Liefmans Goudenband

Liefmans Goudenband describes itself on the label as 'one of the world's most complex beers, an aged strong Belgian Brown Ale', its 8% abv in a caged corked unmarked bottle wrapped in paper. I couldn't see anyway of dating this bottle.

I was surprised how dark it was, sitting mysteriously in the glass hugging the curves.
The aroma had several things going on, I found myself sniffing it longer than I was spending drinking it! It was sour and dry, there was a cider element, certainly sharp apples. There was a sharp deep sweetness like cider vinegar, marmite and a strong deep metallic edge. There was probably loads more that I wasn't getting too.

When I got round to drinking it, there was light carbonation, dry and dusty, cherries, not too sour actually, a medium body, something that reminded me of coke too. I found it more acidic as time went on.

A seriously good beer, as they say 'complex', so much happening in the glass that makes it enjoyable.

Westmalle Dubbel

 After 2 long days at work when I got home yesterday I fancied something strong and something to sip.

The Westmalle brewery is in the Belgium province of Antwerp, and brewed its first beer in 1836. The Dubbel is a 7% Trappist beer and apparently is still based on the 1926 recipe.

A dark brown pour with a thick tan head, the aroma is deep - plums, raisins, yeast but I was expecting more of a boozy hit to be perfectly honest.
The taste was also deep, again the plum, raisins, candy sugar - all the things you would expect from a beer of this style. Very carbonated, right ' til the end in fact, and it has a great solid body. The malts and sugar sweetness balance together so well, and accompany some great spice notes.
Again I was expecting a stronger alcohol presence, but never the less enjoyed it to the last drop.

piraat

Look at that beautiful colour, and a damn big beer too.

Piraat, 10.5%, 330mls.
Aroma of malts, sugar, honey. It is lighter in the mouth than the alcohol suggests, tropical fruits, vanilla, typical Belgium strong beer with strong alcohol warmth. Gloriously drinkable.

Augustijn Donker

A third bottle from the Lidl box set  the second bottle from the Augustijn label although i'm not sure about the description it gives. On the back it says 'This authentic blond Monastic beer...'  despite the words 'Dark' and 'Brune' right above it. Now i'm no way an expert on beer styles but how is this a Blond? My photo does make it look dark than it is but it was a good medium red brown in the glass.

Augustijn Donker
7%,  330mls.
 It has a frothy off white head,  sweet caramel aroma and malty. It has an inital alcohol hit but very quickly it fades, appears like a massive heavyweight but with a glass chin.
When you swallow it has real sweet notes in your throat, vanilla, and its fizzy, well carbonated but lightly done. The sweetness is sugary not syrupy, and overall its an okay beer but not outstanding, not really memorable, a bit Belgium -by-numbers.

Leute Bokbier and Augustijn Grand Cru

Quick reviews, I've just done my third 12hr shift in 4 days and need a beer.
Two bottles from the Lidl box of 6 belgium beers (for £9.99) that i was alerted to by blogger Birkonian . 

First up - Leute Bokbier -   7.5% Belgium strong beer 330mls.

Notes: a gorgeous smell, invitingly warm going down, so strong with raisins and malt, i wrote malty twice in my notes! Sweet to taste, so smooth, its deep brown colour topped with a creamy head, almost like a whipped cream, and it had hints of coco powder too, so nice, really good.

2nd bottle: Augustijn Grand Cru, 9% 330mls

Immediately an aroma of pears drops, I've often read bloggers mentioned them, never come across them before but to me in this beer its really obvious. It also has an aroma and taste of nail varnish/acetone, a real acidic element but thats coupled with a syrupy sweetness thats not totally pleasant.  The sweetness reminds me of cheap runny honey. I finished it but not a great beer to my mind.

Londis Belgian Lager 5% and 7.9%

Quick couple of days last week during half term down in Tenby, South Wales, and i had a little hunt for new beers to end the days of walking on the beach with the kids.

Unfortunately the deli in the high street where i previously picked up bottles from the Preseli and Cwrw Cwm Gwaun  breweries seemed to be closed down, the Sainsbury offered very limited choice so went to the Londis  which has pleasantly surprised me in the past with some bottled beers it has stocked. This time however it was a very boring choice, the usual suspects, nothing welsh or local either.

I ended up with a couple of cans of their own 'Premium Belgian Lager' 500mls, 5% abv. Very little actual information to say who or where it was brewed, it does tell you 'made in one of Belgium's oldest family breweries, established in 1758........ based in Limbourg province in Flanders'.
It was crisp, lively, good malt base coming through, and not to thin. A little syrup sweetness and dry apple flavour too. Overall not a bad lager, it hit the spot nicely.
 

The following day i thought i'd sample its big brother the 'Super Strength Belgian Lager' weighing in at 7.9%, - proper 'tramp fuel'!
I was expecting a sickly sweet affair but was pleasantly surprised, nice strong malty base again, less syrupy than the 5% lager in fact, biscuity and it didn't make you think you were drinking rocket fuel, and overall I think i preferred this one on taste alone. 

Rochefort Trappistes 8

Opened late evening on Christmas day settling down for a movie.
Poured with plenty of fizz but the head goes quickly, i also managed to put in a fair bit of the sediment even though being careful.

Aroma was deep dark fruits, alcohol, peppery.
Taste was a little less overwhelming than expected, but good and yeasty, brown sugar, again pepper that lingers, on a short drying finish.

I'm glad I've tried it, and I'll certainly try the 6 and 10, but its not the most memorable Belgium beer I've had.