Westmalle Trappist Dubbel

Something about the colour of this label makes me happy.

It certainly evokes the colour of the beer itself pretty well: an attractive leathery brown. The nose has a little bit of port / sherry going on and for 7%, comes across as a little bit intimidating first up.

The taste is a bit less overwhelming thankfully, putting across fruity alcoholic notes for the main. Not a lot of chocolate for a dubbel, probably not a beginner's beer either, but big and complex if you like them that way. Would probably go well with roast meat or similar sorts of big heavy dishes. Good stuff. 7.5

Boon Oude Geuze

Back to lambic land for a vintage effort from Boon.

This is traditional geuze, ie a blend between old and young lambics to create a referment and that harsh sour + clean fizz effect you get with these. It's somewhere between Fonteinen and the reigning champion 100% Bio in terms of sourness I think, so you get a fair bit of wheaty grain character, but also a burst of genuinely sour stuff to refresh you also.

It's good stuff but still makes me think wistfully of Cantillon (it's not the only thing of course. Everything up to and including frogs, bedsheets, and christmas carols make me want it). Still - this one retails for around $15 for the big bottle where I am at the moment, which is comparatively not bad. Well worth a go at that price, may be a nice intro gueze for people to have a try of at your end of year functions too. 7.5

Chimay Blanche / Tripel Yellow Label

The classic Tripel.

The photo's not done it justice in low light but it's a relatively high carbonated pour for an 8% abv but good looking. The nose is oh so sweet, notes of candied sugar and fairy floss, one of the most sugary smelling beers I can remember, and if you're like me this spells trouble.

Pleasingly however it's cloudlike on drinking: light, fluffy, and altogether very agreeable beer. There's a vinous sort of quality there somewhere in amongst the sweet malt, maybe just a faint edge of pineapple, good stuff whatever it is. Classic and would be lovely with something similarly light like chicken or fish. 8.5

Lindemans Pecheresse

Two pictures. One's where it started (with evocative label on show) - the other's where it went shortly after tasting.

For you see, this beer is SWEET - not in the bogan suburban sort of way, but in the horrific-visions-of-corrective-dental-surgery sort of way. I couldn't handle it at the fridge-cold temperature it initially occupied, opting instead to try to get it right down to near-freezing. It didn't help much.

This beer is just 2.5% so should be lightweight, but lacks the backing sourness to keep up with the mountains of sweetness it delivers. Were it balanced properly, I think it would be quite nice. As it is though.. it's kind of like an even stickier Japanese plum wine umeshu. Pretty hard to get through if I'm honest.

I'm not against fruit lambics - far from it. But this has little use I think for anyone. It's neither beer, nor a gateway to beer.. more a crazy low alc liqueur. If you have the choice, go for Lindemans Apple instead as it is worlds better (and may help convince vapid slack-jawed cider addicts to give up their sugar-water too!). 2.0

Cantillon Gueze 100% Lambic Bio

A latecomer to the record as such - I've had this several times now and loved it on each occasion.

This is a bit of a classic in the world of lambic Gueze and with good reason. It's a beer-like pour alright, grainy light amber delivery with a snow white top. Still, you won't be in any doubt as to what's coming if you have any sort of olfactory capacity whatsoever: the sour nose really fills the room, sharp and vinous.

Make no mistake, this beer is sour, above and beyond the usual Flemish tartness. It is more crisp than others in this field, more sharp, less grainy and more extreme. All of this is delivered via a slightly fizzy carbonation, but that again works well with the beer itself.

The clean sour notes are maybe closer to vinegar than white wine and drive through any and all things that came before as the ultimate palate cleanser. Beyond that though I find it a compelling beer in its own right, hitting a crisp clear note of sourness that becomes a real obsession. "The Champagne of Belgium" indeed.

A delicious and eye-opening drinking experience. Highly recommended to all who can finance the crippling addiction drinking it will surely bring. 9.5

Lindemans Gueuze Cuvée René

A quick shared snifter of gueze mid session always clears out the tasting valves, or whatever they are.

It's a corked effort this one, always nice to see. Nice bottle all round in fact and pours with a low patina of crisp white head.

Definitive gueze delivery here: bitey nose and bitey taste, with slight alc and wheat present on the finish. It is sour - not as much as some other lambics but still enough for people to make faces when they drink it.

Good reliable stuff, balanced and dry. I like the look, and I like the nose - but I want more and more sourness from these! It's a growing addiction.. 7.5

Lindemans Faro Lambic

A new type of lambic to try - this one's a Faro, which I gather are generally sweetened and diluted versions of the proper sort.

I'm not sure what if anything was used to season this one but the caramel input's certainly come through to change the typical lambic development. The aroma is still sour with berry notes, but it also smells a bit more like a beer than normal.

Taste too is restrained, somewhat sweeter than the norm and somehow artificial because of it. The sourness takes a back seat in this and there's a sense you're drinking something a bit more like a cordial cocktail than anything else. It's sticky, and a bit artificial.

I suppose you could make a case for this as a sort of training wheels assisted pathway beer to the world of sours - but I'm not sure you're giving the right message.

It's probably more to do with the style than the creation of this beer but I didn't much enjoy it. Go the whole unadulterated thing or don't do it at all. 4.0

Grottenbier Bruin

So, a petite bottle of oud bruin which I believe is put together by that king-of-the-witbiers, he of Hoegaarden fame, Pierre Celis.

Oh also it's been aged in a grotto which certainly contributes a whole new layer of funky flanders magic. The aroma in particular is nicely sour and, while it's not as prominent on the taste, there are some plumlike traces that combine with the confident brown notes (?) to form a nice companion to have a chat with.

It's not the sort of beer that shouts about what it's doing - instead it's quite reserved, a soft conversationalist. If you take the time to listen though you'll find all sorts of interest. 8.0

3 Fonteinen Oude Gueze

Back on the gueze wagon.

The nose on this one actually has a bit of depth in it - sure it's sour town, but also something grainy like wheat husks in there too, I get the sense of discarded grind-off from a mill or something.

Looking at the label, there are a couple of clues. First, it's a mix of 1, 2 and 3 year old lambics here and maybe that explains the enhanced complexity. It's also actually 40% wheat, which probably explains the graininess. Finally, it's matured a year minimum after mixing and refermented in the bottle which explains the big champagney head.

Taste-wise this is a big sour alright, sour green apple peel, but also almost malty sorts of flavours, probably the most 'beer-like' gueze in my admittedly shallow experience to date. Yum.

Hard to rate this - it's far more drinkable than some other razor-edge lambics in that it's the sort of thing you could put away all night. But it's also less sharply sour than the others too. More beer like certainly; less sour.. hmm, makes it a bit hard to rate. To my personal taste I'd prefer something with a bit more bite.

7.0

Hoegaarden

On to somewhat of a classic.

Obnoxious beer snob that I am these days, I entered this one without massive expectation having not encountered this beer in some time. Turns out I was doing it a bit of a disservice as it's a more than serviceable 5% witbier / belgian white that, while simple, exhibits all that you really want from this style.

Pours hazy light golden; slight coriander, sugar, and lemon on the nose. Relatively strong carbonation but that makes it quite refreshing in its own way. Shame summer's a while off as I think I could go through a few of these in the heat. Good stuff! 7.5

Dupont Moinette Brune

Had to do a bit of research on this one after drinking to find out what it actually was.

Brown, clearly - but of the Belgian persuasion. It's a Belgian Strong Dark Ale, or just a Dubbel depending on where you look. Either way it sits patiently in the glass for you to reach from your recliner next to the fireplace and grasp it from next to your book, cigar and monocle resting on the mahogany side table.

Taste brings nuts and dark fruits, kind of brandy-like flavours, replete with that alcoholic warmth and somewhat reminiscent of Christmas cake. All of which I found fascinating and remarkably drinkable over two outings so far.

I'm not yet a massive fan of heavy Belgians but more like this I'll take gladly. 8.0

De Ranke XX Bitter

Things with "X" and "Bitter" in the title rightfully don't have the best reputation in this country.

This beer seems to come from finer stocks, though I'm not really sure why they call these beers 'bitter' at all - while there's a sour edge to the nose, the dominant characteristic of the taste is a caramel sweetness backed by malt. It's refreshed throughout and particularly in the aftertaste by that typical european hop flavour.

The Belgian yeast etc is pretty apparent on this one, primarily on the finish as expected. Pretty drinkable really without being very exciting at any stage. Reminded me a lot of a number of ESBs I've had.

Not my favourite style of beer but hey, it's worlds away from XXXX. 7.0

Blanche de Namur

Finally trying this stalwart classic.

Smells delicious out of the bottle I must say, fruity and spicy, resinous. Big foamy head soon crashes in on itself. It's pretty opaque and cloudy, filled with particles. Maybe odd filtering?

Interesting to drink - sharp and tart to begin with, then develops fruits and malts as it goes. Banana's probably the main message but it's controlled. Controlled banana is better than rampant uncontrolled banana that's for sure. Ask anyone.

This banana has lemon for a friend too. Nice finish leaves you wanting more. Just 4.5% means it's pretty drinkable too. I enjoyed this. 7.5