Brasserie Dupont, located in the rural town of Tourpes, Belgium, has been brewing under the name Dupont since 1920 but their site has house breweries as far bas as 1844. These days Brasserie Dupont is more well known for their quintessential saison, Dupont Saison, but their entire line up of beer is off the same caliber as Saison, including this wonderful Belgian strong blond ale, Moinette.

Moinette is one of the oldest beers made by the brewery dating back to 1955, right around when this style became popular. The name comes from the historically swampy area where the brewery is located, the “moëne region.” Like all of their traditional beer, Dupont bottle conditions, or “re-ferements” Moinette for at least two months at a controlled temperature of 73º F, which results in a very well carbonated beer.

Date Reviewed. June 10, 2011

Where I Found It. Costco, San Francisco, CA for only $7.99! I’ve never seen it there since.

Serving Type. 750 ml bottle into a tulip glass.

Appearance. This beer has a hazy golden straw color with a white head. When I first poured it from the bottle the head was an enormous mound of frothy white foam. It took a while for it to dissipate. After that however, subsequent pours had average to below average head retention. There is a thin layer of foam throughout drinking this beer.

Aroma. Moinette has a strong hop bouquet with floral, earthy, and straw notes. I’m guessing styrian goldings hops in this one. The aroma also includes a good dose of cloves and spice, like un-cracked black peppercorns. There is a hint of banana. It smells inviting

Taste. This beer has a good balance of bitter and sweet. It highlights malty flavors while not being overly sweet. The sweetness that is present is like a just ripened banana.  The bitterness is present and complements the aroma by revealing itself as spice, like the sensation of a crushed peppercorn but not as intense as a szechuan peppercorn.

Mouthfeel. This is a full to medium bodied beer with quite a bit of carbonation that makes the mouthfeel not quite as fizzy as a soda. This is due to the bottle conditioning or “re-fermentation.”

Overall. Moinette is an excellent example of a Belgian strong pale ale. It has all of the best qualities of a Belgian ale with no apparent flaws. The banana and clove aromas, from the yeast, meld perfectly with the spicy, earthy, floral hops and the sweet grainy malts. Truly a wonderful beer.

The bottle I had was relatively fresh but the “refermentation” still produced a quite a bit of extra carbonation.

Rating. My ratings below are on a five point scale with five being the best score.

• Appearance (6%): 4.5
• Smell (24%): 4.0
• Taste (40%): 4.5
• Mouthfeel (10%): 4.0
• Overall (20%): 5.0
• Total: 4.43

Information

• Style: Belgian strong blond ale
• Brewery: Brasserie Dupont [more info]
• Alcohol by volume: 8.5%
• RateBeer scores: 98 overall, 99 style (as of Dec. 8, 2011)

Other Reviews

• BetterBeerBlog – Beer in Review: Moinette Belgian Ale
• Pints and Panels – Dupont Moinette Blonde reviewed!

Troublette is a flavorful yet refreshing Belgian-style witbier, or white ale, brewed by Brasserie Caracole in Falmignoul, near Dinant, Belgium. If you’re looking for an alternative to Hoegaarden, then Caracole Troublette will be a treat being much more interesting and just as refreshing with zesty notes and a balanced flavor.

Date Reviewed. October 6, 2011

Where I Found It. The Jug Shop, San Francisco.

Serving Type. 330ml bottle to glass.

Appearance. Troublette has a beautiful hazy golden yellow color with a white fizzy head. The head has very poor retention but does leave a touch of lacing.

Smell. At first, while the head was still on the beer, the aroma expressed fruity ester notes of fresh bananas and green apples. As the head died down and the beer warmed up, the green apple aroma dissipated revealing the more phenolic notes of lemon zest, coriander, and a touch of white pepper with a hint of cloves. The grain also more apparent with a slight aroma of baked bread and honey.

Taste. Troublette nicely expresses the wheat in the flavor of the beer further expressing the baked bread that is in the aroma. This beer is slightly sweet with very little bitterness. What bitterness there is expresses itself more like an herbal bitterness like white pepper.

Mouthfeel. This is a light to medium bodied beer with a wonderfully strong champagne-like effervescence on the tongue. Like many Belgian-made beers this is due to a thorough regimen of bottle conditioning.

Overall. Troublette is a refreshing, flavorful, and easy drinking examples of a Belgian-style witbier. Looks may be deceiving with this beer, despite the pale, unassuming color, it is a very flavorful beer.

Rating. My ratings below are on a five point scale with five being the best score.

• Appearance (6%): 4.0
• Smell (24%): 4.5
• Taste (40%): 4.0
• Mouthfeel (10%): 4.0
• Overall (20%): 4.0
• Total: 4.12

Information

• Style: Belgian-style witbier
• Brewery: Brasserie Caracole [more info]
• Alcohol by volume: 5.0%
• Malt: pilsner malt, raw unmalted wheat (source)
• Hops: Styrian Goldings and Saaz
• RateBeer rating: 84 overall, 94 style

Other Reviews

• PEI Beer Guy – Caracole Troublette

Brouwerij Westvleteren is one of the seven breweries that are officially considered Trappist because the beer is brewed by monks and each under the control of a Trappist monastery. The sole purpose of brewing the beer is to support the monastery. The Westvleteren brewery is located in the West Flanders province of Belgium in the town of Westvleteren. It was found in 1838 inside the Trappist Abbey of Saint Sixtus.

In recent years, this beer of Brouwerij Westvleteren, particularly Westvleteren Abt 12, has become wildly popular topping the lists of best beer in the world at RateBeer and BeerAdvocate. As could be expected, this created a huge buzz and greater demand for the beer.  The monks of Saint Sixtus responded to the new popularity of their beer only by further limiting the amount of beer that could be purchased and taken away from the brewery. They didn’t raise prices and they didn’t produce more beer. In a 2005 interview with The Independent, ”We make the beer to live but we do not live for beer.”

Westvleteren Abt 12 is the most popular of the three beers made by Brouqerij Westvleteren but during my 2009 visit to Belgium I was not able to procure a a bottle. I’ve read that the easiest way to try any of the Westvleteren beers is to visit the monastery, which I also did not have time to do during my trip. I did, however, luck out and found a bottle of Westvleteren Extra 8 at Bier Tempel in Brussels.

Although Westvleteren Abt 12 is the most popular, Extra 8 is also ranked highly and even Tim Webb, author of Good Beer Guide Belgium, thinks that Extra 8 is slightly better than Abt 12. I cannot make the comparison myself but I found this to be an excellent beer and worthy of adding to your personal list of beers that you must try.

Date Reviewed. August 6, 2010

Where I Found It. Bier Tempel, Brussels, Belgium.

Serving Type. 330ml bottle into a tulip glass.

Appearance. Westvleteren Extra 8 pours with a clear brown color. In the glass it has an opaque, dark chocolate, and mahogany brown color. The head of this beer was like that of a cola or root beer and as such it also did not have very good retention. It did, however, as you might notice in the photos, leave a thin layer of foam on the top of the beer nearly throughout the session.

Aroma. This beer has a complex aroma that is like an earthy, roasty apple pie with notes of cooked granny smith apples, dark brown sugar, molasses,  and cloves with hints of dark Belgian chocolate and espresso. It does not smell particularly boozy but what little alcohol aroma there is comes off smelling like vanilla and bourbon.

Taste. I was expecting something much more sweet and sour but I was happily surprised to taste a well balanced beer. This beer has a touch of bitterness to balance the sweet toasty dark malts, which produces a slight molasses flavor. The flavor is a bit bready or yeasty but might be due to the storage conditions of the bottle.  The chocolate and espresso aroma combined with the sweetness of the malt and bitterness of the hops produce an experience like drinking very dark chocolate. As the session continues and the beer starts to warm up I find flavors of raisins or other dried fruit mixed with herbs and spices like tarragon, kola nut, and a touch of cloves.

Mouthfeel. It is well carbonated and medium to full bodied. For some reason I was expecting this beer to have a more viscous feel to it and I was pleasantly surprised to find it much more drinkable than that.

Overall. Westvleteren Extra 8 is interesting, complex, and bittersweet but not cloying. Despite the complexity, it is surprisingly crisp and easy to drink. It was a wonderful experience drinking and reviewing this beer and the session ended much too quickly. In retrospect I should have procured two bottles instead of just one.

Rating. My ratings below are on a five point scale with five being the best score. The ratings below is based on the BJCP judging system.

• Appearance (6%): 4.5
• Aroma (24%): 4.5
• Flavor (40%): 5.0
• Mouthfeel (10%): 4.5
• Overal (20%): 5.0
• Total: 4.8

Information

• Brewery: Brouwerij Westvleteren
• Style: Dubbel or Belgian dark strong ale
• Alcohol by volume: 8%

Other Reviews

• 999 Beers – 33: Westvleteren 8
• Untamed Beer – Trappist Westvleteren 8
• Chad’z Beer Reviews – Westvleteren 8 (2010 vintage)
• Beer Philosopher – Beer Review 11/28/2007 – Westvleteren 8 (Dubbel)
• The Vice Blog – Westvleteren 8

Brasserie d’Achouffe is a brewery located in the Ardennes region of Belgium and produces N’Ice Chouffe as thier winter seasonal beer brewed with thyme and curaçao. This brewery was founded in 1982 and produces wonderful Belgian beers including La Chouffe, a Belgian blonde ale, and Houblon Chouffe, an excellent Belgian IPA. This brewery also has a very distictive gnome-theme for their brewery and beers.

The brewery describes N’Ice Chouffe as follows:

The N’ICE CHOUFFE is a strong dark beer that will warm you up during the winter months. It is spiced (with thyme and curaçao) and a light hop taste, a well-balanced beer. The N’ICE CHOUFFE is unfiltered, and re-fermented in the bottle as well as in the keg.

Date Reviewed. January 8, 2010.

Where I Found It. Draeger’s in San Mateo, CA.

Serving Type. 750ml bottle to a tulip glass.

Appearance. N’Ice Chouffe has a dark reddish brown or oak color and is quite cloudy. The  head is a creamy a-little-darker-than-buttermilk color and has tiny bubbles but does not last long. However, the effervescence causes some foamy bubble to always be on the top of the beer.

Smell. When I opened the bottle, my first thought was champagne like a champagne-yeast smell. It has notes of wine grape dry fruitiness coupled with a sweet candy sugar and malt aroma. It has a slightly herbal aroma, I want to say thyme but it’s not terribly strong. It contains a little banana and not much cloves with a hint of sourness. At 10% abv it smells a little boozy.

Taste. N’Ice Chouffe has a slight sourness contrasted by the sweetness of the malt. It is more sweet than bitter meaning not too much bitterness from the hops. It has a bit of a taste of cola nut, dried fruit (like dates or prunes), a subtle fresh herbal flavor like thyme or oregano, and a hint citrus in the foam like orange peel. It has a spicy cloves taste too.

Mouthfeel. This is a full bodied beer with plenty of natural effervescence. The tiny bubbles from the natural carbonation give a slightly creamy or smooth texture. It is quite nice.

Drinkability. At 10% alcohol by volume this is a sipping beer but a sipping beer that you can enjoy throughout the night.

Rating. My ratings below are on a five point scale with five being the best score.

• Appearance (20%): 3.5
• Smell (20%): 4.0
• Taste (40%): 4.5
• Mouthfeel (10%): 4.5
• Drinkability (10%): 4.0
• Overall: 4.15

Information

• Style: Belgian dark strong ale
• Brewery: Brasserie d’Achouffe
• Alcohol by volume: 10%
• Other ingredients: thyme and curaçao
• Beer Advocate rating: 4.07 (as of May 10, 2010)

Other Reviews

• The Beer Critic – N’Ice Chouffe
• Beer Crusade – N’ice Chouffe, Achouffe Brewery, Achouffe, Belgium
• Mike Loves Beer – N’Ice Chouffe 2007
• Hoosier Beer Geek – KOTBR #65 – (Delayed) Jingle Bells
• Beer Advocate – N’Ice Chouffe
• Rate Beer – N’Ice Chouffe

While I was on vacation in Belgium in August 2009, I was using the Good Beer Guide Belgium by Tim Webb to assist in my travels and beer drinking. After finding the Beer Temple in Brussel I cross referenced the beer in the store with beer in the guide with particular styles that I wanted. Of the saison beers that I selected this one came highly recommended and it turned out to be one of the best saison’s I’ve ever had.

Brasserie de Blaugies is a tiny brewery in the hamlet of Blaugies in the province of Hainaut near the city of Mons and closer to the French border. According to Good Beer Guide Belgium the brewery was built on the principle of one of the founders, Pierre-Alex Carlier: “Brew them for me to drink and if other people like them that is fine.”

Date Reviewed. October 10, 2010.

Where I Found It. Beer Temple in Brussels, Belgium.

Serving Type. 375ml into a 25cl glass.

Appearance. Saison d’Epeautre has a hazy yellow-brown dark straw color  The head is white with small tight bubbles and lasts for a very long time. The head starts out large and slowly recedes down the glass until it rests with a nearly permanent 10 millimeter head. It hardly leavs a trace on the glass as it recedes. This beer is very effervescent and you can see several champagne-like bubbles streaming to the top.

Smell. The hop bouquet of this beer is earthy, woodsy, and pleasant with a splash of lemon citrus. The aroma has a sweet grainy smell almost like that of a pilsner. There is also a touch of cloves flavor but it is not as strong as I expected it would be. In fact, it smells like just the right amount of cloves, a nice hint with out overwhelming your nose with a memory of bubble-gum.

Taste. The initial taste was tart but not as tart as a sour beer. It is possibly slightly more acidic than most beer or the high carbonation levels enhance this tartness. With that said, it is a refreshing taste. The tartness combined with the hop flavor or flavor from spices gives this beer a slightly lemon taste. The beer finishes like a beer with a grainy malt flavor with a bit of malty sweetness. It is not overly sweet and not overly bitter, it has a nice balance.

Mouthfeel. Despite being 6% abv, this feels like a light bodied beer on the tongue. It is also very effervescent providing a refreshing sensation.

Drinkability. This is very drinkable. Light-bodied, well-carbonated, slightly tart, grainy malt, and a little spice. I could drink several of these in a single session.

Rating. My ratings below are on a five point scale with five being the best score.

• Appearance (20%): 4.5
• Smell (20%): 4.5
• Taste (40%): 4.5
• Mouthfeel (10%): 5.0
• Drinkability (10%): 5.0
• Overall: 4.6

Information

• Style: Saison or farmhouse ale
• Brewery: Brasserie de Blaugies
• Alcohol by volume: 6%
• Beer Advocate rating: 4.06 (as of April 29, 2010)

Other Reviews

• A Good Beer Blog - Belgium: Wallowing In Four Saisons
• Draft Magazine – Saison d’Epeautre
• Beer Advocate – Saison d’Epeautre
• Rate Beer – Saison d’Epeautre

On a recent trip to Palm Springs to visit family in my home town, I had dinner at Pomme Frite, a Belgain bistro in downtown. I had first heard about this restaurant on Twitter from a posting by Draft Magazine in January, 2009. When I arrived, I discovered the beer list to be extensive and the food to be delicious.

The beer that I tried was Austustijn Ale, which was listed under the “Amber Ales” on the menu. This beer caught my eye because the menu described this beer as “Amber Ale, Flavor of Hops.” It did not disappoint.

This beer is brewed by Brouwerij Van Steenberge, a brewery that has been around in Belgium, under one name or another, since 1874. You can read more about the history of this brewery on the Van Steenberge website.

Although the brewery has been around since 1974, Augustijn Ale has been brewed since 1295 by the Augustinian fathers of Ghent. In 1982, Brouwerij Van Steenberge took over the recipe and the production of this ale and also adjusted the flavors. The brewery describes Augustijn Ale as follows:

Augustijn has a hoppy flavor with a malty background. The connoisseur may also detect a light fruity vanilla flavor.

Although I did not pick up on the vanilla, I did pick up some of the fruitiness and hoppy flavors.

Where I Found It. I enjoyed Augustijn Ale at the Pomme Frite Belgian Bistro in Palm Springs, CA.

Serving Type. The beer was served from a 330ml bottle into a chalace shaped beer glass.

Appearance. Augustijn Ale has a foamy white head that lingers in a very thin layer on top of the beer until the last drop. It has a honey orange color and is cloudy like a gem stone but you can still through the beer enough to see the bubbles.

Smell. It has the expected Belgian yeast aroma, but with a slight twist like a fresh banana that is ever so slightly green and a hint of cloves. Unexpectedly, however, this beer has a subtle but nice citrus-orange hoppy bouquet. For me, the bouquet did not last until the end, maybe the smell of food overpowered it.  There is also the aroma of sweet barley malt.

Taste. Augustijn Ale has a barley malt sweetness that is wel balanced by the hop bitterness. The malt flavor is much stronger tasting than is was smelling. The sweetness of the malt is enhanced by the fresh slightly-unripe banana. The clove is more prominent in the flavor probably by the slightly spicy hop flavors. This beer went very well with the baked brie “en brioche” appetizer at the restaurant.

Mouthfeel. Despite being 8% alcohol by volume, this is a medium-bodied beer. From the original gravity of 1.076 and the alcohol content, I calculated the final gravity to be 1.015. Although it is clearly medium-bodied, Augustijn Ale at times seems lighter bodied. This might be due to the high alcohol content and the effervescence. The level of carbonation is pleasant and a touch higher than most North American craft beers that I have drinking lately.

Drinkability. Except for Belgian witbier, I usually only want a single Belgian beer per session. The flavors are so intense that one is usually enough. Augustijn Ale, so far, is the exception. I think I enjoyed the particular balance of flavors that this beer imparts. It coudl also be the strain of yeast (which I might try harvesting for some homebrew). I found myself craving another glass immediately upon finishing the first glass. I find this to be a much more drinkable Belgian without losing any of the Belgian beer qualities.

Rating. My ratings below are on a five point scale with five being the best score.

• Appearance (20%): 4.0
• Smell (20%): 4.0
• Taste (40%): 4.0
• Mouthfeel (10%): 4.0
• Drinkability (10%): 4.0
• Overall: 4.0

Information

• Style: Belgian tripel
• Brewery: Brouwerij Van Steenberge
• Alcohol by volume: 8%
• Original Gravity: 1.076 (18.5 Plato)
• Final Gravity (calculated): 1.015 (3.8 Plato)
• Bottle conditioned
• Beer Advocate rating:

Other Reviews

• Beer Bloggers.com – Augustijn Ale
• Lootcorp: A Brewing Blog – The Belgian Box – Part 2 of 6
• Hedonist Beer Jive – Review: Augustijn Ale
• The Opinionated Beer Page – Augustijn Ale
• Beer Advocate – Augustijn Ale
• Rate Beer – Augustijn
• 97 Bottles – Augustijn

When tasting the beer, the herbal influence is quite evident. This beer is brewed at the end of the summer, lagered for 2 weeks, bottle conditioned, and “rested” for several months to mellow it out. The brewery also claims that it has a shelf life of 3 years. Despite my recommendation at the end of this review, it might be interesting to pick up another bottle again for the purpose of aging it.

Anker brewery is the oldest in Belgium, dating back to 1369, and has an interesting history as detailed on the Anker website. This beer in particular had not been brewed for 38 years until 2002 when Anker started brewing it again.

The bottle of Gouden Carolus Noël that I sampled was a 750ml bottle that cost about $14. I poured it directly into four glasses and shared it with friends.

Where I Found It. I picked up a 750ml at a Draeger’s Market in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Serving Type. When I sampled this brew, I poured it directly into four glasses and shared it with friends.

Appearance. This beer had a amber color that was lighter than I was expecting and was extremely clear. The head had a nice mocha color. Gouden Carolus Noël is a bottle conditioned beer, therefore there is yeast at the bottom of the bottle so pour carefully.

Smell. The bouquet was that of fresh clove spice and a hint of other herbs, possibly anise or even tarragon. This is probably due to both the Belgian yeast as well as the herb adjuncts. The aroma was like a dark sweet malt and burnt sugar but not like caramel. The aroma also had a hint of sarsaparilla.

Taste. The flavor of this beer was malty and roasty but not chocolaty. The typical Belgian yeast flavors, which are described by some as banana and cloves, were subdued. It also had a a medicinal quality to it like an herbal cough syrup or Ricola. Needless to say, the 10.5% alcohol was present in each sip. On top of that, there were flavors of an espresso shot loaded with sugar. The taste was quite complex.

Mouthfeel. Goulden Carolus Noël might seem like a full bodied beer. However, I was very surprised to find that it was not as thick and syrupy as I expected. In fact, it was quite dry. The brewer claims that the wort is 22 degrees plato, which is roughly a specific gravity of 1.091. Since the alcohol content is 10.5%, then the final gravity must be about 1.012, which is in the upper range for the average pale ale. Therefore, I would claim that this is a medium to medium-light bodied beer.

Drinkability. Due to the complexity of the hops, herbs, Belgian yeast, and high alcohol content this was not a smooth beer. It was more like a scotch that you sip and enjoy slowly. Drinking Gouden Carolus Noël was an interesting experience with some pleasant and unexpected surprises. It was not as drinkable as other Belgian beers that I’ve tried. If you get a chance, however, go a ahead and try it. But next time I go for a Belgian beer I would much rather try something new, including more beer from Anker brewery.

Rating. My ratings below are on a five point scale with five being the best score. The overall rating is calculated exactly the same way as Beer Advocate.

• Appearance (20%): 4.0
• Smell (20%): 3.5
• Taste (20%): 2.5
• Mouthfeel (10%): 3.5
• Drinkability (10%): 2.5
• Overall: 3.1

What Others Thought

It is always more enjoyable to share a beer with friends and family. As part of this blog I plan on not only reviewing the beer myself but also gathering feedback from others. Below is what Liz, Erin, and Patrick thought about the beer. As reflected below, this was not  a Belgian beer drinking crowd.

Liz

• Appearance. Dark.
• Smell. Licorice candy.
• Taste. Medicinal, fermented roasted beer. Prominent alcohol taste.
  
• Drinkability. Not delicious. Would not drink it again.

Erin

• Appearance. Dark.
• Smell. Root beer but hoppy.
• Taste. Tasted like hard alcohol. Root beer with hops and spiciness. Prune juice. The after taste was like Jägermeister.

Patrick

• Appearance. Dark.
• Smell. Bubblegum and bananas.
• Taste. Bubblegum and cardamom.

Caption from the Bottle

The following caption is found on the side of the bottle:

Gouden Carolus Noel brewed exceptionally for Christmas by the Anker brewery, established in Mechelen since 1369, and one of the classic Belgian breweries. This very special Belgian ale is brewed using traditional methods and a recipe with top fermentation. Its high gravity gives this ale its warmth and body. It improves with age and will charm you with its warm, coppery colour and its rich bouquet.

Refermented in the bottle.

Information

• Alcohol content: 10.5% ABV
• Hops: Three types of “only Belgian hops”
• Original gravity: 1.091 or 22 degrees Plato
• Lagering: 2 weeks
• Fermentation: high fermentation and refermentation in the bottle
• Style: Belgian dark strong ale
• Brewery: Anker brewery (Brouwerij Het Anker)
• Beer Advocate rating: 4.14

• Beer Advocate – Gouden Carolus Noël / Christmas
• Barley Blog — 2006 Gouden Carolus Noel
• Year of Beer — #102 – Gouden Carolus – Noel
• A Jigger of Blog — Review: Gouden Carolus Noel