·Belgian Red
Dark red-brown in color, these beers are thin but firm in body, sweet and sour, marvelously thirst quenching and very refreshing. There is a blend of caramels, tannins and acidity. As the beer matures in wooden casks the lactic acids builds up and reacts with the wood. These are pasteurized products. The classic Rodenbach is a blend of two beers; one a beer aged for 18 months and the other a younger brew of 6 weeks or so. The result is a wonderful, complex beer.
Classic Producers
Rodenbach (Brouwerji Rodenbach, Belgium); Petrus (Bavik-De Brabandere, Belgium)
Complementary Foods
The light acidity of these beers complements shell fish (prawn soup), pickled, raw or smoked fish and salads. They also complement rabbit, small game birds and goose liver.
Original Gravity: 13 Apparent Extract/Final Gravity: 11.5
Alcohol by weight (volume): 4.1% (5.2%)
Bitterness (IBU) (14 - 18)
Color 60 EBC
·Biere de garde
Bière de garde has long been noted as a minor style and in recent years has been gaining in popularity. This style is often marketed in champagne bottles. These were originally made in the spring to be consumed as summer beers. The name means "beer to keep". This style originated in Northern France near the Belgian border. They have a malt accent and restrained fruitiness with spicy notes. They are medium to strong in alcohol. Bière de garde originated in farmhouse breweries. They were originally top fermented but some utilize bottom fermenting yeasts at warm temperatures for an ale character. Often the water used is softened and light hop varieties are employed. Some are cold matured for a month or so.
Classic Producers
Annoeullin (Brasserie d'Annoeullin, France), Bailleux (Brasserie Bailleux, France), Castelain (Brasserie Vastelain, France), La Chhoulette (Brasserie La, France), Duyck (Brasserie Duyck, France), Grande Brasserie Moderne De Tarken (France), Monceau St. Waast (Brasserie de Monceau St. Waast, France), St. Arnold (Groupe St. Arnold, France), St. Sylvestre (Brasserie de St. Selvestre, France), Theiller (France)
Complementary Foods
Tarts, chicken in beer, tripe sausage, lamb, rabbit, onions & squashes
Gravity(°Plato): 1.060 - 1.076 (15 - 19)
Alcohol by weight (volume): 5.6 - 6.4% (6.5 - 8.5%)
Bitterness (IBU) (Upper 20's)
Color EBC: 30 - 35 EBC
·Saison
A term used to identify beer made in craft breweries in Wallonia. Saisons are not widely known outside their region. They traditionally were made a varying gravities to be served at family meals. They have traditionally been made to have a medium body and an aggressive flavor. Sometimes hard water is used to upgrade the body. Mashes are produced that are only partly fermentable. Flavor is accented through a generous helping of hops and sometimes spices. Although they are no longer fermented in wood, they do under go a second fermentation in the bottle. Saisons are crisp, tart beers made for the summer season and have a characteristic orange color and refreshing carbonation. They are hoppy with citric notes and fruity flavors and are excellent with food. This style is an excellent example of true craft brewing.
Classic Producers
Saison Dupont (Brasserie Dupont, Belgium) Fine American Beers Saison (Riverside Brewing Company)
Complementary Food
Lamb with juniper berries goes well with sweeter beers such as these. Also try spicy sausages, hearty stews and duck.
Gravity 13.75 - 15 ºPlato
·Belgian Abbey Ale/Trappist Ale
True Trappist Ales are epitomized by the brews produced by the Trappist monasteries of Belgium and the Netherlands that use the word Trappist on their labels. There are five abbeys in Belgium (Chimay, Orval, Rechefort, Westmalle and Sint Sixtus at Westvleteren) and one in the Netherlands (Shaapskooi at Konigshoeven) of the Trappist order and are associated with the development of the characteristics associated with these beers. In fact , legally, these are the only breweries that may use the word "Trappist" on the label of their beers. The brothers at these abbeys have created truly unique characteristics through careful ground breaking development and perfection of many techniques.
Some general procedures employed in producing these beers include the incorporation of special yeast strains that operate at higher temperatures, the use of sugar candy in the kettle, blending and bottle conditioning. There are about 20 brands being produced by these breweries which are housed within the walls of the monasteries. Some of these beers are exported and some are only produced for limited consumption local to the brewery. All of these beers generally can be described as fruity and aromatic. Some of them have a rummy taste derived from the use of the sugar candy. There are a number of others including abbeys from different religious orders that find inspiration from the classics that the Trappists produce. These other products produced in the Trappist style are generally known as Abbey Ales.
While many of these are fine products, they generally have not achieved the depth of character of the true Trappist Ales. Trappist or Abbey Ales are often categorized as Singles, Dubbles, Tripels or Quadruples. These designations generally refer to their relative alcoholic strength. Beers that can be categorized as such, none the less will exhibit unique complexity and character depending on the brewery producing it. Visits to these breweries are by appointment only and women are not permitted as these breweries are within the monastery compounds. This section includes Single, Dubbel and Tripel Ales which are described below.
Single
Singles are the lighter alcohol Abbey beers which are often made for the brothers to consume wiht their meals. Earthy brown in color Abbeys should exibit complex, spicy aroma with notes of chocolate, spice, fuitiness and zest in the body. This style is bottle conditioned. Classic Examples Extra (Westmalle)
Award Winning American Beers
(not identified by subcatagory) Abbey Trappist-Style Ale (New Belgium Brewing Company)
Complementary Foods
Munster or Brick cheese, french onion soup
Serving Temperature Room temperature.
Belgian Dubbel
This medium- to full-bodied, dark amber to brown colored ale has a malty sweetness and nutty, chocolate, roast malt aroma. A faint hop aroma is acceptable. Dubbels are also characterized by low bitterness and no hop flavor. Very small quantities of diacetyl are acceptable. Fruity esters (especially banana) are appropriate at low levels. Head retention is dense and mousse-like.
Classic Producers
La Trappe Dubbel (Schaapskooi, Netherlands), Red 6 Special (Westvletern, Belgium)
Complementary Foods
Eels
Original Gravity (°Plato): 1.050- 1.070 (12.5 - 17.5 °Plato)
Apparent Extract/Final Gravity (°Plato): 1.012 - 1.016 (3 - 4 °Plato)
Alcohol by weight (volume): 4.8 - 6.0% (6.0 - 7.5%)
Bitterness (IBU) (18 - 25)
Color SRM (EBC): 10 - 14 (25 - 40 EBC)
Belgian Tripel
Tripels are often characterized by a spicy, phenolic clove flavor. A banana fruity ester is also common. These pale/light-colored ales usually finish sweet. The beer is characteristically medium- to full-bodied with a neutral hop/malt balance. Low hop flavor is acceptable. Alcohol strength and flavor should be perceived as evident. In comparison to the Abbey Ale, it will have a cleaner, crisper character and will be stronger in alcoholic content.
Classic Producers
Rochefort 8 & Rochefort 10 (Rochefort, Belgium), La Trappe Tripel (Schaapskooi, Netherlands), Tripel (Westmalle, Belgium), Blue Extra and Yellow 12 Abbot (Wstvleteren, Belgium)
Award Winning American Beers
Triple (Pacific Coast Brewing) Other Fine American Products Tripel Threat (The Cambrdige Brewing Co.)
Complementary Foods
Eels, asparagus, Pâtés
Original Gravity (°Plato): 1.060- 1.096 (17.5 - 24 °Plato)
Apparent Extract/Final Gravity (°Plato): 1.016 - 1.024 (4 - 6 °Plato)
Alcohol by weight (volume): 5.6 - 8.0% (7.0 - 10.0%)
Bitterness (IBU) (20 - 25)
Color SRM (EBC): 3.5 - 5.5 (7 - 11 EBC)
