~Five Beers ~

Nine times out of ten the first alcohol I will have in any given city is a beer, sampling many in the time I am there.  Every city will have the ‘safe beers’ the ones you can buy at any liquor in your hometown.  Why would anyone visit Belgium and order  ‘Stella’ with all the beers the country has to offer?  Well if you are a raging alcoholic like I am (joking)  Here are my five favorite Belgian beers.

1.  Brouwerij Bosteels DeuS (Brut Des Flandres) – this one surprised me quite a bit because it is actually a wine-beer combination.  It is starts in Belgium and finishes in France and while some of you might turn away from it if you visit Belgium you must have at least one.  It has just enough citrus to add a bit more flavor it is a beer you must have.
2. Westmalle Tripel – one of the many things I loved about this beer is the alcohol is barely noticeable, of I noticed later on as I stumbled back to the hotel.  It has hints of peach and orange a sweetness that comes from the yeast.  A bit of a drier finish, this beer is a must.
3. Trappistes Rochefort 8 – this was my first dark beer (something I am not the biggest fan of) but I always try one wherever I travel.  Well I loved it, the perfect color, aroma and pour.  And for a heavy dark beer it is easy on the palette with hints of raising and caramel.
4. Achel Trappist Extra – let’s delve further into the dark.  With all the flavors that make up this beer it could’ve been a Hershey’s chocolate bar.  It has a nice creamy start with strong dark flavors throughout.  I liked it but I can’t say I loved it, next time I’ll go for the Hershey bar.
5. KleinBrouwerij De Glazen Toren Saison D’Erpe Mere – well this rounded out my top five it has hints of lemon in its scent.  It is good tasting medium beer with some citrus and tart on the finish it is a dark.  It pours a perfect white with a darkish color.

If you ever visit Belgium, a country known for amazing beers anyone of these will bring a smile to your face, my only request do not stand at the bar and scream – STELLA, STELLA, STELLA!!!!  They will hate you.