Glasses at the ready @Derek Although I only have Chimay Blue and Kasteel Donker in at the moment. The next order will definitely be St Bernardus 12%
Holy Moly ! Have you kept a record of every one ? This one isn't Belgian , but it is on top of bin . A "refreshing" Austrian brew , at a sporting 14%
More or less. I've been drinking Belgian beers for quite a number of years. Sometime ago it occurred to me to scan the labels after I had drunk them as a sort of a record. I've also recorded beers from the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Italy and France. I've hear of Samichlaus but never found a bottle. it must have quite a kick
I also brew my own beer and often try to emulate the Belgian Trappist style. Never quite got to Chimay/Roqueforte but getting close.
You want to check the labels of Belgian beers bought in Britain. I am not a connoisseur which you can probably tell because I like Stella. Stella sold in UK is brewed here and tastes nothing like Belgian Stella and is weaker.
This guy ain't too happy with his Leffe… https://www.eater.com/2016/4/5/11368906/leffe-beer-lawsuit-deceptive-marketing
Good man yourself ! I'm guessing that you have that book by Protz and Wheeler ? There's a sort of companion book with 100 recipes replicating well-known brews ..... I tried a few and they are not bad at all . I came to the conclusion that the water was often the key ingredient .... .... you can find all the malt and hop varieties you could want these days , but the water is a different matter altogether .... just my 2 mongos worth ...
I have a couple of books by Graham Wheeler detailing methods, techniques and recipes that are currently with my son who started brewing a couple of years ago. I've read 2 or 3 books by Protz but they were about beer and beer styles not about brewing per se. I started brewing about 35 years ago, just after I got married and we moved to a house in the country. That was a great place to live but there wasn't a pub for at least 5 miles in any direction, so I decided to brew my own. The first brews were with Glenbrew 80/- kits, made in Glasgow. They were OK compared with most kits at that time but I'd like to have done better. What changed things for me was a book I found in a homebrew shop called " Brewing Beers Like Those You Buy" by Dave Line. He died quite a few years ago. The book described the basics of all grain brewing and how to make equipment to use. And it gave recipes for a large range of real ales that were on the go at the time. I worked my way through most of the recipes then found another book by Dave Line which was much more detailed in the methods of all-grain brewing. I also learned a lot from Clive Le Pensee's "Historical Companion to House Brewing" and "Guide to Craft Brewing". I don't refer to books so much these days but If I come across something new I like to have a look. Some are absolute rubbish but brewing seems to coming back into favour again among the younger guys which I think is a very good thing. I agree that the water is important, especially for the more hoppy IPAs etc. I live in an area with very soft water so tend to adapt my recipes to suit the water but I can add Calcium Sulphate, Magnesium Sulphate, Calcium Carbonate, Salt, etc as required to suit the beer style I intend to brew. I'll be brewing tomorrow. Hmmm.
Some have such nice bottles , I just have to save them .... usually in the garage .... it cuts down on ear-ache ... -
I’m quite partial to Pelforth Brune which has been mentioned here previously, though technically it’s not a Belgian beer as it’s brewed in France at Mons-en-Baroeul near Lille. https://www.thisdrinkinglife.com/pelforth-brune/
Random bottle pics ..... These happened to be in the "safe place" that I knew I'd put all of the new fork parts .... .... some time ago ! - PS - I like the IPA brews .... always have . In these troubled times I'm getting less picky , and I got these at Aldi ..... Marston's Old Empire IPA and Wild Bill ( an American IPA )
Aldi in the UK may carry a different range but if you like IPAs then I thoroughly recommend McGargles Francis’ Big Banging IPA at 7+% or, a bit softer, Roadworks Pale Ale at 5%; not a true IPA but one step towards an IPA. ps. Sorry @Robarano not Belgian I know, but still foreign
