Belgian Beer Festival..Wow

A local bar is having a Belgian beer festival soon. They have released a list of the beers they are going to be serving. I'm a bit overwhelmed by the huge list. Are there any must try beers on the list? I know everyone has a different preference, but what would you definetly want to try?

Achouffe N'Ice
Achouffe la Chouffe
Achouffe Houblon Chouffe
Alvinne Bolleville
Alvinne Caper Fumatis
Alvinne Extra
Alvinne gaspar
Alvinne Melchior
Alvinne Oak Kersaus 2008
Alvinne oak Melchior
Alvinne Podge
Alvinne Wild Morpheus
Alvinne Wild Undressed
Bellegems Bruin
Biere Du Boucanier dark
Blanche De Bruxelles
Blaugies Darbyste
Blaugies la Moneuse
Blaudies La Moneuse Special Winter
Bockor Cuvee Des Jacobins
Boelens Santa Bee
Bourgogne Des Flanders
Brouwkot Kalle
Brouwkot Netebuk
Brouwkot Vlaskappele
Cantillon Kriek
Cantillon Lou Pepe Kriek
cantillon Rose De Grambrinus
Cazeau Saison
Cazeau Tourany De Noel
Chimay Cinq Cents
Contreras Valier Divers
Contreras valier Extra'
De Dochter Van de Korenaar Bravoure
De Dochter van De Korenaar Embrasse
De Dochter Van De Korenaar Finesse
De Dochter Van De Korenaar Noblesse
De Dochter Van De Korenaar Noblesse Extra Ordinaire
De Dolle Dulle Teve
De Dolle Oerbier
De Glazen Toren Angeligue
De Glazen Toren Canaster
De Glazen Toren Jan De Lichter
De Glazen Toren Ondinke
De Glazen Toren Saison De Epre Mere Einejaar
De Hoevbrouwers Toria
De Hoevbrouwers Toria Triple
De La Senne Equinox
De La Senne Taras Boulba
De La Senne Zinnebier
Malhuer 10
De Proef Monstre Rouge
De Proef Les Duex Brasseurs
De Ranke Saison De Dottignies
Delirium Noel
Delirium Tremens
Scaldis Cuvee Des trolls
Scaldis Noel
Scaldis Peche Mel
Scaldi
Dupont Avec Les Bons Voeux
Dupont Foret
Dupont Saison
Duvel Green
Echt Krieknebier
Ellezelloise HerculeStout
Ellezelloise Quintine Blonde
Geants Goliath
geants Saison Voisin
Geants Urchon
Geants Noel De Geants
Gulden Draak Vinatge
Het Alternatief Bitter Truth
Het Alternatief Ambertantrik
Hof Ten Dormaal Blonde
Hof Ten Dormaal Amber
jandrian Jandrenouille IV
Jandrian Janrenouille V cense
Kerkom Bink Triple
La Divine Dark
La Rulles Cuvee
La Rulles Triple
Leifmans Cuvee Brut
Leroy Christmas
Oud Beersel framboise
Palm
Pauwell Kwak
Petrus Aged Pale Ale
Petrus Winter
Rodenabch Red
Roman Sloeber Rossa
Sileriuxx Noel
Silly Enghien Noel
Silly Saison
Silly Scotch De Silly
Sint canarus Triple
Slaapmutske Kerstmutske
St bernardus Christmas
St Feuillien Cuvee De Noel
St Feuillien Saison
St Feuillien Triple
St Feuillien Biere DeL Amitie
Stillwater Saison Darkly
Struise Black ALbert
Struise Black Damantion Black Mes
Struise Black Damantion Coffee Club
Struise Black Damantion Mocha Bomd
Struise*Ignis & Flamma
Struise Pannepot Reserva 2008
Struise Panneput(Danish Version)
Struise Red Haired Jaenne
Struise Rosse
Struise Tjseeses
Struise Tjseeses Reserva
Smisje Vuuve
Smisje Blonde
Smisje Kerst
Smisje Sleedorn
Smisje Wostijnte
Smisje BBBourgondier
Triple Karmeliet
troubadour magma

SOME NEW BOTTLES FOR THIS YEARS FEST:

Alvinne Cuvee Freddy
Cantillon Fou Foune
De Dochter Van De Korenaar Embrasse Whiskey barrel
De La Senne Wasdesa #1
De Struise Struiselensis
Duvel triple Hop
Hanssens Scarebecca Kriek
La Rulles Grand 10
Lambruch
Leifmans Goudenbacd
Stillwater of Love & regret
T Gaverhopke Koerseklakse
Vapeur De Bises

I thought I'd tried a decent amount of beer, but this list makes me rethink that.

Delirium Tremens, if you haven't already?

I got nothing so, bump.

Delirium Tremens is one beer on the list that I've actually tried before. Same for Triple Karmeliet.

go with 3 friends and a designated driver, split each one between the friends. do this till someone falls, then go home

we use a rental car, just in case

De Struisse Pannepot is a fantastic quad.

Cantillon Lou Pepe is one of the great krieks in the world. It is pretty high on the sour scale, so it's worth having tried some more mellow sours beforehand so you know what you're getting into.

The De Struise Imperial Stouts are great if you like that genre. The Black Damnation II (Mocha Club) and IV (Coffee Club) and the Black Albert are particular standouts (Black Albert's the one they brew in honor of Ebenezer's Pub in Lovell, Maine).

Lambrucha is a really interesting beer, brewed with kombucha tea. Worth a taste, it's a love/hate one for sure but a real envelope pusher.

Hof Ten's Blonde is very nice.

Alvinne Caper Fumatis is a very good smoked beer, but not particularly Belgian tasting

2 great ones that I only hesitate on because they're not _that_ hard to find at specialty beer stores in the US:
Almost everything St Bernardus makes is really great; their christmas ale is no exception.
Leifman's Goudenbrand is a very off-beat Oud Bruin that's worth a try on its own merits but not representative of the style. It's not very sour. I go back and forth on whether I like it, but it's an odd one for sure.


Maybe someone else can chime in on the Belgian pale ales; none of my favorites are on the list (aside from the great but easily available ones).

The first one on the list was real interesting. Nice chouffe. It's I think 14% but very drinkable, champagne like carbonation.

Man, that's gonna be a long day...

I clearly live in the wrong place.

woah... just woah...

Can't wait. I hear the sours go very fast.

May I ask what bar and when they're having this? Baltimore is not too far of a trip from here and it may be something I would be interested in doing.

There are 2 places here with around 100 Belgians, which is great since most of the beer places here suck.

The strategy I use when drinking at those places is to avoid anything I can get at a store. If you can get it at a store, you can drink it at home. Drink the unusual ones you never see in the store.

That being said, there's a ton on that list I've never even heard of. Hopefully the menu has some info so you can make an informed decision.

Enjoy!

juslod said:

May I ask what bar and when they're having this? Baltimore is not too far of a trip from here and it may be something I would be interested in doing.

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Max's Taphouse in Fell's Point.

Is that Max's? They do a belgian fest every year. It gets very very crowded, so get there early.

Definitely try the Scaldis beers. They are dynamite.

Anyone been to the Fest yet? I'll be there around 4pm today, hoping it's not completely crazy.

Max's is a great place! I love their selection.

I've heard Cantillon is amazing, I'd love to try their beers.

The De Glazen Toren Canaster is my favorite scotch ale. Their saison is very good, too.

That would put me into a coma if I tried to sample each one. Would be a great coma though.

You must have ALL the Cantillon. DuPont is great too (though it's often skunked when you buy bottles at the liquor store, sadly). The bar should be taking care of their bottles.

That's such a tasty list.

I'm a fan of la Chouffe. But I'd be interested to try something from Struise.

theonetrueruss said:

I clearly live in the wrong place.

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That's the truth. Makes me thirsty just looking. Lot of stuff on there that I haven't tried, but definitely want to. I do like me some Pauwel Kwak. I'm sure there are some other beers in there that I would like more, but it is definitely a good one. Love the Kwak glass/holder as well.

Dulle teve will blow your mind. Best beer i ever had.

Wow. Have fun. Make sure to get a DD so you can properly pass out.

Dupont Avec Les Bons Voeux. The Saison and Foret are both great, but Avec Les Bons Voeux is pretty rare to come across in my experience and very, very good!

I'd try them all in moderation and be sure to spit out plenty....Many of the imported beligian beers are oxidized...And there is nothing worse than buying a nice bottle of ale to take home only to have the cork...never pop...Oooh god it makes me want to cry.

The Houblon pours a really nice thick head if you pour it right. If you insist on pouring your beers like every idiot American...then you miss the point...Sorry folks I'm sicking of tilting the glasses. Pour it upright and slow...let it layer up like a an expensive coffee drink.

If I pay 10$ for a beer It'd better have a damn tall head.

I'm assuming this beer fest is long past gone, how was it? Will they be doing it again next year? I'm close enough that I'd hit B-more for an evening for that kind of a beer list.

OldWorld said:

If you insist on pouring your beers like every idiot American...

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OldWorld said:

I think Americans are too obsessed with adding more of everything.

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How about you F off OldWorld. Your **** is getting old already.

Wow that is an amazing line up... I would take a week off of work to do something like that. There is no Belgian beer available in my town unfortunately.

OldWorld said:

I'd try them all in moderation and be sure to spit out plenty....Many of the imported beligian beers are oxidized...

If you insist on pouring your beers like every idiot American...

If I pay 10$ for a beer It'd better have a damn tall head.

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You don't deserve to be drinking beer of any kind with an attitude like that.

Saw the list and got all excited. Then I noticed the thread was almost a year old. Next time this happens I'm totally making the hike up there.

All of the Struise beers. Seriously.