Favorite Belgian style beer

[weller_tex]

I came late to the world of Belgian beer. Last year really. What is your favorite? I have split mine into daily drinkers and special beers..

 

Daily:

 

1) Duvel Triple Hop

2) Regular Duvel (8.5%)

3) Real Ale Devil's Backbone (a Texas Belgian style Tripel)

4) Fat Tire Abbey Ale (hard to find though)

 

Special occasion:

1) Trappiste Rochefort 10 (the best alcoholic beverage I have ever had, including PVW from the early 2000's).

2) St. Bernardus 12

3) Maredsous Tripel (Odd choice I know, but I love the peppery bite)

4) Trappiste Rochefort 6

 

[tanstaafl2]

The TR 10 is excellent and one of my favorites. Because it is generally available I don't tend to think of it as a special occasion beer since I can pretty much have it whenever I want it (Unlike Westvleteren XII for example which is good but hardly warrants the hype surrounding it to make much effort to search for it). The Westmalle Dubbel is nice as well.

[kevinbrink]

1 hour ago, tanstaafl2 said:

The TR 10 is excellent and one of my favorites. Because it is generally available I don't tend to think of it as a special occasion beer since I can pretty much have it whenever I want it (Unlike Westvleteren XII for example which is good but hardly warrants the hype surrounding it to make much effort to search for it). The Westmalle Dubbel is nice as well.

My favorite of the big dark Trappists is Achel Extra Bruin, followed by Rochefort 10, I don't think Westy XII really comes close to either. I love Belgians my gateway was definitely Ommegang Three Philosophers which, at least where I live, was one of the first widely distributed big Belgian style American beers back at the beginning of the Millennium, I still love it and it's little brother Abbey with all my heart. If I had to make a list of my favorite belgians I don't know where I would start, particularly since Belgian Beer is a broad category that includes a bunch of styles, Quads/Belgian Strong Darks, Tripels/Belgian Strong Pales, Abbeys/Browns/Bruins, Singles/Pales/Wittes/Paters, and the sour stuff like Lambics, Kreiks, Oud Bruins, Flanders etc... To the OP I strongly recommend drinking your way through what ever Trappist beers you can get your hands on if you want to explore Belgian beer. Honestly lots of great stuff and don't be afraid to buy random stuff off the shelf.

[weller_tex]

17 hours ago, kevinbrink said:

My favorite of the big dark Trappists is Achel Extra Bruin, followed by Rochefort 10, I don't think Westy XII really comes close to either. I love Belgians my gateway was definitely Ommegang Three Philosophers which, at least where I live, was one of the first widely distributed big Belgian style American beers back at the beginning of the Millennium, I still love it and it's little brother Abbey with all my heart. If I had to make a list of my favorite belgians I don't know where I would start, particularly since Belgian Beer is a broad category that includes a bunch of styles, Quads/Belgian Strong Darks, Tripels/Belgian Strong Pales, Abbeys/Browns/Bruins, Singles/Pales/Wittes/Paters, and the sour stuff like Lambics, Kreiks, Oud Bruins, Flanders etc... To the OP I strongly recommend drinking your way through what ever Trappist beers you can get your hands on if you want to explore Belgian beer. Honestly lots of great stuff and don't be afraid to buy random stuff off the shelf.

Yes true, Belgian is really too broad of a category. So far I have had Orval, Westmalle, a Flemish sour ale I can't remember name of, Ommegang Abbey and Three Philosophers, Val Dieux blonde and brown. Chimay Red and Blue. And a couple of Saisons..also Gulden Draak and Maredsous blonde and brune..

 

Tons more to go as you point out!

[tanstaafl2]

2 hours ago, weller_tex said:

Yes true, Belgian is really too broad of a category. So far I have had Orval, Westmalle, a Flemish sour ale I can't remember name of, Ommegang Abbey and Three Philosophers, Val Dieux blonde and brown. Chimay Red and Blue. And a couple of Saisons..also Gulden Draak and Maredsous blonde and brune..

 

Tons more to go as you point out!

 

I know that many American craft brewers do "Belgian style" beers but I still have a hard time calling them Belgian beers. Often too much hops to suit the current American craze for hoppy beers or other things added to them to make them standout in the craft crowd. I think it is perfectly fine for those that like them but I can't recall having one I thought was truly the equivalent of the better Belgian beers. Ommegang may be one of the better American versions but it still isn't as good as Chimay or Rochefort or Westmalle, etc. to me.

 

Which is not to say every Belgian beer is excellent but when I want Belgian beer I pretty much stick to Belgian beers!

[dcbt]

2 minutes ago, tanstaafl2 said:

 

I know that many American craft brewers do "Belgian style" beers but I still have a hard time calling them Belgian beers. Often too much hops to suit the current American craze for hoppy beers or other things added to them to make them standout in the craft crowd. I think it is perfectly fine for those that like them but I can't recall having one I thought was truly the equivalent of the better Belgian beers. Ommegang may be one of the better American versions but it still isn't as good as Chimay or Rochefort or Westmalle, etc. to me.

 

Which is not to say every Belgian beer is excellent but when I want Belgian beer I pretty much stick to Belgian beers!

I agree with this wholeheartedly.  The few American craft 'Belgian' style beers I've tried might as well have been IPAs to me.  Bleh.

[zeeck]

I can't get enough Tripel Karmdliet.  Definitely one of my go to lunch pours!!

[meadeweber]

On 5/5/2017 at 4:23 PM, zeeck said:

I can't get enough Tripel Karmdliet.  Definitely one of my go to lunch pours!!

Probably my favorite tripel!

 

For quads, it's hard to beat Rochefort 10 and St. Bernardus 12.

 

For a "Belgian-style" beer I like Unibroue Trois Pistoles from Canada.

[MTNBourbon]

For me:

Westy 12

Westy 8

St. Bernardus Abt 12

Rochefort 10

Rochefort 8

Triple Karmaliet

Cuvee Van De Keizer Blauw (Blue)

[b1gcountry]

 
For a "Belgian-style" beer I like Unibroue Trois Pistoles from Canada.

I was holding a point of that in my hand 2 hours ago trying to decide on it.