Oso planning to go pro
The 6 foot PBR case release?
Gulden Draak, very similar to Duvel right? Was always one of my favorites.Haven't had the Chimay green, but have a bomber in the blue chilling in the fridge.
I have never tried the green, but will do so at first opportunity, given how good the rest of their line-up is.Have you tried Gulden Draak? It's 10.5% and unbelievably smooth. That and St. Bernardus are both 99 rated beers. Different from one another, but both delicious.
I just poured an Orval. Has anyone had this beer? I'm kinda stumped. I have no idea how to describe it. It's labeled a Belgian Trappist Ale but doesn't resemble a Trappist at all and is under 7% ABV. It may be the most unusual beer I've ever tried. It's definitely funky but not in a bad way.
Plenty of experience. Visited the Abbey. A chalice of that at A L'Ange Gardien is divine. Trappist is a moniker for beer produced by monks, not a specific style. Orval is a Belgian Pale that gets it's funk from the yeast which is Brett Brux. Typical styles produced by Trappist would be a blonde, a dubbel, a tripel, a quad, or even a light Patersbier. Orval stands out on its own since that abbey only brews that one style (though they do have a "petit" version only available at A L'Ange Gardien). It's great.
Ty Golden Avalanche. I think I actually liked it the more sips I had last night. I would agree it definitely stands out. Any thoughts on your favorite quads?
I like Gulden Draak 9000, a quad.
Not quads, but I also currently like both the vanilla porter and dark and stormy reserve offerings from Central Waters.
Personally, I like the original Gulden Draak more than the 9000, though I've heard the former described as "a triple-and-a-half".Saint Bernardus is the other clear stud in the quad category.Not quads, but I also currently like both the vanilla rye porter and dark and stormy reserve offerings from Central Waters.
For me, the standard in that quad style is the St. Bernardus ABT 12. They've been at it for so long that its dialed in to just about the highest quality you could expect.I agree on Spotcheck's suggestion about the Gulden Draak. Very tasty. My other favorite is the Straffe Hendrik by De Halve Maan but I'm not too sure that's readily available here in the States.
I think Central Waters has a quad?
Not during my recent visit, but it could very well be a seasonal or a one-off like their Brewer's Reserve line.I have become a big fan of rauchbiers, though they are pretty hard to find. The offerings from Aecht Schlenkerla are about the only ones I can get my hands on consistently, though there is a brewery in Austin, Live Oak, that is known for their smoked beers and has multiple different types year round, they just don't distribute very far.
Yes, St.Bernardus 12 is excellent. I actually like their blonde a lot too. Have you had Rochefort 10 or La Trappe's quad? I think L-Traappe is superb.
Both are very good. La Trappe a bit underrated amongst the masses. They do it right.
If you like quads Boulevard brewing from Kansas City, MO is as fine of an attempt as you'll see in the US.IMO, of course.
Yes! There are a few Belgian beers that I had in Leuven and Brugge that I can't find here. Brugge Tripel, Tongelo, and the Hoegaarden Grand Cru. WTF? I would also like to try Westleeven? but good luck with that.
You've had it without knowing it. St. Bernardus ABT 12 and Westy 12 are indecipherable in a blind tasting. In fact, St. Bernardus brewed Westy 12 (calling it St. Sixtus) starting sometime in the 40s until 1992 when the monks took back the entirety of production.Like most food/beverage experiences the story and branding add in the exotics for Westy (and all three of their offerings are really very good) but having had both more times than I can remember enjoying the St. Bernardus isn't a step down in quality at all.