For the last two years we have not run our
annual Belgian beer tasting due to a lack of breadth in the range of Belgian
beers available to us. This year however the situation has changed with a wide
range of interesting and uncommon Belgian beers being at our disposal. This
year we also included a couple of impostors. Belgian style beers are
increasingly being brewed by breweries outside of Belgium. This year we included a
wild yeast inoculated Abby style beer from New Zealand (Nota Bene) and an
American blended beer made up of a Belgian Cherry Lambic and a Belgian style
Quadruple.
This year the popular vote went to Duchesse
de Bourgogne from West Flanders. Duchesse de
Bourgogne is a West Flanders Sour Red Ale whose production includes some very
unique processes. After primary fermentation has taken place with an ale yeast
the beer is run into large oak vessels where the beer is aged for 8 to 18
months. During the aging process wild yeasts that live in the oak go to work
slowly continuing the fermentation and creating all sorts of slightly vinous,
tart, Sherry and raisin like flavours. Duchesse Bourgogne is a complex sweet sour beer with
bags of complexity , a very sweet start before a big acidic tart finish
balances everything up.
In second place came Rochefort 10 the
strong dark Trappist Ale from the Abbey of St Remy. Rochefort 10 is the
strongest and darkest offering from the Abby clocking in at 11.3%ABV. Rochefort
10 offers up a whole range of ripe fortified fruit and rich malt aromas and
flavours with some distinctive ripe plum and smooth brandy notes.
In third place came a beer that has been a
regular favourite at Regional tastings through the years. Poperings Hommel Bier
comes from the hop growing region of Belgium and perhaps accordingly is
one of the more hoppy established Belgian beers. Like many Belgian brews Hommel
Bier doesn’t neatly fit into a style.
Hommel Bier sits somewhere between the Belgian Pale Ale and the Saison
style. Aromas of lightly spicy
herbaceous hops and slightly clove like yeast notes combine in the aroma before
a dry fruity palate and a fresh zesty hop accented finish.
Check out the full results below