Belgian Beers - What is all the hype?

[EinGutesBier]

My favorite all time Belgian beer is St Bernardus 12. It's a quadrupel and hits all the spots. The only bad thing about it is that it's about $11 or $12 a bottle.
It's so worth it though...

Those Belgians are good, but like you said they're costly. I try to make a habit of buying each kind once to give me inspiration on how I want to brew it at home. Way cheaper and a lot more rewarding...IMO the best Belgian out there is the one I haven't made yet.

 

[Will b]

belgian beers and their price is one of the main reasons I've started Homebrewing. I love them but it is hard to drop that kind of cash on them when there are many other good beers brewed right here in the US. Weyerbacher in PA has one called Merry Monks which is pretty good, and of course Unibrou in Canada has some great beers. Omegang has some good beers but I feel what I've had from them lacks that unique Belgium yeast flavor, even though their owned by Duvel. Also in that sample pack pic posted there was a bottle of Rochefort with an upside down label. I've only seen them with labels the right way, could that be some kind of collectors item?

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

Esters and Phenols and alcohol, oh my.

I adore the flavor of the Belgian styles but, I have to let them bubble out before I can tolerate them. I just can't stand the 32.6 volumes of carbonation most of them have.

Beyond that I think most of them are great, cept' Orval. Why on earth does anyone want to drink a liquid horseblanket, blech.

The oether side to the appealk is the "No limits" mentality of most of the Belgian brewers and their products. Anything goes, and usually it's guuuud.

 

[DeathBrewer]

i've never had a good bottle of Duvel. I don't know what it is. It tastes bland and kind of hot to me. maybe i've just had nothing but bad ones, but i've tried it several times with the same results.

i'll take Piraat over Duvel any day.

 

[Will b]

Yeah, Duvel's a little over hyped. Piraat is good, so is Gulden Draak.

 

[EinGutesBier]

I would like to add that Gouden Carolus makes one of the best Tripels I've ever had.

 

[Beerthoven]

Belgians take what would normally be considered flaws in other beers and turn them into an art form. I mean this in a good way. There are very few Belgian beers I've had that I don't like.

 

[brewmeone]

To be honest with you... I was a huge fan of german brews... I still am. But... in recent trips to Europe... I've had the opportunity to explore some of Belgium.

It's pretty easy to appreciate belgian beer... and it's diversity of styles by visiting Belgium. I found that while I love German brews... they're limited in their creativity. They brew precision beers.

In Belgium... the brewers have experimented and created a vast range of styles and flavors. You have beers that are intentionally brewed at warmer temperatures, to yield certain flavors from their yeast. They add spices (clear violation of the Reinheitsgebot!!!), fruit, and generally don't seem to be constrained with their creations. To go to a belgian beer bar and explore the menu is a true experience.

Oh... and here's a video of me and some friends enjoying a decent little Belgian beer called Westvleteren 12:
[YOUTUBE]DGiaxx85bHM[/YOUTUBE]

This beer was bottled in 1999... and opened just a few weeks ago. That's a 9 year old bottle of beer.

 

[springer]

Ice9, the Delerium Norturnum, have you tried it yet? The bottle has always intrigued me, but I've never picked one up. What style is it?

the Delerium Nocturnum and the tremens are very good . My wife tried them because she collects Elephants and wanted the bottle now there is always one or the other the frige.