Chimay, Chimay, cocoa bop

Chimay Trappist Ale “Grandes Réserve” (Belgium) – This was purchased in 2008, but unless “LAN-662” is the lot number (and it may be) I have no way to know exactly what release it was. And unlike many of my beer aging experiments, this was one was a resounding success. Richer, darker, and more complex than at release (and it’s a pretty excellent beer even then), with more of its aromatics inhabiting the coffee, molasses, and chocolate realms. Yet it’s not sweeter. In fact, the opposite, as if its asymptote is amaro rather than that suggested by the sweet-ish aromas. I love this, and will promptly stash more in the cellar..(11/11)

David

Duvel 2009 Golden Ale (Belgium) – A beer aging experiment. This didn’t fail like some have, but it didn’t lead to much reward either: the beer is more lemon-dominated than its richer youth, and more about frothy yeastiness than much in the way of gained complexity. To make a wine analogy, aging it more or less turned a decent Champagne into a good Prosecco. (11/11)

Solid rock

Trappistes Rochefort Belgian Ale 6 (Belgium) – Blocky and straightforward. A Trappist ale done strictly by the numbers and to the specification. That is to say, there’s not much joy in it, despite its precisely-described identity. (9/11)

Trappistes Rochefort Belgian Ale 8 (Belgium) – Now this is more like it. Or, rather, absolutely, precisely, exactingly “like it.” Which is to say: absolutely textbook, spice and weight and metallic glistenings. But not more than that, either. It is a Trappist ale in its essentials, done with an excess of competency, and lacking the artistry to paint outside the lines. (9/11)

Oude to a Grecian urn

Hanssens “Oude” Kriek Lambic (Belgium) – Oh, yes. Beautifully tart, but not so iconoclastically acidic that it becomes an Olympic-level challenge to struggle through. Here I suppose I reveal my long-time struggle with the Cantillon style, in which I have to warm up like a beer athlete to deal with the fierce lash of puckering sourness, and which even with said warmup I don’t always warm to. This is less aggressive, and maybe it’s less authentic as a result, but it’s far more to my liking. (9/10)

Bobby Orr

Achel Trappist Bruin (Belgium) – Luscious dried-brown sap flavors, bronzed apricot, layers of ginger spice and easy appeal. Nice. (2/11)

Up one

Hanssens Oude Kriek Lambic (Belgium) – Brittle and extremely cherried, offering not the slightest hint of mitigating sweetness or density, so that razor-sharpness stands out clearly and pointedly. Has a handle on all its “difficult” components. Pretty good. (2/11)

Gueuzeberry

Fonteinen Oude Gueuze Lambic (Belgium) – A fair balance of stink and snap, spiced and a bit gauzy. This is pleasant, and much more approachable than the extreme forms of lambic, but there’s a certain sacrifice of intensity necessary to achieve that. (2/11)

Brothers

Hanssens Oude Gueuze Lambic (Belgium) – Completely overwhelmed by brettanomyces in both its stinky and Band-Aid™ forms. Spiky acidity. But the brett here, an essential player in a better-balanced lambic, is just way, way too much. Undrinkable. (2/11)

Auberjonois

Lindemans Gueuze Lambic “Cuvée René” (Belgium) – This is often praised as the “serious” lambic from a producer who purists believe has perverted the form. Well, it’s true that Lindemans makes what I’d call fruit beers rather than lambics, and while they’re more or less tasty enough as the former, they really don’t work as the latter. So here, we have a broad-swath attempt at the bite and aggression of the real thing. And? I don’t see it. The acidity seems fierce enough, but it fades in and out. The metal-jacketed fruit (a little cherry, a little plum) clenches and then releases, finishing slightly synthetic. It’s just…fine. OK. Decent. Not special, certainly not extraordinary. (2/11)

The last Noël

Affligem “Noël” Christmas Ale (Belgium) – Like drinking a Christmas cake, dark with spiced molasses and very nearly liquid dessert, this is very much an acquired taste. I think it would be better sipped from tiny cordial glasses rather than consumed in normal beer quantities. (3/10)

Gouden carbonated

Petrus Gouden Tripel Ale (Belgium) – Refermenting. And I mean aggressively so…by the time I uncork it, a good deal of beer has seeped up the cork, down the capsule, and all over a refrigerator shelf. The cork, at the slightest tug, slams into the ceiling, causing everyone in the room to duck. Foam boils forth…and even though I quickly pour half the beer into another container, the foam continues to surge and boil until the bottle is nearly empty. The result isn’t all that bad, to be honest, but as I can’t imagine this is the intended state of drinkability, I’m not sure it’s useful to go into much detail. (10/09)

Mary Steenberge

van Steenberge “Monk’s Café” Flemish Sour Ale (Belgium) – The sourness here is cherry-esque, and while it’s dominant it does not dominate. Fresh and appealing, yet with more than a little seriousness. (4/09)

van Steenberge “Gulden Draak” Ale (Belgium) – Frothy, spicy, and while it’s heady by feel, it lacks just a slight bit of substance. This is a quibble, though; the ale’s quite fine. (4/09)

van Steenberge “Bormem” Double Abbey Ale (Belgium) – This is a terrible beer. Just awful. (4/09)

van Steenberge “Bormem” Triple Abbey Ale (Belgium) – The only virtue of this over the Dubbel of the same name is that there’s more alcohol. Otherwise, it’s pretty much worthless. (4/09)

van Steenberge “Augustijn” Ale (Belgium) – Good, straightforward Belgian-ness (octane, sweet spiced stonefruit, etc.), but lacking additional complexity. (4/09)

van Steenberge “Piraat” Abbey Ale (Belgium) – There are some differences between this and the Augustijn, but they’re generally unimportant; the beer’s largely the same, though with an extra wallop of hoppiness that really doesn’t add or detract much. (4/09)

Bernardus this day

St. Bernardus “Prior 8” Abbey Ale (Belgium) – Solid and classically-styled, with layers of spiced pastry and stone fruit, yet not too heavy. Just right, I’d say. (3/09)

St. Bernardus “Abt 12” Abbey Ale (Belgium) – Everything that the “Prior 8” has, turned up a notch or two on the dial, yet without sacrificing balance. Intense, yes, but while it’s heavily-flavored, it’s not heavy-without-purpose. Very, very good. (3/09)

Karmeliet-Kynes

Bosteels Tripel “Karmeliet” (Belgium) – A really good beer with just a little bit too much sticky toffee pudding, which keeps it from truly soaring. A shame, because there’s a lot to like here. (3/09)

Anker's away

Het Anker “Gouden Carolus” 2008 “Cuvee van de Keizer” (Belgium) – Wow. All the thick, spicy, sexy Belgian qualities turned up to eleven, but without sacrificing balance. It is a heady, dense wine, and you’ll feel the effects of the alcohol, but it’s strikingly complex and rich, and worth every temple-throb. (10/08)

What's good for the gueuze is good for the gander

Girardin “1882” Gueuze Lambic (Belgium) – Really good, with sharp acidity and a minor baritone of brett, yet balanced (for the style), retaining a pure core of tart cherry dust. (4/08)

Westmallerats

Westmalle Trappist Ale Tripel (Belgium) – This seems less than it used to be, though that may just be my constantly-evolving palate. It’s heavy, spicy, and tasty, full of spiced pear liqueur and brighter, coriander-infused zest, but it shows malted up front and rather wan at the rear. A very good ale, with plenty of heft (and certainly a powerful wallop of alcohol) but also somewhat rote. (3/08)

January, Lefebvre airy, March

Lefebvre “Barbãr” Blonde Ale au Miel (Belgium) – I’m a lot more tolerant of unneeded sweetness hanging about the brewery than I am the winery, and so I suspect I like this fine, polished effort more than some. It’s grainy and summery, with an appealing grace note of meadow flowers. (2/08)

Lefebvre “Floreffe” Triple Ale (Belgium) – Sticky and somewhat dull, with more weight than presence. However, an important caveat: this is served at the wrong temperature, so judgment must remain reserved. (2/08)

Lefebvre “Blanche de Bruxelles” Bière Blanche (Belgium) – Silky and nicely balanced, but bringing the aromatics to the fore and leaving the core beer in the background, which might be controversial. I like it. (2/08)

Good & careless

Het Anker “Gouden Carolus” “Ambrio 1471” Amber Ale (Belgium) – Dark, but not overly so, with a rich, brown baritone of spice and dried fruit. Perfectly balanced, and really, really good. (1/08)

Het Anker “Gouden Carolus” “Classic” Brown Ale (Belgium) – Simultaneously lighter and heavier than the Ambrio, showing dried, yeasty stone fruit/citrus and gentle but fulfilling waves of spicy complexity. Brilliant. Compared to the Ambrio, it’s better but less exciting, if that makes any sense. (1/08)

Het Anker “Gouden Carolus” Triple Ale (Belgium) – Concentrated, with dark, aged-sugar thickness, firm palate intensity, and a really beautiful, measured combination of complexity, structure, and power. Terrific. (1/08)

Happy bergen

Alken-Mas “Grimbergen” Blonde Ale (Belgium) – Fun, malty, fruity. A bit lactic and then finishing a bit sweeter than I’d like. In this style and for this price, Leffe is clearly superior. (1/08)