Belgian Beers

[WildGingerBrewing]

I know that I will probably incur the wrath of the beer gods for this, but I don't like Belgian beers. Is anyone with me on this? I know it's the envogue thing and I know there are a ton of you guys that like them and brew them,, but I just don't see the appeal. I also understand that it probably a gateway beer for BMC drinkers and that's great. But the zest, the corriander, it just doesn't work for me. Every now and then I will drink a Belgian Wit that a fellow homebrewer made and I appreciate the beer but just don't really care for the style. I know I'm not alone in this, right? FWIW, I like pale ales, IPA's and porter's mostly and I like big beers.

Ok, bring on the rants...

 

[Hammy71]

The only Belgium beer I actually love is Chimay.....some I can tolerate and others I can't.

 

[BrettV]

BLASPHEMER! MODS, TO THE DUNGEON WITH THIS ONE! All kidding aside, is it just Belgian Wits you don't like? Because they brew a lot of different styles in that country. A saison is not a wit is not a trappist is a not a lambic is not a... you get my point.

 

[DrinkinSurfer]

Spiced beers are one thing, I easily tire of those. But, many Belgians are extremely well balanced or accent specific and unique flavors. I personally love the the esters present in many Belgians. I haven't had a wit in over a year though...

 

[WildGingerBrewing]

All vey good points. I guess I should be more specific. I don't lilke wits or trappists. I don't like the spiced beers. I do like Lambic very much. At least what I have had. I will admit that I have not experienced a lot of Belgian beers because the ones I've had I didn't like so I gave up on trying the style. Chimay, for example, I hated. I tried all 3 of them one night and didn't finish any of them. I don't really like anything from New Belgium Brewing. Those are belgian beers, right? Maybe I haven't tried the right Belgian brews.

 

[BrettV]

New Belgium brews in Colorado, but they do brew some beers in the Belgian style. Try a golden ale like Delirium Tremens or Duvel, or a Belgian IPA.

 

[Scimmia]

I don't really like anything from New Belgium Brewing. Those are belgian beers, right? Maybe I haven't tried the right Belgian brews.

The only Belgian beer they make are in their Lips of Faith series. Don't let the name fool you.

 

[impur]

I'm with ya on the taste, i don't like Saisons, or wits, or spiced beers. I got strong esters in my first batch i brewed and cannot drink it. I use it to cook with though.

 

[WildGingerBrewing]

The only Belgian beer they make are in their Lips of Faith series. Don't let the name fool you.

I thought the Abbey, the 1554, skinny dip and tripple were all belgian styles?

 

[WildGingerBrewing]

I'm with ya on the taste, i don't like Saisons, or wits, or spiced beers. I got strong esters in my first batch i brewed and cannot drink it. I use it to cook with though.

Yay, I'm not alone!

 

[arturo7]

For me DT, is disgusting. As are the other cloying Belgians. I really don't see how anyone can enjoy drinking a Gulden Drak.

Now the funky stuff, the horse blankets and sours, this I enjoy.

 

[Scimmia]

I thought the Abbey, the 1554, skinny dip and tripple were all belgian styles?

There's nothing belgian about 1554 or skinny dip at all. I wasn't thinking about the Explorer series. The Abbey is belgian, but I wasn't impressed. I haven't had the trippel.

 

[motobrewer]

I thought the Abbey, the 1554, skinny dip and tripple were all belgian styles?

only the Abbey and Tripple is a belgian-style

1554 is a black ale.
Skinny Dip is an American Blonde.

i'd suggest reading up on belgians and discovering what they actually are. "Belgian" is a very diverse and broad moniker.

Try Delirium Tremins (or Delirium Nocturnum) or La Chouffe Houblon IPA

 

[WildGingerBrewing]

Well I didn't like any of them! haha

 

[wendelgee2]

Not to be a pita, but a lot of the yummy peppery belgian character mentioned in this thread is not from esters but phenols.

 

[BrookdaleBrew]

At one time I was in the same boat. I hated Belgian beers because of the yeast character. Then I tried Stone's 09.09.09 Vertical Epic, which was a porter brewed with a Belgian yeast strain. That was my gateway beer. For some reason I loved the taste of darker malts mixed with Belgian yeast flavors.

Since then I have been slowly branching out. I tried some Belgian IPAs and now I'm learning to appreciate Belgian dark ales, tripels and quads. Last night I had Allagash FOUR and loved it. They were an aquired taste for me, but hey, so was beer in general at one point in time.

 

[jgln]

Not a huge fan of corriander either but it is ok, not a big spiced beer guy basically. But I love Belgian beers overall.

 

[steinsato]

I like Golden Strongs, Saisons, and Wit's but can't stand Dubbels and Trippels

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

I am a fan of most of the Belgian flavors but despise the "belgian" level of carbonation. So, I let just about everything off gas a while before I start to drink.

And then there is Orval. Blech. Or Brett character in general. Sorry, if I wanted to taste barnyard I'd roll her in the hay.

 

[motobrewer]

Sorry, if I wanted to taste barnyard I'd roll her in the hay.

awesome.

 

[Teromous]

I know it's the envogue thing and I know there are a ton of you guys that like them and brew them,, but I just don't see the appeal.

People don't like them because they're stylish popular beers. They like them because they enjoy the beer. There's always posts about people who don't enjoy this style, don't enjoy that style, "am I crazy", etc. It runs the gambit from fruit beers to barleywines. Did you expect every person alive to have the same opinion as you? Personally I think there are far to many Belgian styles and breweries to generalize my feelings into one category.

 

[jgln]

I am a fan of most of the Belgian flavors but despise the "belgian" level of carbonation. So, I let just about everything off gas a while before I start to drink.

And then there is Orval. Blech. Or Brett character in general. Sorry, if I wanted to taste barnyard I'd roll her in the hay.

Funny you mention that, as that is exacty what I like about Duvel. I really like the crispness of it, something different.

 

[prosper]

'belgian' is a VERY wide ranging category. Some I like, many I don't. Saisons were my 'gateway' - light on the phenols (especially if allowed a couple months to age), with lots of citrussy esters that play very nicely with hops. Witbiers, I'm bipolar about, and I'm a huge fan of Orval.

Other belgians I really don't care for, like Chimay or Rochefort (though I do get an occasional craving for Rochefort 8). I can't stand Unibroue.

Basically, you can't just try one, then paint all 'Belgian' beers with the same brush.

 

[BrettV]

Personally I think there are far to many Belgian styles and breweries to generalize my feelings into one category.

+1

I used to get so pissed at the beer bar I worked at when people would say "I don't like American beer" because what they REALLY meant was "I don't like light lagers." As soon as I shoved something like an Ommegang Three Philosophers, Allagash White, or a Dogfish ANYTHING their way their tune changed.

 

[skx]

weird... i had both open and did the quick reply in the buying commercial beer thread..... went in here tho...

 

[motobrewer]

Oh yeah, and on occaision i will bring a corney down to the local brewery (Oakshire) and have em fill it for me. $50 is pretty good for over 5gallons of really excellent beer!

wrong thread i believe

 

[BrettV]

Oh yeah, and on occaision i will bring a corney down to the local brewery (Oakshire) and have em fill it for me. $50 is pretty good for over 5gallons of really excellent beer!

Wait...what?

 

[JJL]

Not a huge fan of corriander either but it is ok, not a big spiced beer guy basically. But I love Belgian beers overall.

+1....I'm generally not big on spiced beer either, particularly coriander or peppery spices. I'm kind of 50/50 on sour beers. Some are really good, and some I just don't like. But the abbey beers, goldens, doppels, trippels, I really like those.

 

[skx]

On an actually thread related note, i tried a saison yesterday (From Pelican Brewery) that was really tasty. I am going to try making one now.

 

[bradneal]

Probably my favorite beer on the planet is Carmelite Triple. To me it's the top rung of the beer ladder.

But you're right, Belgian's aren't for everyone. My closest friend hates Belgian beer, and I would consider him advanced and discerning at judging good beer (except when it comes to Belgians, of course). ;-)