Dubuisson Cuvée des Trolls

 

Well this is a lively beer and it burst from the bottle like a troll from beneath a bridge demanding a toll.  Admittedly, I left it a little close to the best before end date before opening it so I would advise drinking this one fresh.

It's a hazy, deep golden beer with a thick, tight and frothy cream coloured head.  It has a delicious aroma of Belgian hops, caramel, orange and banana.  Whilst it's quite hoppy which gives it the tang of a Belgian in its taste, it's quite sweet on the tongue with notes of caramel and malt, but what sets it apart is the slightly citrus finish.  

It's very fizzy with prickly bubbles that burst little bombs of orange peel flavour and it has a decent medium body.  It's a tangy, tasty Belgian blonde beer with a hint of bitter mischief and Ale Be Seeing You again. 

Brewed by Dubuisson Brewery, Belgium
7% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4.5/5

Find out more at Dubuisson Brewery

Corsendonk Summum Goudblond

 

I've been impressed with the Corsendonk abbey beers and Goudblond is no exception, although it is perhaps my least favourite of all the Corsendonk beers I've tried.

It's a very dark golden/light amber ale with a thick, tight and robust cream coloured head.  On first opening, it smells a little floral with notes of caramel and hops.  The aroma then seems to develop into a more soapy smell which is a little offputting.

Thankfully, there's nothing soapy in the taste.  It tastes of sweet caramel and malt with a tangy, fruity hint of hops to remind you it's a Belgian ale.  The sweetness lingers on the lips and the whole flavour combination actually reminded me of caramel waffles.  It has a medium body and carbonation is perfect with lots of soft bubbles to tingle the tongue.

It's quite a sweet blonde ale but I have a sweet tooth so I rather liked it.  It would definitely have scored higher if it hadn't had the weird soapy smell.  Unfortunately, it's not in production any more but if it was brewed again, Ale Be Seeing You again.

Brewed by Corsendonk Brewery, Belgium
7.8% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4/5

Find out more at Corsendonk Brewery

Corsendonk Pater Dubbel

 

Pater is a dark brown, mahogany tinged Belgian dubbel with an amazingly tight and frothy cream head.  It looks absolutely splendid and I couldn't wait to dive in for a sniff and a sip.

The aroma is so deliciously malty with a hint of tangy hops, as you would expect from a Belgian beer, along with notes of boozy fruit, like you get in a Christmas cake.  It also has a slightly soapy floral fragrance that was a bit strange and prevented it from scoring full marks for aroma.

It redeemed itself in the taste though.  It's very malty with notes of dark fruit, liquorice and treacle followed by a slightly dry, bitter coffee finish.  It really does have a lovely sweet/bitter balance.  It's very well carbonated and full bodied, giving a full tongue-tingling experience and resulting in one or two bubbly burps.

This is a lovely Belgian dubbel with a sweetness that reminded me of treacle pudding and Ale Be Seeing You again.

Brewed by Corsendonk Brewery, Belgium

6.5% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4.25/5

Find out more at Corsendonk Brewery

Kasteel Tripel

This stonking 11% Belgian tripel pours a sunshiney golden yellow with a tight, off-white head.  The head is amazing; it actually looks like frogspawn as perfectly formed, distinctly separate little bubbles cling to each other.  I have to share a close up photo just to show what I mean.

It has a lovely hoppy aroma with a hint of sweet fruit, including citrus and banana.  The flavour is equally impressive with the expected tripel taste of tangy, sour hops but with the addition of zingy, fruit bursts that give a sweet edge to the sourness and a maltiness that lingers on the palate.  It has a medium body with good carbonation.

You can definitely taste that this has a high ABV but I couldn't really detect any hints of raw alcohol that sometimes overpower strong ales.  Let's face it, the Belgian's know how to brew decent beer so it's no surprise that I'm saying 'Ale Be Seeing You' again to Kasteel Tripel.

Brewed by Kasteel Brouwerij Vanhonsebrouck, Belgium
11% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4.5/5

Find out more at Kasteel

Leffe Ruby

 

I love the packaging of the 750ml bottles from Leffe: this wine bottle sized beer looks perfect for a special occasion with a champagne-like cork and wire trapper hidden under the foil.  I opened my bottle at Christmas to discover the most beautiful jewelled ruby red ale inside.  It has a cute baby pink frothy head that's reasonably loose.

It has an incredibly fruity aroma of strawberries, raspberries, cherries and blueberries that transfers to the taste along with a hint of Parma violets.  With a slightly sour hint and a very fizzy mouthfeel, it reminds me of cherryade and it does feel like more of an alcopop than a beer.  I also picked up a floral aftertaste that seemed a bit out of place.

A light and refreshing ale that was very easy to drink, perhaps a little too easy as it is very much like a bottle of pop.  It's definitely not a traditional ruby ale (which is my favourite style of beer), so I was left feeling a little disappointed.  It's not a Leffe beer Ale Be Seeing again but I'm sure it will hit the spot for those who love fruity ales and sours.

Brewed by Leffe, Belgium
5% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 3.5/5

Find out more at Leffe

Corsendonk Agnus

Agnus is a lovely deep golden slightly hazy Belgian Tripel with a tight frothy off-white head.  It's quite lively on opening so it needs a slow and steady pour to get it out of the bottle in one go.  The head lasts well and laces the glass.

The aroma isn't strong but it has hints of honey, caramel, hops, biscuit and sweet fruit.  The overall smell reminds me of bananas drizzled in honey.

It really twanged my taste buds when I had my first sip.  Lashings of caramel over ripe banana provide a big hit of sweetness followed by tangy hops and a slight spiciness before finishing with a lovely dry lingering bitterness.  It's pretty fizzy with champagne-like prickly, tingly bubbles and has a medium body.

It's a very refreshing, fruity and well-balanced ale, especially if you have a sweet tooth as it leans more towards the sweet side of the scale and it seems to get sweeter as you drink it.  With the distinctive hoppy, spicy tang of a Belgian Tripel, it's very moreish but at 7.5% ABV you can't glug it too quickly.

Another one that's cracking value, purchased for £6.99 for 4 from Lidl.  You can't go wrong for £1.75 a bottle and it's a quality Belgian ale to boot.  Look out for these hitting the shelves again and Ale Be Seeing You!

Brewed by Corsendonk Brewery, Belgium
7.5% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4/5

Find out more at Corsendonk Brewery

Corsendonk Summum Roodbruin

Corsendonk Summum Roodbruin is a dark mahogany brown coloured Belgian Dubbel with an amazingly tight beige head that doesn't budge, lasting and lacing until the final drop.  The head is amazingly robust, leaving thick lacing on the glass.  

There's a light aroma of malt, fruit, treacle and tangy hops along with a slightly metallic hint.  There's nothing light about the flavour with a big hit of roasted malt, dark fruit, sour hops and treacle.  As it's a Belgian dubbel with an ABV of 8.1% ABV it's no surprise that there's a slight hint of alcohol in the taste but there's nothing harsh or raw about it; it's more of a warming taste of alcohol as if the beer has been brewed in bourbon casks.  As it develops, I could taste more caramel and even a hint of liquorice giving it a bitter/sweet finish.

Medium bodied with good carbonation, it has an abundance of prickly malty bubbles with a sour fruit centre that burst in your mouth.  It's a real lip smacking beer with sweet caramel lingering on the lips and slightly sour dark fruit and malt on the tongue.

You can tell it's a strong ale as you're drinking it but without any raw alcohol taste it goes down far too easily.  A very easy to drink Belgian ale, it's perhaps not the best dubbel I've ever had but at £6.99 for a pack of 4 from Lidl it's definitely good value.  My four have now all magically disappeared but I'll be keeping an eye out for these hitting the shelves again and Ale Be Seeing You.

Brewed by Corsendonk Brewery, Belgium
8.1% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4.25/5

Find out more at Corsendonk Brewery

Brasserie D'Achouffe La Chouffe

 

I'd wanted to try La Chouffe for quite some time as I couldn't resist the cute elf on the label so I added one to my BeerWulf order.  There are quite a few Chouffe beers to collect, each with the own individual named elf on the label, but La Chouffe Blonde (with Marcel the elf on the label) seems to be a good one to start with.

This stunning blonde ale pours a delicious golden colour with a frothy and tight off-white head.  It's well carbonated as evidenced by the abundance of bubbles rushing to the surface to maintain the head, which leaves excellent lacing on the glass.

What a mouthwatering aroma it has.  It has the most amazing smell of fruit such as pineapple, banana, mango and citrus along with an underlying aroma of hops and a hint of spiciness.  The flavour is equally amazing and surprisingly complex with notes of straw, biscuit, caramel and hops as well as floral and spicy hints followed by a slightly bitter citrus finish.  I was so impressed that there wasn't even a hint of raw alcohol in the taste despite it's relatively high ABV of 8%.  It's absolutely delicious!

This award winning, full bodied, strong blonde ale is definitely a top Belgian beer and it's one I'd consider a staple in my beer stash.  Ale Be Seeing You again, La Chouffe.

Brewed by Brasserie D'Achouffe, Belgium
8% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4.5/5

Find out more at Brasserie D'Achouffe

Leffe Biere de Noël/Kerstbier

  

Leffe Biere de Noël is a stunning beer; it's a mid-brown colour with a lovely amber hue and a bubbly cream coloured head.  The head is quite loose so it's not surprising to see it disappear but it does retain a thin foam layer. 

The aroma is so malty with a huge hit of spicy mixed fruit and a hint of smooth, sweet toffee.  It's not a terribly strong smell but it is so appealing and I knew I was in for a real treat as I leaned in for my first sip.  The taste is HEAVENLY; tangy toffee, sticky treacle, sweet malt and a slight hint of cinnamon - this is a dark ale lover's dream.

It's medium bodied and well carbonated which gives the feel of champagne bubbles bursting on the tongue, however, I would have preferred the bubbles to be a little less harsh.  It's a shame it's so fizzy as it was looking like it would score full marks across the board.

An absolutely delicious malty ale with sweet toffee notes and a pinch of festive spice, I'd be more than happy to drink a Biere de Noël again so Ale Be Seeing You!

Brewed by Leffe, Belgium

6.6% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4.5/5

Find out more at Leffe

Grimbergen Brassin de Noël

 

This is a little beauty, with only 250ml in the bottle it pours a mid-mahogany brown with a beige frothy head that only disperses a little to leave a good layer of tight creamy foam.

Wow the aroma is Christmas cake in a glass: malt, dark fruits, caramel, a sprinkling of sugar and a hint of spice.  Grimbergen should recreate this smell in a scented candle as it really is a delicious Christmas brew (which is the translation of Brassin de Noël).  I could sniff this for hours but I couldn't wait to find out what it tasted like.

Oh hallelujah!  This is perfection in a glass: dark fruits, sweet malts, a hint of liquorice and spice are combined perfectly to produce an outstanding, intensely malty ale.  It has quite a complex aftertaste, what starts as slightly sour and hoppy evolves into more of a spicy and mixed peel bitterness.  It is perfectly carbonated and full bodied and appears to lovingly caress the tongue with every mouthful.

What a little gem!  It might be in a small bottle but it's definitely a case of quality over quantity as Grimbergen Brassin de Noël scored full marks in every category: appearance, aroma, flavour, mouthfeel and overall.  It's far too nice to keep just for Christmas so Ale Be Seeing You whenever I can get my hands on you, Brassin de Noël, and I'll definitely be looking out for the 330ml and the heavenly 750ml bottles.

Brewed by Grimbergen Abbey Brewery, Belgium

6.5% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 5/5

Find out more at Grimbergen Abbey Brewery

Bosteels Tripel Karmeliet

This is one of the lightest Belgian tripels I have ever seen, but it does look beautiful in the glass.  It's a deep golden yellow ale with a thick, frothy white head and looks very lively and bubbly in the glass.  There is some sediment so it does require a careful pour to get a clear beer, but you can add the yeast if that's to your taste.

With wafts of honey, hops, peach, banana and a hint of herbal spiciness, the aroma is complex and so very appealing.  The taste is absolutely sublime; it's a lovely blend of malt and hops with a fruity undertone.  I could taste juicy peaches drizzled in honey with a hint of lemon drizzle cake to give a bitter/sweet finish.  There is also a hint of raw alcohol in the taste, which is unsurprising as it's a stonking 8.4% ABV.

It's certainly one to savour rather than glug and the intense fizziness and harsh carbonation ensures you don't drink it too quickly.  Even though I took my time drinking it, the amazing head lasted until the very last drop.  Don't be fooled by the light appearance, this is a tripel that packs a punch and one Ale Be Seeing again. 

Brewed by Bosteels Brewery, Belgium
8.4% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4.25/5

Find out more at Bosteels Brewery

Chimay Red

 

Chimay is one of the most well know Trappist breweries and they certainly know how to brew outstanding Trappist beer.  Chimay Red was the first Trappist beer to be brewed by monks at the Scourmont Abbey in Chimay, Belgium in 1862.  It is an amber dubbel made with water drawn from the two wells inside the monastery.

Pouring a rich mahogany colour with a tight beige head that seems to magically continue to grow, this is a beautiful red-tinged brown ale.  There is some sediment in the bottle so I poured it carefully to get a clearer ale as I'm not a fan of bits but you can of course include the yeast if that is to your taste.  

It has a mouthwatering aroma of dark fruit, particularly raisins and plums, sweet malts and a hint of spice.  Although it doesn't smell of alcohol, the aroma is so rich that you can tell it is a strong beer.  The taste is absolutely sublime: such a lovely blend of malt, treacle and fruit with a perfectly balanced citrus/metallic bitter finish.  The sweet/bitter balance is perfect and I had to remind myself of the 7% ABV to stop me glugging it down.

It's a medium bodied ale that is well carbonated, with bubbles slightly on the harsh side and they certainly left my tongue tingling.  It really is a delicious dark ale and I can definitely say that Ale Be Seeing You again.

Brewed by Chimay Brewery, Belgium
7% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4.5/5

Find out more at Chimay Brewery

Bosteels Kwak

My cousin, JP, had not only told me about Kwak but went one better and bought me a whole gift set.  I'm a lucky girl indeed.  It's like a mini yard of ale and comes with its own wooden holder.  The glass itself is exquisite, embossed with the 222 year anniversary from 2013, and is my first experience of drinking from a yard of ale style glass.  You'll be delighted, although not surprised, to hear that I adapted well and didn't spill a drop!

I found it hard to pour as half way through I looked like I had a massive head but once the beer started to creep past the neck of the glass the head filled out nicely.  It disappears to a small foamy layer but does leave some lacing on the glass.

This really is a very deceptive beer.  It smells of copper coins and pours the same colour as them too so I was expecting a very bitter metal taste.  I couldn't have been more wrong. The taste is completely out of this world - it is smooth as honey with malty treacle notes and a spicy liquorice aftertaste.  There is a lingering sweetness left on the tongue as if I'd sucked a few liquorice allsorts.  It is absolutely divine and far too easily quaffable but at a massive 8.4% ABV it's not one to drink too quickly.

Kwak may very well be my new favourite beer - Ale Be Seeing You Again and Again and Again (and not just because there are 3 more bottles in the pack).

Brewed by Bosteels Brewery, Buggenhout, Belgium

8.4% ABV

Find out more about Kwak