Belgian Beer Styles
Abbey Beer
Beer which, though not brewed by monks, is nevertheless
associated with a particular abbey (usually due to
being brewed to an old abbey recipe). Leffe is the
most well-known example - most Leffe beer is brewed
at the Interbrew plant in Leuven nowhere near the Abbaye
de Leffe.
Dubbel
Style of dark beer. Many breweries (especially the
Trappists) brew a dubbel and tripel version of their
beer, the tripel being lighter and stronger. Some monasteries
also reputedly brew a single which is the monks' 'in-house'
beer and not commercially available.
Gueuze
Sometimes called the 'Champagne of Beers', this slightly
sour and refreshing style is a blend of old & young
lambics and usually comes in a Champagne-style bottle.
Lambic
The lambic process involves brewing beer in open tanks,
the fermentation being due solely to contact with airborne
yeast. It is subsequently matured in oak casks for
three years. Most lambics are fruit flavoured, though
not all fruit beers are necessarily lambic. Beer has been brewed in the Brussels region in this
way since the 16th century.
Pils
Bottom-fermented beer relatively low in alcohol content
(e.g. 5%). Examples are Stella Artois, Jupiler, Maes
and Primus.
Refermentée en Bouteille
The majority of Belgian bottled beers are re-fermented
in the bottle, and the bi-product of this is a layer
of yeast sediment which, if the beer is poured carefully,
should remain in the bottle. Generally the bottle
should have been allowed to settle in an upright position
for some time beforehand, but if, even after careful
pouring into the correct glass, the beer is still
cloudy then it doesn't matter, the taste will be affected
a bit but the yeast is quite nutritious.
Trappist Beer
Beer brewed by Cistercian monks. There are only six
Trappist breweries in the world and all are in Belgium.
They are Chimay, Westmalle, Orval, Rochefort, Westvleteren
(St Sixtus) and Achel. Until 1999 the Dutch La Trappe
brewery was also a Trappist but relinquished its status
after going into business with a commercial brewery.
Achel started up at around the same time. Trappist
beers are all pretty strong, and they always bear the
hexagonal 'Authentic Trappist Product' symbol.
Tripel
Strong beer, often from one of the trappist or abbey
breweries. Usually the top-of-the-range beer in terms
of alcohol content. Tripel is almost invariably blonde
and consequently can look similar to lager, but is
infinitely more aromatic, full-bodied and pleasurable
to drink.
Fancy brewing your own Belgian beer?
See the range of Belgian Beer Kits available now at Home Brew Online
Also see the Milestone Crusader Beer Kit - a Belgian style Blond Beer with a zesty clean finish.
Very drinkable ideal with fish, chicken, salad or vegetarian meals.
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