This month, we were lucky enough to spend a week in Belgium, undoubtedly one of the best beer-producing countries in the world. We spent three nights in Bruges, four nights in Brussels, and snuck in a day trip across the border to Lille. And with two brewery tours and lots of bar visits, we were able to try some excellent beers. So many good beers, in fact, that narrowing it down to a top five was tough.
This month’s top five new brews
Here’s a rundown of our favourite new brews for July 2024.
Tripel van De Garre by Staminee De Garre
Belgian Tripel 11%
We heard about De Garre prior to our visit and put it high on our list of must-visit bars. We were not disappointed. This Tripel is their signature brew and with good reason.
Poured straight from the tap, it had a lovely creamy head. The taste was like sweet bread with a hint of spiciness. Not too boozy considering the abv – an excellent beer.
Brewer’s note: Tripel van De Garre (11%) is a full-bodied, top-fermented beer, is rather soft and has a slightly bitter aftertaste. The brewing process of the tripel takes place in five phases and takes several months. It starts in the brewhouse and ends in a room where the temperature is a constant 22 °C.
Brewer’s website: Staminee De Garre from Bruges
Rodenbach Grand Cru by Brouwerij Rodenbach
Flemish Sour Ale 6%
In a bar that stocks over 300 beers, it can be tough deciding where to start. Luckily, we came prepared with a list of Belgian beers from a book titled 1001 beers to try before you die. This helped us narrow things down when faced with such extensive menus.
This Rodenbach Grand Cru was worthy of it’s place in the book. It really was a delicious beer. Fruity at first, with old brown ale flavours and a sour finish. And only 6% so quite a low abv compared to some of the Belgian beers available.
Brewer’s note: Rodenbach Grand Cru is an exceptional Flemish red-brown ale that owes its fresh and sour taste and complex fruitiness to its lengthy partial maturation in wooden oak casks.
Brewer’s website: Rodenbach
Bourgogne des Flandres by Bourgogne des Flandres
Flanders Red Ale 5%
This was one of the first beers we tried when we arrived in Bruges as we arrived in the evening and headed straight to a nearby bar to watch the final of the Euros.
We both loved this beer. And to make sure it wasn’t solely because it was one of our first, we went to the Bourgogne des Flandres taproom the following day and had another taste. It was still just as good and we both agree it’s worthy of a place in our top five.
Brewer’s note: Bourgogne des Flandres occupies a very special place in the Belgian beer landscape. It is a typical example of the Flemish beer blending tradition with old and young beer being mixed judiciously to achieve a perfect balance. Den Bruinen Os is brewed on site in the loft and blended with lambic from Timmermans Brewery. This lambic has aged for over twelve months in wooden barrels. The result is a surprising red-brown beer with a low alcohol content and a complex flavour.
Brewer’s website: Bourgogne des Flandres
Chouke by Cantillon
Lambic 5%
We arrived 30 minutes early for our Cantillon brewery tour so we popped up to the bar. And we’re glad we did as we managed to get our hands on their last bottle of Chouke.
A beautiful, funky, sour lambic with a little bit of woodiness. This was a fantastic representation of this super interesting style of beer.
Brewer’s note: “Chouke” is a Belgian beer imagined by 3 Bruxellois entrepreneurs, Jean Van Roy (Brasserie Cantillon), Valérie Lepla (Pistolet Original) and Dirk Myny (Les Brigittines). Brewed with passion by Brasserie Cantillon, it will develop a sour and fruity taste and a woody aroma. Authentic spontaneously fermented beer, Chouke is comprised of 100% lambic brewed with wheat (35%) and malted barley (65%) made from organic agriculture and aged hops. A sour beer that contains no sugars. Consume preferably 20 years following the bottling date. Beer with an evolving taste.
Brewer’s website: Brussels Beer Project
* BEER OF THE MONTH *
Westvleteren 12 by Sint-Sixtusabdij van Westvleteren
Trappist Beer 10.2%
Westvleteren 12 is often touted as the best beer in the world so we were keen to find out whether it was worthy of this accolade.
We can’t be sure it’s the best beer in the world (not until we’ve tried them all), but it was certainly one of the best beers we’ve ever tried and without a doubt, our beer of the month. It had treacle flavours – almost like bonfire toffee – a lovely roastiness and hints of dark chocolate. It also retained its head right up until the last mouthful.
This is definitely a luxurious beer to be savoured. As it’s not brewed for wholesale, it’s pretty hard to get your hands on a bottle in the UK, so if you’re in Belgium and get the chance to try it, we’d highly recommend doing so.
Brewer’s note: This Trappist, also known as Flemish Burgundy, has a dark amber colour and a stable, strongly adhesive, white head. Westvleteren 12 is masterful in its complexity but delightful in its simplicity. The sublime soft taste of caramel and chocolate goes perfectly with the raisin-sweet and nutty notes in the aroma. Together with the firm alcohol content, this results in a soothing fullness and a nice long-running warm aftertaste.
Brewer’s website: Trappist Westvleteren
Honourable mention
These new brews didn’t quite make it into our top five, but we still feel they are worth a mention.
Brewster Gang by Brussels Beer Project
Cold IPA 6.5%
Traditional Belgian beers aren’t as hop-forward as craft beers, but newer breweries, like Brussels Beer Project, are experimenting with more modern styles.
Fortunately for us, there was a Brussels Beer Project taproom right by our hotel so we treated ourselves to a couple of their draft beers. This Lemongrass Cold IPA was super refreshing, juicy in the mouth and dry on the finish.
Brewer’s note: Brewster Gang is a Tribute to BBP’s formidable women! 100% brewed & designed by our female talents, in collab with Pink Boots Society. Among the hops we used, we chose the Pink Boots Blend 23 made by Yakima Chief Hops, that donates a part of the sales to Pink Boots Society. Pink Boots Society takes part into the celebration of women and non-binary individuals in the fermented/alcoholic beverage industry — a movement to recognize the impact they have on our industry.
Brewer’s website: Brussels Beer Project
Kwak Rouge by Bosteels Brewery
Fruir Beer 8%
Pauwel Kwak earnt our Beer of the Month back in March, so when we saw the Kwak Rouge, we decided to give it a go.
It had a beautiful deep cherry flavour and was perfect for a hot day. On another month it might have gained a place in our top five, but the competition this month was tough. Definitely deserving of an honourable mention and a fantastic fruity beer.
Brewer’s note: Kwak Rouge is a refreshing specialty beer with notes of cherry and almond, based on the unique Kwak recipe. Subtly bitter, slightly sweet and full of flavour.
Brewer’s website: Bosteels Brewery
Revisited
Not a new brew but a beer we’ve revisited recently because it’s one of our favourites.
Tripel Karmeliet by Bosteels Brewery
Belgian Tripel 8.4%
Back in 2023 when we did our big Belgium beer battle, Tripel Karmeliet was one of our top scoring brews. We decided to give it another go to see whether it was as good as we remembered and it was. Lovely toffee flavours and a fantastic Tripel.
Brewer’s note: Tripel Karmeliet is still brewed to an authentic beer recipe from 1679 originating in the former Carmelite monastery in Dendermonde. Written over 300 years ago, this recipe describes the use of three kinds of grain: wheat, oats and barley. The name Tripel karmeliet thus refers both to its origin and its in-bottle refermentation. From many trial brews of multigrain tripels carried out at our brewery in the 90s, it appears that the particular historic combination of the 3 kinds of grain still remains the ideal blend.
Brewer’s website: Bosteels Brewery
Tripel van De Garre by Staminee De Garre
Belgian Tripel 11%
We heard about De Garre prior to our visit and put it high on our list of must-visit bars. We were not disappointed. This Tripel is their signature brew and with good reason.
Poured straight from the tap, it had a lovely creamy head. The taste was like sweet bread with a hint of spiciness. Not too boozy considering the abv – an excellent beer.
Brewer’s note: Tripel van De Garre (11%) is a full-bodied, top-fermented beer, is rather soft and has a slightly bitter aftertaste. The brewing process of the tripel takes place in five phases and takes several months. It starts in the brewhouse and ends in a room where the temperature is a constant 22 °C.
Brewer’s website: Staminee De Garre from Bruges
Rodenbach Grand Cru by Brouwerij Rodenbach
Flemish Sour Ale 6%
In a bar that stocks over 300 beers, it can be tough deciding where to start. Luckily, we came prepared with a list of Belgian beers from a book titled 1001 beers to try before you die. This helped us narrow things down when faced with such extensive menus.
This Rodenbach Grand Cru was worthy of it’s place in the book. It really was a delicious beer. Fruity at first, with old brown ale flavours and a sour finish. And only 6% so quite a low abv compared to some of the Belgian beers available.
Brewer’s note: Rodenbach Grand Cru is an exceptional Flemish red-brown ale that owes its fresh and sour taste and complex fruitiness to its lengthy partial maturation in wooden oak casks.
Brewer’s website: Rodenbach
Bourgogne des Flandres by Bourgogne des Flandres
Flanders Red Ale 5%
This was one of the first beers we tried when we arrived in Bruges as we arrived in the evening and headed straight to a nearby bar to watch the final of the Euros.
We both loved this beer. And to make sure it wasn’t solely because it was one of our first, we went to the Bourgogne des Flandres taproom the following day and had another taste. It was still just as good and we both agree it’s worthy of a place in our top five.
Brewer’s note: Bourgogne des Flandres occupies a very special place in the Belgian beer landscape. It is a typical example of the Flemish beer blending tradition with old and young beer being mixed judiciously to achieve a perfect balance. Den Bruinen Os is brewed on site in the loft and blended with lambic from Timmermans Brewery. This lambic has aged for over twelve months in wooden barrels. The result is a surprising red-brown beer with a low alcohol content and a complex flavour.
Brewer’s website: Bourgogne des Flandres
Chouke by Cantillon
Lambic 5.5%
We arrived 30 minutes early for our Cantillon brewery tour so we popped up to the bar. We’re glad we did as we managed to get our hands on their last bottle of Chouke.
A beautiful, funky, sour lambic with a little bit of woodiness. This was a fantastic representation of this super interesting style of beer.
Brewer’s note: “Chouke” is a Belgian beer imagined by 3 Bruxellois entrepreneurs, Jean Van Roy (Brasserie Cantillon), Valérie Lepla (Pistolet Original) and Dirk Myny (Les Brigittines). Brewed with passion by Brasserie Cantillon, it will develop a sour and fruity taste and a woody aroma. Authentic spontaneously fermented beer, Chouke is comprised of 100% lambic brewed with wheat (35%) and malted barley (65%) made from organic agriculture and aged hops. A sour beer that contains no sugars. Consume preferably 20 years following the bottling date. Beer with an evolving taste.
Brewer’s website: Brussels Beer Project
* BEER OF THE MONTH *
Westvleteren 12 by Sint-Sixtusabdij van Westvleteren
Trappist Beer 10.2%
Westvleteren 12 is often touted as the best beer in the world so we were keen to find out whether it was worthy of this accolade.
We can’t be sure it’s the best beer in the world (not until we’ve tried them all), but it was certainly one of the best beers we’ve ever tried and without a doubt, our beer of the month. It had treacle flavours – almost like bonfire toffee – a lovely roastiness and hints of dark chocolate. It also retained its head right up until the last mouthful.
This is definitely a luxurious beer to be savoured. As it’s not brewed for wholesale, it’s pretty hard to get your hands on a bottle in the UK, so if you’re in Belgium and get the chance to try it, we’d highly recommend doing so.
Brewer’s note: This Trappist, also known as Flemish Burgundy, has a dark amber colour and a stable, strongly adhesive, white head. Westvleteren 12 is masterful in its complexity but delightful in its simplicity. The sublime soft taste of caramel and chocolate goes perfectly with the raisin-sweet and nutty notes in the aroma. Together with the firm alcohol content, this results in a soothing fullness and a nice long-running warm aftertaste.
Brewer’s website: Trappist Westvleteren
Honourable mention
These new brews didn’t quite make it into our top five, but we still feel they are worth a mention.
Brewster Gang by Brussels Beer Project
Cold IPA 6.5%
Traditional Belgian beers aren’t as hop-forward as craft beers, but newer breweries, like Brussels Beer Project, are experimenting with more modern styles.
Fortunately for us, there was a Brussels Beer Project taproom right by our hotel so we treated ourselves to a couple of their draft beers. This Lemongrass Cold IPA was super refreshing, juicy in the mouth and dry on the finish.
Brewer’s note: Brewster Gang is a Tribute to BBP’s formidable women! 100% brewed & designed by our female talents, in collab with Pink Boots Society. Among the hops we used, we chose the Pink Boots Blend 23 made by Yakima Chief Hops, that donates a part of the sales to Pink Boots Society. Pink Boots Society takes part into the celebration of women and non-binary individuals in the fermented/alcoholic beverage industry — a movement to recognize the impact they have on our industry.
Brewer’s website: Brussels Beer Project
Kwak Rouge by Bosteels Brewery
Fruit Beer 8%
Pauwel Kwak earnt our Beer of the Month back in March, so when we saw the Kwak Rouge, we decided to give it a go.
It had a beautiful deep cherry flavour and was perfect for a hot day. On another month it might have gained a place in our top five, but the competition this month was tough. Definitely deserving of an honourable mention and a fantastic fruity beer.
Brewer’s note: Kwak Rouge is a refreshing specialty beer with notes of cherry and almond, based on the unique Kwak recipe. Subtly bitter, slightly sweet and full of flavour.
Brewer’s website: Bosteels Brewery
Revisited
Not a new brew but a beer we’ve revisited recently because it’s one of our favourites.
Tripel Karmeliet by Bosteels Brewery
Belgian Tripel 8.4%
Back in 2023 when we did our big Belgium beer battle, Tripel Karmeliet was one of our top-scoring brews. We decided to give it another go to see whether it was as good as we remembered and it was. Lovely toffee flavours and a fantastic Tripel.
Brewer’s note: Tripel Karmeliet is still brewed to an authentic beer recipe from 1679 originating in the former Carmelite monastery in Dendermonde. Written over 300 years ago, this recipe describes the use of three kinds of grain: wheat, oats and barley. The name Tripel karmeliet thus refers both to its origin and its in-bottle refermentation. From many trial brews of multigrain tripels carried out at our brewery in the 90s, it appears that the particular historic combination of the 3 kinds of grain still remains the ideal blend.
Brewer’s website: Bosteels Brewery
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