth, with yeasty, malty, and sweet, with raisin notes. Remarkably, the alcohol (10.2!!!) is barely detectable--brilliantly masked.

While I don't think I'd class it as the best in the world, W12 is a pretty damn tasty ale. It's very rich, criminally easy to drink, and strong as fuck. The flavour is extremely nuanced and compelling. Down to the lack of a label, this beer is unpresumptuous, letting the flavour do the talking.

Rating: 9.0 out of 10.

St-Feuillien Tripel

St-Feuillien Tripel is a Belgian abbey beer from Le Roeulx, where it is crafted by Brasserie St-Feuillien. Sold in stubby 330mL bottles, this cloudy Ale is dull gold in colour, and pours with a thin covering of off-white head. At 8.5% alcohol, it has some ballast, but isn't nearly as potent as some other tripels out there.

S-F has a tart aroma that is both yeasty and fruity. The flavour, too, is fairly tart, with sour apple and white grape elements. As well, there are some yeasty notes, though less than in some other Belgian and Belgian-style brews. The finish is dry and has a faintly perfumed quality.

What I liked most about S-F was the fact that it was more tart than sweet. For such a strong beer, I found the flavour profile to be somewhat mild, but not unpleasant. The only real concern that I had was a slightly chemical taste that marred the finish for me. All told, a good but not great tripel. Buy again? Sure. I liked it, and the front end was unique.

Rating: 7.0 out of 10.

Précaris Quadrocinno

Précaris Quadrocinno is a Belgian quadrupel infused with coffee. At 9.5%, it has serious potency and heat. A dark brown ale under a tan head, Quadrocinno hails from Oedelem, Belgium. It's produced by Vliegende Paard Brouwers and comes in attractive, hefty 330mL bottles.

In spite of my expectation that the beer would have an assertive coffee scent, the nose was actually quite yeasty and boozy, with only a sprinkling of java. Likewise, the flavour has only a whisper of coffee, and is instead dominated by sweet, strong notes of roasted malt and dried fruit. However, coffee is in evidence at the finish, albeit subtly.

Very strong and sweet, Précaris Quadrocinno makes a lovely after dinner beer--with some strong cheese or a chocolate dessert, it would really sing. I was a tad disappointed that the coffee element didn't hold up to the boldness of the underlying quad, but pleased to find that the underlying quad was pretty good.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10.

Viven Porter

The 330mL bottle of Viven Porter refers to "The art of Belgian brewing," five words that make me thirsty. At 7% alcohol, this dark ale isn't shy. It comes from the Brouwerij van Viven, which, if I'm reading the label correctly, is located in Sijsele Damme, Belgium.

VP is pretty, deepest brown, and covered with a committed haze of tan head. It's aroma is intriguing, blending leather, malt, and yeast elements. The flavour is wonderfully bitter, and built around a pleasant, yeasty corpus. There are leathery notes, as well as a metaphorical handful of espresso beans.

 

Also worth noting, Viven Porter was almost criminally cheap. In Ontario, a 330mL bottle of this tasty Belgian import set me back a measly $2.65! That's some damn good value! It's a pretty grand little porter too. Very flavourful. It left me with few complaints and much satisfaction.

Rating: 9.0 out of 10.

Monk's Brew

Good lord! This is my 800th post. That's pretty rad!

Monk's Brew is a strong beer! I'd have called it a dubbel, except at 10% alcohol, it's too strong. Too dark to be a tripel, I'm going to call this a quadrupel. This stuff is brewed by the transient Danish brewer Mikkeller at De Proef Brouwerij in Lochristi-Hijfte, Belgium. Sold in 330mL bottles, this stuff has really compelling labels. It's a super swampy dark brown ale topped with a healthy tan head. It has a sweet nose with notes of raisin; very warm and malty. It's flavour doesn't have the high concentration of yeast notes that typify most Belgian beers, but it definitely has the booze.

Sweet but not syrupy, Monk's Brew has lots of dried fruit notes with an ever-so-slightly tangy finish. It tastes strong, but not diabolically so, and it's got sufficiently subtle hops to create balance. For a strong ale, Monk's Brew is surprisingly drinkable and has a restrained, thoughtful flavour. None too shabby.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

Saison From St-Feuillen

A Belgian saison, Saison From St-Feuillen hails from Roenlx, where it is brewed by by Brasserie St-Feuillen. It's listed as a Belgian farmhouse ale and clocks in at a punchy 6.5% alcohol. Sold in 330mL bottles, the stuff has sufficient life that it started foaming over as soon as I pried off the cap. The orange-brown is decidedly cloudy and looks a lot like a nice apple cider, except for a thick fog of ecru head.

Saison From St-Feuillen has a yeasty aroma that packs a tart, fruity essence. Its flavour is quite mild, yeasty, and buttressed by notes of apple. As expected, the mouthfeel is crisp and dry. The aftertaste is practically non-existent, but what little there is is dry, tart, and ever-so-faintly bitter.

I don't know where they're hiding the 6.5%, since it certainly doesn't taste that strong, but it's on the label, so it must be in there somewhere. What I'm saying is that the potency is expertly masked. The beer isn't quite as effervescent as I expected, but there is a hearty wallop of Belgian influence.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10.

Trappist Achel Bruin Bier

Trappist Achel Bruin Bier is a certified Trappist ale out of Achel, Belgium. It's brewed by the challengingly-named Brouwerij der Sint-Benedictusabdij de Achelse Kluis (according to Wikipedia--there was an irritating sticker over that piece of info on my 330mL bottle).

This Belgian brown ale is an "Authentic Trappist Product" and contains a hearty 8% alcohol. It's a hazy brown grog that pours with a very substantial cloud of cream-coloured head. It's aroma certainly isn't shy, with forceful malt notes, big booze presence, and, above all, lots of orchard fruit character. There's also a pretty cheeky yeast aroma. A very sweet beer, Achel has strong fruit notes--apple, pear, and fig are well represented. Like you'd expect from a strong Belgian ale, it's yeasty, malty, and boozily warm.

One of the sweeter and fruitier of the Trappists that I've tried, Achel Bruin still manages to be a fairly approachable exemplar of the style for drinkers interested in accessing a strong Belgian brew. It has an engrossing flavour and very few bad qualities.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

Trappistes Rochefort 10

Trappistes Rochefort 10 is a wildly strong abbey ale--it's potent like a trippel at 11.3%, but instead of a murky gold, it pours a dark, cloudy chestnut more characteristic of dubbels. It unbottles from its 330mL glass prison with a thin layer of cream-hued head, but this is short-lived. There is also a fair amount of sediment sitting at the bottom of my glass.

In terms of nose, 10 is fruity and warm, with raisin and berry notes--a very agreeable strawberry jam vibe was an unexpected treat. It's flavour is built on a malty, yeasty foundation. It's very gentle for such a strong ale--sweet, bashful fruit notes are plentiful, but nestled snugly and only begin to emerge as the beer warms. And speaking of warming, the alcohol lurks toward the finish, giving exhalations a boozy tint.

Born and bred in Rochefort, Belgium, and raised to maturity under the watchful eyes of Trappist monks at Abbaye St-Remy (it bears the "Authentic Trappist Product" emblem), 10 turned out to be a curious but cautious ale. Chalk-full of booze, it has a suggested playful quality, but uncapped, it is demure and restrained, with significant depth. A fine brew, 10 has more layers than an onion, and more alcohol than some pubs.

Rating: 9.0 out of 10.

Westmalle Dubbel

Westmalle Dubbel bears the logo of an authentic Trappist product. It comes from Antwerpsesteenweg, Malle, Belgium, where it's crafted by Brouwerij der Trappisten van Westmalle (Wikipedia cleared this up a bit for me--Westmalle, where the brewery is located, is one of two towns in Malle, a municipality in the Belgian province of Antwerp). This Belgian dubbel contains 7% alcohol and pours a deep reddish brown, beneath a loose cream head. It comes in shapely 330mL bottles.

As expected, Westmalle Dubbel has a yeasty aroma that has lively fruit notes. The nose primarily features notes of raisin, although there is a faint cranberry tartness, too. It's flavour is almost delicate, with soft floral notes mingling with more hearty yeast and malt ones. For a reasonably strong Belgian ale, this stuff is less assertive that might have been expected. Dried fruit flavours are represented, though they are not heavily emphasized. The finish is quite nicely balanced, with malt and a very agreeable dry hops quality sharing the spotlight with equanimity.

This is a very nice dubbel--restrained and mellow, yet still boozy and flavourful. While its not my favourite Belgian ale, I like it very much and I can think of no reason not to recommend this brew.

Rating: 9.0 out of 10.

Trappistes Rochefort 8

Trappistes Rochefort 8 is a Belgian ale marked with the "Authentic Trappist Product" logo. Brewed in Rochefort, Belgium at L'Abbaye St-Remy, the stuff contains a worthy 9.2% alcohol. It's sold in 330mL bottles. It's a cloudy, ruddy brown beer that exists underneath a veritable atmosphere of tan head that sticks around for the duration.

"Huit" has a nose that is yeasty, fruity, and packed with malt. The flavour opens like other Trappist beers that I have sampled: boozy, malt-driven, and supported by notes of raisin and apple. However, where the stuff sets itself apart is in the finish. While there are still lots of malt notes, but also a bit more bitterness than expected. For a strong, yeasty ale, the finish is quite short and verging on dry.

Trappistes Rochefort 8 has a pretty approachable flavour, but still provides loads of strength and a cartload of flavour. See it? Buy it.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

De Koninck

I had a nice little glass of Antwerp, Belgium's own De Koninck on tap at  a Toronto bar called the Village Idiot, which specializes in Euro-beers and which happens to be on my way home. According to the literature in the beer menu, De Koninck contains 5% alcohol. I was expecting amber, and found it, though with a bit more golden hue that I anticipated. It was clear and arrived with a snazzy chapeau of off-white head. It's brewed by the eponymous brewery.

This beer has a powerfully sweet, fruity aroma. In it are notes of apples and cranberries, as well as a respectable profile of malt and yeast. Its flavour is much less presumptuous than the nose, but likewise kicks off with fruity, malty vibes, before veering gently toward a short, dry, and only slightly bitter finish. De Koninck has a light, drinkable mouthfeel that I found to be a bit wanting and a tad watery.

De Koninck is a fine ale, though not one of Belgium's more interesting offerings. This stuff is much more accessible than tripels, quads, and the other tipples that make beer lovers salivate, but that accessibility comes at the expense of depth. Remember--this is still a Belgian beer, and one with lots of style and an unconventional flavour profile--it just isn't as deep as a Trappist dubbel. Had the mouthfeel been a bit more impressive, I'd have dug this beer a lot more.

Rating: 7.0 out of 10.

Vedett Extra White

Vedett Extra White comes from Puurs, Belgium, where it's cranked out by Duvel Moortgat. This light-bodied wit is sold in green 330mL bottles that sure have a lot going on. There's a cool stubby shape, and on the back label, are black and white photos, seemingly all of hipsters, with information about a website where you can submit your own photos. Down the side are instructions for pouring a witbier. Also, there's a logo with a polar bear inside a 10-pointed star.

 Vedett contains 4.7% alcohol and has the yellow-white colour of fresh butter. The brew pours with a bright white head that faded disappointingly fast. A very yeasty aroma has a bit of a tang. Despite the strong aroma, the mouthfeel is extremely thin, verging on watery, and there isn't much flavour for me to write about. There are some yeast notes, a touch of orange, and not much else.

Almost no aftertaste and a low alcohol content make this an extremely guzzle-able beer, and a thirst-quenching one, but the aroma promised a rich flavour that just wasn't delivered. I don't really see myself buying this stuff again, though if crisp, light beers are your jam, you might like it more than I did.

Rating: 5.0 out of 10.

Gouden Carolus--Cuvée van de Keizer-Jaargang 2013

Gouden Carolus--Cuvée van de Keizer-Jaargang 2013: a fine beer with a mouthful for a name. It comes from Mechelen, Belgium, where it's brewed by Brouwerij Het Anker. This stuff, which I presume to be an ale, is listed as an extra strong beer; apt, since it contains an unyielding 11% alcohol. It comes in jumbo corked 750mL bottles that can bring a drinker to his or her knees.

This is a swampy brown brew with some bright copper highlights. It pours beneath a very thick tan head. A very yeasty nose has notes of raisin and, perhaps not surprisingly, alcohol. It's an extremely sweet brew with a syrupy mouthfeel. There are notes of raisins and rum, along with considerable boozy pop. The finish has a slight bitter twist, but this stuff is really all about the malt and sweet.

I enjoyed this brew on a chilly December evening with a cigar. Clear your schedule if you're going to brave this bottle, because it is S.T.R.O.N.G. It's too powerful and sweet for anything more than special occasion quaffing.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10.

Houblon Chouffe

Houblon Chouffe comes from Brasserie D'Achouffe, in Achouffe, Belgium. I had a glass on tap at a beer bar that I've commuted past almost every day for the last several years, but never checked out until my streetcar was short-turned and there wasn't another coming by for ages. According to the tap list, this stuff is a Dobbelen IPA Tripel and contains a weighty 9% alcohol.

A hazy golden ale that arrived topped with a bright white head, but which subsided quickly. The aroma has big apple notes, considerable yeastiness, and rugged hop presence. This is a very easy-drinking strong beer. It has lots of Belgian elements--yeast, fruit notes, boozy blast. But it also has a spicy hop flavour that really drew me in.  Finish is very dry.

Fascinating little brew. A bit more hops aggression would have intrigued me further.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

Maredsous Brune 8

Maredsous Brune is, I think, a dubbel. It comes from Maredsous Abbaye, a Benedictine monastery in Belgium. I had a glass on tap at a Toronto beer bar that specializes in Belgian and Belgian-style ales. The hazy, ruddy brown brew topped with a thick tan head was served to me in abeautiful branded chalice. It contained a hearty 8% alcohol.  According to the tap list at the chill little pub, this beer is brewed according to the Benedictine monks' original recipe.

Great bar, but dark.

I found it to have a really powerful tart fruit aroma that really cleared my sinuses out. In contrast to the sharp aroma, the flavour and mouthfeel were really quite mellow for a strong beer. It's highly malty and undeniably fruit-driven. There are notes of pear and raisin. The finish has a tiny bump of hops, but overall, the stuff leans firmly toward malt. There is a dusting of tartness to wrap things up.

This was a sweet and strong beer--one that I really enjoyed and am glad to have tried, but one I won't be going back to anytime soon.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10.

Mort Subite Kriek Lambic

Mort Subite Kriek Lambic comes in a 375mL corked bottle.  It is brewed by Mort Subite (Alken-Maes), out of Lierput, Belgium. It's a tart, sour beer, a lambic flavoured with cherry and elderberry. A rose-hued brew, this stuff is relatively clear, amply carbonated, and topped with a thick, pinkish head. According to the bottle, this stuff is aged in oak and contains natural flavours, artificial sweetener, and artificial colour.

M.S.K.L. has a tart aroma that screams of sour cherries, and also comes with a dose of yeastiness. the flavour is certainly tart, but it is nowhere near as sour as I was expecting. I recall drinking a kriek in my youth and finding it distressingly sour. This beer features a very pleasant cherry flavour. A sourish lambic base provides the foundation, but it's muted.  The artificial sweetener really seems to take a lot of the bite out of the brew, which is unfortunate.

Mort Subite Kriek Lambic has a lively, fizzy mouthfeel and a low alcohol content that make it a very quaffable beer, but it's really not as tart or as electric as I'd have liked.

Rating: 6.5 out of 10.