Belgium beers to bring back?

[enricocoron]

I've got to go to Germany for work but am training from London to Brussels and spending 3 days in Belgium before heading to Cologne for one night and on. What beers should I bring back? Westvleteren and Castillon (sp?) tops my list but I don't want to buy beers I can get here....Westmalle, Chimay, DT, Dupont, Rochefort are all available here and as I understand it the trappist breweries rarely do specialities. As it is I'm hopping the train out of Brussels straight to Bruge the first afternoon, and hope to get to the half moon brewery there for the last tour of the day and sample some of the finest that night, then rent a car and head south that day to Westvleteren and a couple other spots around there, i had originally intended to head back to Bruge for the night and then to Ghent (DT) the next day, but am thinking to make my way more across the south of the country towards the Lambeek area and then to Rochefort and Le Chouffe before winding up back in Brussels. I'm hoping you can rent a car in Bruge and drop in Brussels where my train to Cologne leaves from. Anyway, what would you all bring back and what sites would you not want to miss? I've been to Brussels and Ghent before but wasn't really into Belgian beers then, only British and American style Ales. I really like Dubbels and Tripels, Saisons, and strongs, but would like to develop a taste for the more wild stuff as well.

 

[mbauer013]

Cantillion, you can hardlly find it in the states,

 

[DisturbdChemist]

If you can get a hand on Westlvetren while your over there or Palms

 

[enricocoron]

I think Palm Pale Ale is very commonly found in the US, at least it is in San Diego. Westvleteren and Cantillon top my list for sure. Rochefort, Dupont Saison, Chimay, Westmalle, Orval, and DT are all in a liquor store in downtown SD. Besides Duvel, and the lagers like Primus and Jupiler I'm not really sure what else to look for. I did read Michael Jackson's book but the problem with that it seems he never met a beer he didn't really really like so it made it feek that I need 3 months instead of 3 days.

 

[GritCityBrewer]

I'm jealous! I was lucky enough to travel for work to Belgium and Netherlands 10 times last year. It seems that my favorites are all relatively easy to find in beer stores now. One favorite of mine that I rarely find is Delirium Tremens, I think the brewery is in Ghent. Others are Rodenbach Grand Cru and St.Bernardus Abt 12.

 

[enricocoron]

Delerium really? It's like in every corner liquor store in my neighborhood....it is an excellent beer though, one of my favorites for sure. Maybe there is just a California importer for it. Thanks for the tip, Rodenbach Grand Cru and St. Bernardus Abt 12, duly noted.

 

[enricocoron]

Bevmo has St. Bernardus Abt 12 and Rodenbach Grand Cru......does Bevmo have some kind of deal with the devil? I think I'll just homebrew over there and bring it back,then at least it won't be at bevmo

 

[killian]

Westvleteren 12 was amazing, I would buy as much as I could get my hands on. I would also have to see what orval tasted like fresh and maybe look to see if i could find any blenders.

 

[Akavango]

As a belgian, I would definitely recommend a visit to the bier temple. You will find a wicked selection and most likely some westvleteren. I hear the blond is really good to but I have only tried the 12 and the 8.
https://maps.google.com/maps?q=De+B...+Herbes,+1000+Bruxelles,+Belgium&z=17&iwloc=A

just around the corner you will find the delirium Cafe, with 3 different bars in the same location. On the ground floor you have 27 draught beer available. I never made it to the other 2 bars but I was told that they have a selection of several thousand beers in the bottle.

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Deli...idélité,+1000+Bruxelles,+Belgium&z=17&iwloc=A

You will have a hard time choosing a bar in that part of Brussels because there are some many worthy ones.

Enjoy.

 

[enricocoron]

Thanks Akavango! I will check these out....do you know how long the 'drive through' line at Westvleteren usually takes? I read if they are selling the 12 that day there can be quite a long line of cars before they open at 10. I have arranged to tour the Brouwerij Van Steenberge (piraat and golden draak) as well as Delerium....I will try to tour la chouffe, rodenbach, de halve maan, and cantillon as well. It's a lot to juggle in but I will try.

 

[ReverseApacheMaster]

Stella, obviously. lol

 

[FuelshopMcgee]

Unfortunately you can't just go to the drive-thru and pick up Westy 12's you have to call on the dedicated day and reserve your spot to pick them up. If you don't get through on the phone you don't get any crates. You can however go to their restaurant (if it's open) and pick up I believe 2 6 packs per person. Here is the site showing the times to call and when you can pick up. Looks like for the next few weeks it's already all spoken for. http://www.sintsixtus.be/eng/brouwerijactueel.htm

I live in Germany and I've had the chance to pick up several racks and plan on stocking up on many more before moving back to the states (I leave in 2014).

If you're into funky beers try to pick up some Fantome...his beers are awesome!

 

[Obliviousbrew]

Hi there I was on beer holidays in Holland and Belgium last October and maybe I can recomend you a few things, I don´t know what you can get in the US, so I will recomend you what IMHO is the best to get (outside of what you can propably get easy in the US)I was in several breweries / beer bars / beer stores while i was there. Besides some Westy and Cantillon (I just don´t like lambics) do you guys get any Het Anker easly there? I just love their Cuvee Van de Keizer, the blue specially. Het anker is situated in Mechelen half way trough from Brussels to Antwerpen (around 20 miles) besides the brewery, they have a restaurant and store and they are the only brewery that haves a hotel (yes you can sleep at the brewery) Sometimes they carry old vintages of their Cuvee when I was there i picked up 6 bottles of the 2000 vintage for the same price than the newer ones!!! That was around 6 dollars a 75cl bottle, in a beer bar if they have somehting like that it will cost you no less than 35 - 50 dollars so a great bargain an a great beer to try if you haven´t. while in Mechelen there is a beer bar called "Den Stille Genitien" that opens at nigth time (usually after 8 but you never know when the guy is gonna open) is a crappy looking bar with a great beer list and great prices there you will get the cheapeast Westveleteren outside the abbey. I think it was €3.40 for a blonde Westy, 3.8€ for the 8 and 4.2€ for the 12, the only bad thing is that they will not sale beer to take with you.
Another of course, Struisse, if you go to Brugge (if you are going to the Halve Maan you will) remember that you have the Struisse beer shop rigth in the center of Brugge, a great selection of almost all of their brews to take with you and a few on tap to try there... and nearby you have the Gambrinus beer bar and the Brugges Beertje? I just can´t remember how that was spelled.
And look also for propably beers that are not well knowed but great: try the Viven IPA (very nice) or the Prearis Quadrupel.

 

[Obliviousbrew]

Some have mentioned the biertemple and the delirium café I think they are allrigth but did not like them that much. In Brussels I prefer beermania for a bottle store and if you like Lambic ( I don't) Moeder. If you are around Antwerpen the Kulminator bar is a must for aged and rare beers, plus they serve several westvleteren vintages

 

[enricocoron]

I think I will try to pick up just two six packs of westy at the restaurant then, or else try to buy it in Bruge at the bottle shop. I like the sound of the Het Anker....I'll see if I can at least grab a bottle at a shop.

BTW I found a hidden gem in London, the Kernel Brewery. the brewer Evin showed me his 20 bbl brewhouse and poured me a single hopped Galaxy IPA that was amazing. He also had an IPA with Amarillo/simcoe/summit/chinook and a single hop citra as well as an excellent stout from a recipe he resurrected from 1890. He uses london water for the stout and burtonized his pale water. if you are ever in london check him out in Bermondsey, south of the tower bridge.

 

[enricocoron]

So if you go to Westvleteren know you are permitted to drink in the cafe, which i did but not much because i drove there...and you could buy a gift pack(one per person) that contained 2 bottles of blond, 1 8 and 1 12, with a glass and coaster 24 euros which is a total rip off. Most locals don't like whats become of the place. Some great beers were Avec les bon vous, Arabier(mad brothers), de Graal(best golden strong or tripel i had), Duvel triple hop, St. Bernardus abt. 12, 2009 Orval (room temp), Rochefort (all), Hughyes dry hopped Amarillo 'Le Guillotine', for Geuze lovers I thought Le marriage parfait and Drie Fountainen were tops.

Some i'm aging, some have been drank already. Don't bother with westy unless you get an appt. for the drive through, and then i'd ship them home. The westy 12 in the cafe is also too young to be served but they don't care.