In Honor of the Beers

For the final post I have decided to do a section titled "In Honor of the Beers". I wanted to add the photos that I took of some of the best beers just in case anyone wants to seek out and try these. Some are OK, most are quite good, and others are spectacular. Some are widely distributed in the United States.

Mort Subite - Gueuze Sur Lie - At the Mort Subite in Brussels.
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Commercial Description:
GUEUZE The unfiltered geuze beer is a balanced mixture of old and young lambics, fermented after bottling for at least 1 year. Filtered geuze is the result of a careful dilution process. Geuze is to be drunk from the typical geuze glass. Alc. 4.5% vol. Flavour: An amber-coloured, crisp sour-sweet thirst quencher.
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Refreshing and very drinkable - Not distributed in the US.



Saint Feuillien - Saison - at the Delirium Cafe in Brussels
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Commercial Description:
St-Feuillien’s Saison is what the Belgians call a beer of the terroir, a traditional farmhouse ale with all the rich savour of the fertile land of southern Belgium. Saison, a warm golden blonde beer, is a top-fermented classique. Thanks to secondary fermentation in the bottle, Saison has an unmistakable flavour full of rich nuances and a slight tang.Judge for yourself. 750s and 20L kegs only. In first instance, for export to the USA only.
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A very hearty and hoppy saison, almost like an IPA. Available in some parts of the US.

Lindemans - Geuze - on the Grand Place in Brussels.
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Commercial Description:
Also known as Foudroyante Gueuze.
Ingredients: Malt, wheat, sugar, yeast, ascorbic acid.
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Not a great example of the style, sweet and light with low alcohol. Available in some parts of the US.

Westmalle Trappist - Dubbel - at the Belgian Beer Festival in the Grand Place.
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Commercial Description:
A reddish brown trappist ale, malty and fruit, featuring a 3 week secondary fermentation.
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One of the most popular beers in Belgium. Consumed by a lot of people around Antwerp, near where it is brewed. I saw people drinking it all over the place. A nice malty dubbel. Very widely distributed in the US. Probably the easiest trappist beer to get and a good place to start if you have never tried one before.

Dupont - Saison Vieille Provision- at the Belgian Beer Festival - on the Grand Place in Brussels.
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Commercial Description:
Saison Dupont is a classic Belgian farmhouse ale. This is a beautifully balanced, complex beer that has a refreshing fruitiness and long, dry finish. It is bottled unfiltered so it may be cloudy or have a slight sediment but this is normal and perfectly natural.
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One of my all time favorite beers. A classic example of the style. Tastes like the parallel equivalent of an artisan cheese or bread. Seasonal and widely available in the US.


Cantillion - Gueuze and Kriek - Taste tested at the brewery, no photos of the glasses or bottles - but we have barrels.
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Commercial Description:
The world's classic Gueuze. A blend of one, two, and three year-old lambics creates a second fermentation in the bottle. The champagne of Belgium. In contrast, the Lou Pepe Gueuze is a blend of three 2-year-old lambics.

Newer vintages are labeled "Organic Gueuze", "100% Lambic Bio" or "Classic Gueuze".

Commercial Description:
Cantillon is the brewer of Belgium’s most authentic lambic. This kriek 100% lambic is blended lambic beer brewed with cherries.
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Great examples of the styles from the last authentic lambic brewer in the city of Brussels. Gueuze is very sour and a little bit of an acquired taste. Flavor is not familiar to beer drinkers that haven't tried it before. Widely available in the US.



St. Sixtus Abbey - Westvleteren Extra 8 - at the Belgian Beer Festival in Brussels.
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Commercial Description:
Westvleteren has the smallest output of the Trappist breweries, with only a small part of their production going very far into the world
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Dark reddish brown with a rich creamy head. Flavors of tart dried fruits with a long well balanced bitter and sweet duration that wraps around the tongue. Nearly impossible to find outside of Belgium and quite hard to get even there.

Het Anker - Gouden Carolus Classic - at the Belgian Beer Festival in Brussels.
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Commercial Description:
Het Anker Brewery still brews "The Emperor’s Beer" which is top-fermented and bottle conditioned following traditional methods. Its high gravity (O.G. 1080-85) combines the warmth of wine and the freshness of beer. Gouden Carolus is one of the strongest and most exciting beers in the world. After lengthy maturing and conditioning, it is bottled unfiltered, giving a beer which is rich in vitamins and 100% natural. Gouden Carolus has unlimited storage (it even improves with age) and will charm you with its warm coppery colour and rich bouquet.
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An outstanding Belgian Strong ale brewed in a city called Mechelen between Brussels and Antwerp. Widely available in the US. Other Het Anker beers are also fantastic especially the Curvee Van De Kiezer.

La Caracole - Ambree - at the Belgian Beer festival in Brussels.
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Commercial Description:
Artisanal Belgian Amber Ale
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Another outstanding Belgian Strong Ale with a good sweet roasted malty flavor. It is brewed just outside of Dinant - a city I visited in the south east.


Drie (3) Fonteinen - Oude Gueuze - at the Poechenellekelder in Brussels.
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Commercial Description:
Blend of 1, 2, and 3 year old lambics.
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One of the top beers of the trip and the best Gueuze I tasted. Widely available in the US.

Brasserie Union (Alken-Maes/Heineken) - Brugs Tarwebier - at the Elfde Gebod in Antwerp.
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Commercial Description:
A blond wheatbeer.
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A decently refreshing Belgian white. Not available in the US.

Girardin - Gueuze White Label - At the 't Waagstuk in Antwerp.
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Champagne like flavors with notes of cider and light vinegar. Quite good. Currently not available in the US but I have purchased the black label before and it is supposed to be even better.

Hanssens - Oude Gueuze - At the 't Waagstuk in Antwerp.
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Commercial Description:As with all Gueuzes, Hanssens is a mixture of several vintages to produce a lambic which is refreshingly fruity.
This is the result of blending different lambics of different ages. The second fermentation takes place inside the bottles and therefore they are stored for minimum six months in constant temperature kept cellars.
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A very nice gueuze which I actually was able to find right at John's Grocery in Iowa City the day after I returned. Widely available in the US.

Haacht - Witbier - At L'Entrepot du Congo in Antwerp.

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A sourish Belgian white, apparently not available outside Belgium.

Boon - Oude Geuze Mariage Parfait - at the Oud Arsenaal in Antwerp.

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Commercial Description:Traditional belgian lambic. 100% spontaneously fermented. Refermented in the bottle. Tart, dry, sparking and refreshing.

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Widely distributed. Another tasty gueuze.

Struise Brouwers - Pannepot Grand Reserve 2006 - at the Kulminator in Antwerp.

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Commercial Description:"Vintage 2005"Our PGR has aged for 24 months on oak barrels and has been bottled for the first time on the 27th of December 2007. The main difference with the Pannepot Reserva is that PGR matured the last ten months on Calvados oak barrels, adding extra complexity to the beer. We dedicate this beer as a tribute to Jeppe & Michael of Ølbutikken in Denmark. Those gentlemen were the first to discover our beers on an International basis back in 2004 and are responsable somehow for our beers being all over the globe since then. As a token of gratitude towards Jeppe & Michael, the first shipment of PGR was scheduled to Ølbutikken so they could be the first to launch its commercialisation.

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Not widely distributed. A very unusual and unique Belgian Strong Ale.

De Dolle Brouwers - Stille Nacht 2005 Special Reserve - at the Kulminator in Antwerp.

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A very special Belgian Strong Ale that is more like a Barley Wine. Very hard to find. Other De Dolle Beer are widely distributed and are recommended.

Struise Brouwers - Aardmonnik 2006 - at the Kulminator in Antwerp.

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Commercial Description:Due to its authenticity, Earthmonk received as less sugar as possible during bottle conditioning in order to prevail all original aromas and flavours. This beer comes with little carbonation and a mini head. Is best served at cellar temperature and poured generously, meaning from a hight of approximately 15 to 20 CM, in an upright standing tulip glass. A big bubbled head will quickly make place for the Earthmonk coming alive! Bottle-conditioned in 33cl (5000 btls.) and 75cl (1000 btls.). At Struise, we never retire beers. At ratebeer, Beers are retired when a new batch is not bottled within 12 months. As Earthmonk takes 18 months to age on oak... we have to be patient.

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An unusual but good Belgian sour ale. Somewhat difficult to find. Struise Beers are always unusual and usually quite good if you can find them. Pannepot is one of the best and can be found occationally if you keep an eye out for it.

Dupont - Biere de Miel - at Aba-Jour in Gent.

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Commercial Description: Biere de Miel is bottle conditioned and contains only water, barley and wheat, honey, hops and yeast. It has a marvelously delicate scent of honey, balnaced by a dry palate, resulting in a beer that is both estery and refreshing.
Disclaimer: Both the normal and the organic (biologique) version.

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Some honeycomb, lemon, and bubblegum like flavors. Tastes like a wheat beer with honey, which adds some bitterness. An unusual saison with honey. Widely available in the US.

Du Bocq - Corsendonk Pater - at the Trollekelder in Gent.

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Commercial Description:Has a very distinctive bouquet: yeasty, fruity and slightly smoky. In palate, it has notes of port, raisins and black chocolate. Editor's note: Apparently production has moved from Van Steenberge to du Bocq as of Sept 2007.

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Lemony aromas with a rich dried fruit and citrus flavor. A good abbey dubbel. Widely available.

Malheur - 12 - at the Cambrinus in Bruge.

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Commercial Description:12% vol.alc. – re-fermented and bottle-conditioned Rich, dark coloured beer, with a wonderful hoppy, floral nose and well-balanced flavours, making it easy to drink

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At 12% it's a bit of a skull splitter and packs a whallop. A very strong Belgian strong ale with wonderful rich flavors of chocolate malt, dried fruit, and brown sugar. I think this beer was largely responsible for my headache the next day - so I'd only recommend drinking one with nothing else. Widely available.

Van Eecke - Poperings Nunnebier - at the Oud Vlaenderen in Poperinge.

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Commercial Description:We made gold-fair, clear degustatiebier of 7,7°. it is of barley malt, leaven, water and of course Poperingse hops composed. What concerns the taste, is the first what the presence of a large hop bitterness is notable.

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Crisp with a light citric bitteness and fruity notes. A Belgian ale from the heart of hop country. Currently not distributed outside of Belgium.

St. Sixtus - Westvleteren 12 - at the In De Vrede near Poperinge.
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Commercial Description:Westvleteren has the smallest output of the Trappist breweries, with only a small part of their production available outside of Belgium.

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The consensus #1 Beer in the world. Very rich and flavorful. Difficult to acquire even for Belgians.

St. Sixtus - Westvleteren Blonde - at the In De Vrede near Poperinge.

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Commercial Description: Westvleteren Blond is the basic beer for the monks’ own consumption, since 1999, when the former 6° dark ale (red cap) was finally discarded, after the 4° had already gone that path.

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A very delicious hoppy, wheaty, and citric blonde. Very had to acquire other than at the In De Vrede.

Dupont - Avec les Bons Voeux Saison - at the Bier Circus in Brussels.
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Commercial Description: "Les Bons Voeux" means best wishes, which is what Brasserie Dupont sends with this very special saison ale brewed only for the holidays. Redolently aromatic, rich and velvety, this is an ale to toast the season and welcome in the New Year!
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Possibly the top Saison - a slightly stronger and richer cousin to the Dupont Vieille Provision. One of my favorites. Seasonal but available.


Chimay - Bleue Vintage 2004 - at the Bier Circus in Brussels.
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Commercial Description: Chimay Bleu is principally distinguished by its character of a strong beer. This is a beer whose fragrance of fresh yeast with a light, flowery rosy touch is especially pleasant. Its flavour, noticed when tasting it, only accentuates the pleasant sensations perceived in the aroma , while revealing a light but pleasant touch of roasted malt. This top fermented Trappist beer, refermented in the bottle, is not pasteurised.
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This vintage Chimay Blue was aged to perfection - rich and chocolaty and very well balanced. Chimay Blue, Red, and Cinq Cents are widely available.


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Some Top widely distributed Belgian beers - not mentioned above. All recommended.

1. Rochefort Trappistes 10 - the best widely distributed Trappist Ale - other Rochefort beers (8 & 6) are also good and available.
2. St. Bernadus Abt 12 - and other St. Bernadus beers.
3. Brasserie de Rocs - Brune, Grand Cru, or Triple Imperial
4. Chouffe Houblon Doubbelen IPA Tripel
5. Moortgat - Duvel
6. Moortgat - Maredsous
7. Van Steenberge - Piraat
8. Fantome - saisons
9. Bosteels - Tripel Karmeliet
10. Rodenbach - various beers
    
    
    

Tuesday - The Final Day

The last day called for a day trip to the south east - I wanted to see that part of the country and ride the train one more time to see some of the countryside. I decided to take a trip to Dinant. Upon arrival I stumbled upon a famous bakery cafe called Patisserie Jacobs and ordered a coffee and some pastries for breakfast.
The city of Dinant lies on the Meuse River and is tucked into cliffs on either side - kind of reminded me of the setting of Dubuque, IA, except the river and the town were a lot smaller.
On the citadel above the city.
A view from the citadel. Note the bridge on the Cologne to Paris highway in the distance.
Dinant from the citadel - with the Gothic onion domed cathedral Eglise Notre Dame.
Inside the Eglise Notre Dame - a great stained glass window. The matching one on the opposite side was regular glass and must have been destroyed in one of the many wars that passed through this area.
I decided to take a 45 min boat tour on the Meuse. I was the only person at first, but luckily two more people and a dog showed up at the last minute.
My lonely depressed looking tour boat operator. I decided to tip him two Euros at the end because he looked like he need it. At one point I think he put his forehead on the steering wheel and he kept sighing heavily.
Houses along the Meuse.
The Jacobs Patisserie.
Eglise Notre Dame with the citadel in the background.
Dinant.
Another view of Dinant with cathedral and citadel.
A little slice of Iowa in Belgium. A John Deere tractor pulling another John Deere tractor/backhoe.
Re-roofing houses in Belgium does not look like fun - very steeply pitched roofs.
A column in Bier Circus, one of my favorite Brussels restaurants and the place I decided to have my last meal.
The finale - a vintage 2004 Chimay Bleue in a dusty cellared bottle served at room temperature with a matching chocolate mousse constructed with Chimay as well. The perfect ending and one of the top beers from the trip, aged to perfection.

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I arose early to catch the early train to Dinant. This would be the last day to see Belgium and I wanted to head out in the opposite direction so that I could get a glimpse and feel for the east, since that is supposed to be the most beautiful countryside. Dinant is a popular tourist destination for Belgians on the edge of the Ardennes mountains, and is most famous for being the birthplace and home of Adolph Sax - inventor of the Saxophone.

I was eager to take one more train trip, since it will probably be a while before I get to do that again. Also trains are an easy source of entertainment, offering the opportunity to kick back, be lazy, and stare out the windows instead of walking all over the place. Upon boarding the train I accidentally sat in the first class section. The conductor kicked me out and back to second class upon inspection of my ticket. I thought those seats felt too comfortable for some reason.

Arrived in Dinant around 9:45 am and walked across the river Meuse to look for some breakfast. Stumbled upon the Jacobs Patisserie. I ordered a coffee and a couple of pastries and started reading the guide book which stated that this Patisserie was famous throughout Belgium for it's giant moulded biscuits made in assorted shapes.

I was quickly beginning to realise that no one in Dinant seemed to speak English. I hadn't noticed this much until now but it must be far enough off the beaten tourist path. It was actually good to try out my intuitive French - barely understanding every 4th word and then trying to guesstimate what was being said. Most of the time it works well enough.

Next I took the Teleferik cable car to the summit of the Citadel. This was about a 2 min. ride up the steep side of a bluff and was probably the most interesting part of the citadel. Most of the views from the top were blocked off with no admittance signs. It seemed that they were doing a lot of renovation and still had a ways to go. The citadel was pretty spartan except for a museum featuring a history of non commissioned military officers in the Belgian army. Definitely not worth the 6 Euro admission price except for a spectacular view.

I headed back down the hill and into the Gothic cathedral of Eglise de Notre Dame, a 14th century Gothic style church. It was fairly spartan as well except for the structure itself and appeared a little run down, but was still quite intimidating in scale. After the cathedral, I decided to take a short boat tour up the river. There were several boats available, but since it was a Tuesday morning, there were not many tourists around. I inquired at one boat but the captain explained in French that we need at least 3 people to go. So he and I set about to try and sell 2 more tickets. Eventually a couple walked by with their dog, showed some interest, and were convinced to climb aboard. It was a slow and lazy 45 minute round trip tour up and down the river but had some nice views and was relaxing. After that I walked around for a while, had lunch, and decided to catch the 2:14 back to Brussels.

In the evening I decided to return to Bier Circus for dinner since that was one of my favorite restaurants and a good reliable choice for the last meal. Walking to dinner I decided to take a different route and passed across a kind of weird and slightly unnerving urban wasteland in the middle of the city. The Bier Circus is near a gigantic column that honors the unknown soldiers killed in action that can be seen from a few miles away when you are standing in the right spots, so I was heading for that. I walked up a set of stairs and found myself on top of what looked like the roof of a huge parking garage. The whole are was completely empty and unkempt with weeds growing out of the concrete everywhere and graffiti all around. I headed across the concrete and saw two very large 10 story soviet style buildings on my right and left that were completely abandoned. Directly between them ahead was the large column. Once I got to the column everything was normal again, with people walking around - it was just strange to cross this 100 acre or so area, that seemed completely abandoned, in the middle of the center of town - but it certainly added to the already slightly surreal nature of Brussels.

Felt relieved to get to Bier Circus. Had a great meal and two of the best beers of the trip (see above).

After that I walked back to the Grand Place and decided to make some videos of the place and the streets around that area. Walking back a guy came up to me and asked me directions to the Midi train station in French. I asked if he knew English and he did - and I actually kind of knew the directions to the station, so I felt pretty smug being able to help out. Feeling good I entered the Grand Place and took some videos. There was a guy doing tai chi in the middle of the square. People were milling about taking photos and gawking at all the architecture and marvelous stone work. I did a long video walking through the street that was packed with restaurants, secretly taping all the people and places and the noise of the street.

After that I headed back to the hotel to pack and get ready for bed.