Belgian Brews

Tasting session 33

Beer 1 Choices: Doppelbock, Belgian Dark Strong Ale, Wee Heavy, Belgian Dubbel

Beer 2 Choices: Saison, Weienbock, Belgian Tripel, American Wheat Beer

Beer 3 Choices: Wee Heavy, Belgian Dubbel, Doppelbock, Dunkles Weissbier

Beer 4 Choices: Saison, Belgian Tripel, Belgian Blond Ale, Witbier

Beer 5 Choices: Belgian Golden Strong Ale, Belgian Blond Ale, Witbier, Weizenbock

Score: 4/5

Beer 1 things to look for:

Doppelbock: dry, bitter, clean yeast

Belgian Dark Strong Ale (AKA Belgian Quad): phenols, esters, bigger Dubbel, booze, high carbonation

Wee Heavy: sweet, heavy body, not bitter, esters

Belgian Dubbel: phenols, esters, dry

Notes:

It was clear after swirling and sipping that this was Belgian- tons of carbonation, a light body, complex phenolic spice, and fruity esters. There wasn’t the residual sweetness of a Wee Heavy or clean yeast profile of a Doppelbock. Our guidelines for the exam state that Quads are “like a larger Belgian Dubbel, with a fuller body and increased malt richness”. This beer was bone dry and clean as a whistle; no alcohol warmth or the hint of a heavy body. That’s a Belgian Dubbel, right? Not if St. Bernardus has something to say about it. St. Bernardus produces my favorite Quad, Abt 12, and this is their holiday variation that is very similar to Abt 12; it even has the same ABV. It’s dry, has very little residual sweetness, complex spices and fruit flavors, and drinks like a Dubbel. I’m not bummed about missing this one- having Dubbel and Quad on the same panel is hard unless you get a really boozy Quad. 

Beer 2 things to look for:

Saison: bitter, phenols, esters, high attenuation

Weizenbock: Weizen yeast (banana+clove), Bock booze

Belgian Tripel: esters, phenols, high attenuation, booze

American Wheat Beer: clean yeast

Notes:

Lots of fruity yeast character with peppery/clovey/allspicy phenols were upfront on the nose, so American Wheat was eliminated first (a taste test also confirmed this). To back that up, the body was too heavy even though the finish was quite dry. This heavier body pointed me toward Tripel, and since the carbonation level was so high, I eliminated Weizenbock because it seemed Belgian. The high level of attenuation/foam helped a lot with the Weizenbock distinction, since there was for sure some banana/clove in the sample. Bitterness wasn’t prominent, another vote toward Tripel and against Saison, and the heavier body/alcohol presence and abundance of fruity esters sealed the deal. Saisons usually have fruity esters too, but bitterness and phenolics are typically the star of the show for Saison. 

Beer 3 things to look for:

Wee Heavy: sweet, heavy body, esters, not bitter

Belgian Dubbel: phenols, esters, dry (not sweet)

Doppelbock: dry, bitter, clean yeast

Dunkles Weissbier: Weizen yeast (banana+clove)

 Notes:

Yumadumdum, this was tasty. Star anise on the nose along with tarragon, fenugreek, prunes, and dried blueberries. Swishing a small amount of this beer in my mouth caused the foam to explode and fill it completely. The high carbonation, spice complexity, and lack of sweetness meant this was Belgian for sure. Dubbel was the only Belgian beer here, so it had to be that. 

Beer 4 things to look for:

Saison: bitter, phenols, esters, high attenuation, Tank 7?

Belgian Tripel: esters, phenols, booze, high attenuation

Belgian Blond Ale: esters, phenols, alcohol, banana

Witbier: orange/coriander

 Notes:

This smelled like a Wit- orange peel and freshly cracked coriander. To confirm, I tasted for bitterness; there wasn’t any, so I eliminated Saison. It had a super light body, which indicated it wasn’t Tripel and likely not a Belgian Blond. There wasn’t any banana, an ester I usually detect in Blonds, and the slight lemony flavor was something that would be out of place for Belgian Blond. With that, I felt comfortable selecting Wit. 

Beer 5 things to look for:

Belgian Golden Strong Ale: esters, phenols, dry, high attenuation

Belgian Blond Ale: esters, phenols, alcohol, banana

Witbier: orange/coriander

Weizenbock: Weizen yeast, Bock booze

 Notes:

This one was a bit of a mind trip. My first impression after sniffing was that this was Delirium Tremens due to the heavy orange esters and hints of banana and white pepper. The orange aroma and flavor made me feel comfortable eliminating Belgian Blond and Weizenbock, and I felt really silly second-guessing myself about the Golden Strong vs Witbier conundrum. Delirium Tremens is 8.5% ABV and Hoegaarden (the OG Wit) is 4.9%. That’s a pretty drastic difference, but the beer was so dry I was doubting myself. There shouldn’t be banana flavor in Witbier, but I experience Delirium Tremens to be very orange-forward, and that really stuck in my head. I took a break from the sample, and when I came back, I felt confident eliminating Wit and sticking with my initial assessment since I was picking up a little alcohol warmth and a heavier body.

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