Yes, yes, real, Belgian beer is bottled. While we are on the subject of commercial Belgian beer, Stella does not count as Belgian beer, it is the worst sort of commercial Belgian beer and is mostly brewed under licence in the UK and elsewhere anyway. Either way it is pretty poor stuff, it is a lager anyway and not a beer.
Edit: incidentally it is probably the best commercial lager available in the UK today, which says a lot about the rest...
Last edited by LitNetIsGreat; 10-06-2009 at 02:36 PM.
CroatiaOriginally Posted by Neely
Normal beer 2 euros, Erdinger and Guinness 4 euros for 1/2 L those are prices in pubs.
In the store it's about half of those in pubs.
Belgian beers are available in only one pub and they are minimum 4 or 5 euro, depends is it 0,33 or 0,5 bottle.
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Yes those prices are more or less consistant with those in the UK then, although your normal beer is cheaper. I found a website where I can order Belgian beer from the UK at cheaper prices, approximately half price of those in the bar if ordered in bulk - you can order the correct glass as well. I think I will stock up for Christmas and maybe a smaller order before.
Of course it is not just about the beer, but the ceremony that comes with it too. Last night I had a Westmalle Triple in an inferior real ale establishment - really, the landlady spilled a lot of it upon opening the bottle, she then continued to fill it into completely the wrong glass! Naturally, the head was far too big for the plume type container she placed it into and she didn't even knock off any cost, despite throwing half of it onto the floor and all over the side, you just don't get that sort of sloppy service my main drinking arena. Don't worry I made my feelings clear.(She even served me with the sediment, she didn't even bother to ask me if I wanted it or not, she probably didn't know what sediment was, god!) Belgian beer is not a drink that amateurs should be serving, it deserves much more respect than that and in future I will not be drinking Belgian ale in that particular public house again...at least the Erdinger they serve in there is in the correct glass. Disgusting.
I feel the need to revive this thread and to follow up with my lessons.
I did indeed find a Trappist brew in one of the local stores in my area. I purchased a fine looking bottle of Belgian beer, brought it home, and poured it into wide-bowled glass, with an appropriately literary name. Here's the proof:
I drank hearty. But. . . . .I was disappointed. Spare throwing stones a moment! The brew tasted yeasty and stale, like bread left on the counter too long. I wondered if the beer was just too old -- it would not surprise me. I could taste the malty potential, the fruity undertones. But the purity was missing.
To be sure, I compared this beer with a personal favorite of mine -- a fine example of cheap American lager: Pabst Blue Ribbon.
To my surprise the Pabst, whose cheap, mass-produced qualities go so well with a handful of Cool Ranch Doritos and a can of processed bean dip, seemed more crisp and complex than the aged Trappist, which tasted as though it had been lost in warehouse, baked in the long sun of an over-seas voyage, lost again in a warehouse, cooked in the trailer of a 16-wheeler, only to sit on the shelf of my local market for over a year.
Professor Neely -- could my taste in brew be faulty? Or does Belgian beer need to, well, not so old and well-traveled as mine so surely was?
Last edited by The Comedian; 11-17-2009 at 12:02 PM.
“Oh crap”
-- Hellboy
Good man for bringing this most noble thread back to life! I myself have not had much of the Belgian brew of late, much, though I intend to indulge in style this Saturday. The pub I briefly frequent on Wed and Thu after university has Belgian beer but serves most of them in wholly the wrong type of glasses, it is really quite shameful, and I refuse to drink them in such a state - would you drink champagne from a dirty bucket? There are one or two that are served correctly but still...
Anyway, I digress. That Chimay white you have/had there should be a very refreshing little brew ( I have one in the fridge). It shouldn't sit heavy or yeasty on the palette at all, quite the opposite, it should be very light and a little effervescent on the tongue. The glass you have for it is perfect, so it does indeed suggest that the beer was off. Maybe it was sat in an unhealthy condition or was transported poorly. If it was left in bright sunlight too much it wouldn't have helped, it should be stored in a cool dark pantry wherever possible and treated with the utmost care.
Other than that it could be that your taste buds have not yet adjusted to the beer, maybe due to drinking duff beer, but I think that unlikely, most people more or less instantly recognise the quality of the stuff as long as it is not too challenging or dark in nature, which Chimay white isn't.
I hope that this experience has not put you off the art that is Belgian beer and I hope that you have better luck in the future. I would give the Chimay white another chance or find another Belgian beer if you can get your hands on one. Let me know how you get on. Good luck!
Temperature. Temperature is a very important factor too brother C. Don't over chill the Belgian beers, consult the label at all times - for many beers fridge temperature is just too cold and will kill much of the flavour of the drink.
I had one Chimay Red last night (I got a good enough glass) and it took me a full hour to drink! I savoured every drop. You have to let it sit awhile in the palette and let it dance on the tongue – it’s an art like I said. Don’t get me wrong there is nothing wrong with smashing down a few ice cold lagers once in a while, over the past few weeks I have had quite a few of those, but the pull of the special Belgian stuff always brings me back in the end.
Ah! I did not consider temperature well-enough. I'm going to purchase another bottle this evening after work. I admit that I'm tempted to buy a local "Belgian-style" and trust it to be more fresh than the true Belgian that I had before. But I'm undecided on this point at the moment.
“Oh crap”
-- Hellboy
Hmm, let me know what you do, I have a Chimay White and Chimay Blue for tonight (and some English beer Spitfire). I would be tempted to try the Chimay again over the "Belgian style" stuff. What the hell does "Belgian style" mean anyway, it is either Belgian beer or it isn't?
These two English beers that I have in my fridge are quite drinkable, though of course not in the same league as the Belgians.
Quite a distinct, aromatic ale.
A fine maltly little brew.
Both of them are from the Shepherd's Neame brewery in Kent.
But even so, let's not sulley a Belgian beer thread with English beer, as fair as it may be.
Edit: I'm enjoying the Chimay White (or tripel) right now Comedian and it is a little more yeasty than I last remembered it, not quite as light. It is very close to the excellent Westmalle tripel, though that is superior to Chimay. Not wanting to tell you how to drink, and at the danger of sounding a bit geeky, but try holding each sip of the beer in the mouth for 20 seconds or so and let it take over the palate - this is the way I drink most of my Belgian beers actually, especially the trappist brews. Try doing this with it being slightly off fridge temperature and compare it with a duff beer, and I think you will see the difference.
Last edited by LitNetIsGreat; 11-20-2009 at 09:04 PM. Reason: beer update
I've done some more research to get adequately acquainted with this divine nectar.
Reflecting on my earlier failure, I postulated that the poor atmosphere in which I drank the Chimay white may have contributed to my poor experience with it. What "poor atmosphere" you ask?
You see, once work is over, I pick up my two young children and come home. . .fairly exhausted. Once in the house I reach for a cold can of the Pabst brew, indicated in a previous post, and drink a gulping rushed slurp of the stuff before I'm on to play with/discipline my children. The other drinks of that brew are done in a similar, hectic manner.
This chaotic atmosphere may be well suited to my usual mass-produced American beer. But perhaps Chimay requires a more reflective, calm state of affairs. . .such was my thesis, anyway.
To proceed with my experiment:
- After work, I purchased a bottle of Chimay red from a local vendor.
- I picked up my children from their care provider.
- Upon our return home, I inspected the bottle carefully, ignoring the trivial demands of my offspring, for requirements of temperature, etc. . .
- Once I was confident that all requirements on the label were met, I offered each of my children a handful of candy so as to muffle their demands for parental attention.
- Then, to secure a quiet environment, I plugged them into the "electric baby sitter" (to use our family parlance, i.e. let them watch movies on the computer).
- Now that I was confident that I had a good 45 minutes of peace and quiet, I opened the elixir and poured half of it into my Falstaff drinking glass (pictured earlier).
- Taking care not to rush the first sip, I retrieved my National Geographic magazine and browsed it casually, letting the brew "breathe" as they say.
- Then, it was time.
Then the first sip, taking care to let it linger was in this order: cool, subtle bitterness, fruity undertones, then warm. Heaven. The other sips, spaced between moments of silent reflection and casual reading offered the kind of solace and wonderment that few other earthly pleasures can offer.
Dare I say, "success"?
Last edited by The Comedian; 11-25-2009 at 04:27 PM.
“Oh crap”
-- Hellboy
A bit geeky Neely ? There's no way I could hold each sip of beer for 20 seconds without sending it down the hatch. It's just as well that Trappist monks take a vow of silence, with all that powerful booze around nobody would be able to understand them anyway.These two English beers that I have in my fridge are quite drinkable, though of course not in the same league as the Belgians.
Quite a distinct, aromatic ale.
A fine maltly little brew.
Both of them are from the Shepherd's Neame brewery in Kent.
But even so, let's not sulley a Belgian beer thread with English beer, as fair as it may be.
Edit: I'm enjoying the Chimay White (or tripel) right now Comedian and it is a little more yeasty than I last remembered it, not quite as light. It is very close to the excellent Westmalle tripel, though that is superior to Chimay. Not wanting to tell you how to drink, and at the danger of sounding a bit geeky, but try holding each sip of the beer in the mouth for 20 seconds or so and let it take over the palate - this is the way I drink most of my Belgian beers actually, especially the trappist brews. Try doing this with it being slightly off fridge temperature and compare it with a duff beer, and I think you will see the difference.
Apparently, Shepherd's Neame produced Spitfire as a one off to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Battle of Britain but it was so popular they decided to keep it. Have you tried Tennants Extra:? one of the few beers that can match the strength of the Belgians and much favoured by alcoholics. I am just off to my local Food and Drink Store to buy some now.
Tennants Extra??? Now I know you are joking, do I sound like some amateur Scottish drunk? Please don't swear on the board Brian, have you read the notice at the top ot the page?
Don't get me wrong brother Bean, I'm am not a geeky nerd with a notebook on beer, the type that always surveys the glass to the light and washes the beer down to get the full on mouth-feel for a full 20 seconds each sip constantly. I'm merely trying to help brother C in his most noble beer drinking experiences (I fear however, that he as relapsed on that blue Duff stuff, not having got back to me, tut, tut).
Indeed, the Spitfire was a one-off brew that remained due to demand, and I hold it as a particularly good example of British real ale at its best too, well recommended - perhaps there should be a thread on British real ale, oh let's not go there, the mods will not be happy I think! I'm actually drinking more British ale like Spitfire and co because of a lack of beer funds at the moment, nothing wrong with "roughing it" now and then...
Incidentally, the 20 second rule only applies to Belgian beer, and though I admit to not being able to limit myself to it with every drink (it's just too damn good) it is a way to fully appreciate all of its finer subtleties though, and needs to happen at least once with every glass or you just don't experience the true love of the brew.
Bottoms up.And all respect due to those fabulous Belgian people!!!
Now, now, Neely, you should know that there are no amateur Scottish drunks: only professionals.
Yes professional drunks, but not professional drinkers...
I've never been a massive fan of Duvel, which is a widely available (and quite cheap) Belgian golden ale, but I have to admit that it has grown on me over the passed couple of weeks:
This is certainly one to sip as it weighs in at 8.5%, which is not unusual for Belgian beers of course, but this one tastes its strength. The large foamy head just explodes from the glass - so be careful. It's lagery type taste has taken a little getting used to, but now I am a convert to its delights.
Watch it being poured here, notice the head:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9c4o...eature=related
And all together now:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIgnI...eature=related
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