Belgian Style Ales Backgrounder
Belgian-Style Ales
BACKGROUNDER
Belgium, about the size of Maryland, is sandwiched between France, Germany, The Netherlands and the North Sea. What makes the Belgian beer culture so special is that Belgium is wedged between Germany, the uber-beer country, and France, the ultimate wine country. In Belgium, it?s too cold to grow grapes and make wine, so they make beer, but with the vintner?s inspiration.
Despite its diminutive size, Belgium has over 100 breweries and 450 beers. Styles, brewing techniques, colors and flavors vary between each region and even between each town. Every beer style has its own glass, which every bartender and beer drinker diligently uses.
In the past decade or so, American beer enthusiasts have developed a growing affection for Belgian ales. The Trappist beers, brewed by monks, and Stella Artois, with its heavy financial backing from Interbrew, are two Belgian-made brands that come to mind. Duvel, meanwhile, is the most popular specialty beer in Belgium, and has garnered acclaim from beer writers, foodies and in-the-know bartenders in the U.S. In 1997, Brewery Ommegang kicked off a second wave of interest, crafting Belgian-style ales in true Belgian fashion in the U.S. Since then, other American-made Belgian-style ales have followed.
BELGIAN-STYLE BEERS BREWED IN BELGIUM
Duvel
Duvel (pronounced DOO-vle in Flemish and Doo-VELL in French) is brewed at the Moortgat Family brewery (est. 1871) in Puurs, near Antwerp. Before Duvel there was no Strong Golden Ale in Belgium. Duvel, with its fair appearance, smooth, complex taste and 8.5% alcohol by volume, brooding beneath, spawned the category. These seemingly opposing characteristics are a result of Duvel?s three fermentations, the use of premium Pilsner malts and high-grade hops?.and time. From brewing to shelf takes about five months, which allows a good deal of maturation, particularly in the bottle where the third fermentation takes place. Michael Jackson, The Beer Hunter, described Duvel as ?having astonishing sophisticated character? and as being ?one of the world?s most distinctive and individualistic beers.? We just like to think of ourselves as different.
Amber Belgian Ales
Palm, brewed in Steenhuffel, is probably the most famous example of this style. Loosely related to English IPA and Bitter, ambers vary in flavor from fruity and spiced to hoppy and dry. In fact, some are labeled with the English word ?ale.?
Brown Beers
The gothic town of Oudenaarde, near Ghent, is the most famous brewing center for Oud Bruin, as it?s known locally. The town?s water, low in calcium and high in sodium carbonate, gave the beer its distinct character. With its malty sweetness balanced with sour flavors, brown beer is matured for several months in metal tanks before being bottled. Some browns, such as Liefmans? Goudenband are also bottle conditioned.
Lambic Beers
The Lambics could be called the wild men of Belgian beer. Not because of their alcohol content, 4.0% to 6.0% by volume, but because of how they?re brewed. Open vats of wort containing malted barley, and raw wheat, are exposed to ?wild? atmospheric yeasts when the brew house roof is opened to the air. Brewed only in a small region to the west and south of Brussels, they ferment and mature for two to three years.
Lambics take many forms. There?s the unsweetened/slightly acidic ?natural? uncarbonated style; Geuze, a naturally carbonated version; Faro, a Lambic sweetened with dark cane sugar and sometimes spices; and Lambic-based Kriek which uses cherries to enhance the flavor without over sweetening it. Lindemans and Boon are good labels to look out for if you want to try this unique style.
Pilsners (Belgian)
Belgian Pilsners are very popular, accounting for the majority of beer sales in Belgium. Seen as everyday beers, they have a clean and dry taste. The Duvel Moortgat Brewery produces its own Pilsner, Bel Pils, which is highly regarded in Belgium.
Red Beers
The Rodenbach brewery is the pre-eminent purveyor of this beer style, which differs in style from the brown beer by nature of its tartness, reddish color and relative slightness of body. Red beers, 3.5% to 5% alcohol by volume, age in large wooden tuns, which accounts for some of the acidity and color. At Rodebach?s brewery in Roeselare these tuns are impressively housed in eleven separate buildings.
Saisons
Saisons, such as Dupont or Pipaix, are brewed in the French-speaking part of Belgium (Wallonia) and are typically 5.0% to 6.0% alcohol by volume. Saisons are seen as a quenching summer drink, but are available year round. Fruity, citric, yet crisp and dry in flavor, they are recognizable by their orange color, which can range from quite light to amber.
Trappist Beers
Produced by Trappist Monks in five monasteries across Belgium (Rochefort, Westvleteren, Chimay, Orval, and Westmalle) and one in the Netherlands (Achel), these ales are pretty distinct from each other in terms of flavor. However they all are made at monasteries, (some still small, others more commercial), are high in alcohol (6.0% - 12% alcohol by volume), and undergo a final fermentation in the bottle. The use of candy-sugar lends some a caramelized flavor. These high quality and flavorsome beers have done a great deal to draw interest to the diversity and complexity of Belgian beer.
Abbey Beers
Abbey beers are similar in style to Trappist ales, but are not physically made in monasteries (although some were originally). They are brewed under license by local brewers, such as Maredsous. Named for the Benedictine monastery, Maredsous is brewed at the Duvel Moortgat Brewery, in three varieties: Maredsous 6 (6% ABV) ? not available in the U.S.; Maredsous 8 (8% ABV) - a creamy amber Dubbel, with a nice balance of malt and hops; and, Maredsous 10 (10% ABV) - a full-bodied golden Triple, which is malty, slightly sweet with hoppy spice. We recommend you try each one - for educational purposes, obviously.
White Beers
A style revived in the 1960?s, Belgian white beer (witbier) in Hoegaarden (pronounced ?who garden.?) region, east of Brussels. The beer is made throughout Belgium using equal amounts of malted barley and raw wheat, with spices such as coriander seed and, Curaçao orange peels. These are not especially strong beers, (4.0 to 5.0 per cent alcohol by volume), and have a mild, light, fruity taste while still maintaining their beer integrity. Hoegaarden (wit) and Steendonk are good examples of the species.
BELGIAN-STYLE BEERS BREWED IN THE U.S.
Showing a little bias, we start with Brewery Ommegang, our U.S.-based brewery in Cooperstown, N.Y. Built on the site of one of Otsego County?s former hop farms, we brew four Belgian-style ales that have met popular and critical acclaim.
Ommegang Abbey Ale:
This eponymous brew is an abbey-style ale, deep reddy-brown in color with a basket of fruit aromas, chocolate, caramel and honey flavors, all topped by a proud and fluffy head. While Ommegang is a rich-tasting ale, it finishes dry. It won a Platinum Medal (96) at the 2001 World Beer Championships.
Hennepin Saison Farmhouse Ale:
A hoppy, farmhouse style ale with a champagne like effervescence. Crisp, but light on the tongue, Hennepin has a bounty of great flavors - ginger, spice, orange and toasted grain - to mention a few. This style is called Grisette, or farmhouse, and is considered to be in the domain of the Belgian Saisons Hennepin was awarded a Gold Medal (90) at the 2001 World Beer Championships
Rare Vos Amber Ale:
Rare Vos (Sly Fox, in English) is named after a café in Belgium, made famous as a start point for both pigeon and cycle races. Its amber hues contrast beautifully with the pure creamy head, while the caramel malt and dry fruity, herbal and spice elements offer a great sophistication and balance. This complex, moderately full-bodied beer has a smooth and seamless finish. Rare Vos received a Platinum Medal (96) at the 2001 World Beer Championships.
Three Philosophers Quadrupel Belgian Style Ale:
Brewery Ommegang?s newest creation, Three Philosophers is a deep burgundian brew bursting with sweet malt and dark cherry. The perfect marriage of flavor is achieved by blending Lindemans Kriek, a delicious cherry lambic from Belgium, with Ommegang?s rich Belgian-style ale. Crafted with wisdom and patience, this brew will help you unlock the secrets of the universe.
Visit Brewery Ommegang online at ---
www.ommegang.com
Other Belgian-style beers made in the U.S.:
New Belgian Brewing Company (Ft. Collins, Colo.) 1554 Brussels Style Black Ale
Fermented at relatively high temperatures using a lager yeast, this take on the ancient Belgian black ale style has a refreshing, zesty acidity.
Pyramid Brewery (various locations)
Beatnik Belgian White:
This unfiltered wheat ale is brewed in the classic Belgian style, using both malted and unmalted wheat and rolled oats. Coriander, orange peel, and spice are then added to round out this, smooth and flavorsome brew (only available at Pyramid Alehouses).
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