the belgians: kwak and tripel karmeliet

The Belgians: I have been into good beer for a long while now but haven't shared any of my favorites in this space simply because I am lax enough as it is posting the wine reviews. And yet, I've found so many good beers in the last year or two that I've got to start mentioning them. There's no mistaking my passion for wine, but recently I've begun scouring every bodega, grocery store, and gourmet deli in search of a new, as yet untried, bottle of Belgian Beer. Arguable the best beer in the world, these beers are the closest to wine that beer gets.

The other night I opened a bottle of Tripel Karmeliet (three grains) that Keely said approached Champagne (though for a real Champagne/Beer approximation, I'll probably have to find a bottle of Deus). With a beautiful amber color, a nose of apricot and nutmeg, and a bubbly, hoppy light body, I was in beer heaven. The bubbles never stopped streaming up from the bottom. The creamy head eventually led Keely and I to agree that this was a beer milkshake. So far, one of my favorites.

The Kwak was completely different. A more brown styled beer, where the peach and cinnamon flavors made for a pleasant smooth taste. It was a little sweet and very rich. Good, but not my favorite.

Both of these beers come from the same Bosteels Brewery but the styles are far from similar. Bosteels has been making beer for over 200 years and 7 generations. That's one of the things I love about the Belgian beers, they have such great history.

Depending on whether they are single, double, or tripled distilled (like many trappist ales: the monks like the alcohol, oh yeah), the alcohol content can really range. Both of these bottles came in around 8% alcohol, but they make them up in the teens, which is the same percentage as wine. One reason I started drinking the Belgians, beyond their gorgeous flavors (and bottles), is that Keely drinks far less wine now that she is pregnant and that means I do to. It's hard to finish a bottle alone and I'm picky about leaving a bottle open for days, even with my nitrous spray. Belgian beer to the rescue. Lower alcohol means I can finish a 750ml bottle alone over the course of dinner and an evening. My winter nights seem to get better and better the more Belgians I sample.

Sometime I'll find time to post on the Belgians sampled so far. But the list remains short as I've only found one place, Hercules deli in the West Village of NYC, that is a real beer coinnoseurs stop. Hercules will tell you that he brought the first Belgian beer to the U.S. He may be right. He's been selling specialty beers since before I was born. But I don't get to his little shop very often. So, I buy whatever Whole Foods brings in new from week to week, and check every other grocery I can, buying anything new. I haven't even tried enough to be picky. Right now it is anything new. So far I've tried La Chouffe, McChouffe, Corsondonk, Duvel, Delirium Tremens, Westmalle double and triple, and others I can't think of at the moment. I've got a stack more at home waiting for the right night and I'll update as soon as crack one open.