Belgian Beer

I love beer that comes from Belgium, and I want to promote it to others. The beer has unique character, comes in many varieties, and has a long honored tradition that should be understood and celebrated. Overall, though, the one characteristic of Belgian beer that sets it apart is that it tastes delicious.

The 3 most common objectives that I hear when attempting to share Belgian beer with someone new are:

The way I answer these objections in a phrase follows, but if you want the more in-depth answers, keep reading:

Belgian beer is VERY different than American beer - that's like saying you don't like Apple Juice because you don't like Orange Juice. Yes, they are both technically "juices", but very very different - mainly because they have different primary ingredients.

I'll help you find a place - I highly recommend Mr. G's if you live in Plano, Central Market in the South, or Whole Foods if you have to (more limited selection, but they do have some!)

Understanding Belgian Beer

The first step is to truly understand what beer is - broaden your horizons to understand that "Coors Light" is not beer. Don't get me wrong, it is a type of beer (although quite unappealing to myself), it is not indicitive or descriptive of all beer that is brewed. In fact, there are hundreds of variables that go into "beer", so there are many variations as to what a "beer" is or what it tastes like. To read more about different broad groups of beer, go to the Beer Advocate website at http://beeradvocate.com/beer/style. This site has a fairly long list under the Belgian section. I generally simplify it a bit more and lump Belgians into 4 categories:

Dubbel (ex, Chimay Red - rich, malty, darker, some hops, caramely, full body - more traditional "Trappist")

Tripel (ex, Chimay White - brewers typically use around 3X malt used in "Simple". Usually lighter/brighter in color. Complex flavor w/ sweet finish and high alcohol content)

My Favorite Belgian Beer

Of these four broad categories, Tripel is by far my favorite and nothing like a Coors Light!

My Personal Belgian Beer Rankings

Here are the Tripels that I've tried and my rankings - I've tried Dubbels, Quads and others as well, but I'm focusing on Tripels as they are my favorite.

Picture	Beer Name	Description	ABV%	Appearance	Smell	Taste	Mouth Feel	Drinkability	Overall
	Affligem Tripel	My personal favorite of the true Belgian brewed tripels, this beer has a georgeous carmel-hued yet light color, great head and is incredibly drinkable, especially with white meats (chicken, fish, pork). Slightly dry, the carbonation level is just enough without being overpowering. Complex taste w/ hint of spice - no real hop bitterness and a sweet finish that hints at the sugars used in this brew.	8.5
	Allagash Tripel Reserve		9.0
	Chimay White		8.0
	Corsendornk Agnus		7.5
	Duvel
	LaTrappe Tripel (Koningshoeven)
	Maredsous 10		10.0
	St. Bernardus Tripel		8.0
	Tripel Karmeliet		8.0
	Trippel - Belgian Style (New Belgium Brewery)	I drink this beer more than any other beer for one simple reason: it's cheaper. Affligem is my favorite, but this beer is actually quite good. Because it's brewed in the United States, it's not "authentic" but it's darn close due to the careful attention to the brew process that New Belgium Brewery instills. It's got a deeper caramel color, a bit more hop bitterness with a crisp taste and very slight sweet finish. Great with any meat or by itself, I drink it right out of the bottle. Can be found most places that sell Fat Tire - the 6 pack box looks almost the same as all the other brews they make so you gotta make sure to read the label (they also make other Belgian style beers)	8.5
	Urthel Hibernus Quentum
	Watou Tripel
	Westmalle Trappist Tripel		9.5

Remember, these are my personal rankings - try them all yourself and feel free to disagree with me!

Introduction to Belgian Beer

Understanding Belgian Beer

My Favorite Belgian Beer

My Personal Belgian Beer Rankings