Mission Two: A Festival Of Belgian Ales

Okay, the completion of this Beer Mission is coming quite a bit later than I had planned, but I have finally sat down to complete it. I thought a bit about the best way to put my thoughts to "paper" and have decided to do sort of a head-to-head comparison.

Brewer	Trappistes Rochefort	Trappistes Rochefort	Trappistes Rochefort	St Bernardus
Brew	6	8	10	12
Style	Belgian Strong Dark Ale	Belgian Strong Dark Ale	Belgian Quad	Belgian Quad
Alcohol	7.5% (Not noticeable)	9.2% (Hidden pretty well)	11.3% (Warm alcohol feel with each sip)	10.5% (Hidden very well)
Source	11.2oz Bottle	11.2oz Bottle	11.2oz Bottle	25.4oz Bottle
Glass	Orval Goblet	Westmalle Goblet	Westmalle Goblet	Large Wine Glass
Temp	50 deg	50 deg	50 deg	50 deg
Appearance	Cloudy light brown with a frothy tan head	Cloudy dark brown with a frothy tan head	Cloudy dark ruby red with a frothy tan head	Cloudy plum color with a gushing foamy white head.
Aroma	Some caramel and a little bit of sour fruit	Strong estery yeast with big notes of plum	Sweetest aroma of the four with notes of cherry and grape	Clove, anise, estery yeast, dark fruit and light notes of apple
Taste	Dry, mildly sweet with some apple and a small spice finish	Rich and sweet with warm fruit tones and a smooth fruity finish	Strong sweet grape, w/some "breadiness" and a light bitter finish	Sweet, smooth with some hints of anise and a sweet finish
Mouthfeel	Watery with medium carbonation	Slightly thicker than water with light carbonation	Syrupy with almost no carbonation	Watery with medium carbonation
Drinkability	I could drink more than one bottle.	One whole bottle is about my limit.	I could drink half a bottle.	Very, very drinkable. I could (and did) drink an entire 750ml bottle.
Notes	Lacks the rich and hearty attributes that I associate with the style	In my opinion, this is the  quintessential Belgian Strong Dark	Rochefort 10 is very well thought of, but just doesn't suit my tastes and borders on too sweet for the style	I absolutely love the craftsmanship of this ale.
Score	6 of 10	10 of 10	6 of 10	10 of 10

If you're new to these styles, let me make a note about drinkability. These are big, hearty ales that fill your belly and satisfy the taste buds. While technically they are all beer, they have about as much in common with a session beer as a Great Pyrenees does with a Chihuahua. These ales drink more like a glass of rich wine than a glass of Budweiser.

In closing, all four of these brews are good examples of fine Belgian ales and all four are well respected. While I can enjoy them all, St Bernardus 12 and Rochefort 8 are especially magnificent ales that leave little room for improvement. St Bernardus 12 was influential enough that I had to change my Sweet 16 and give it nearly top honors.

Mike, this was a great Mission, one that I throughly enjoyed!

Eis Igian,
Randall

A Belgian of a different sorts

While many of the Belgians that I've enjoyed are time honored styles, the Belgian IPA is a relative newcomer. As the name indicates, this is a Belgian take on the IPA.

Brew Details and Conditions:
Brewer: Picobrouwerij Alvinne / Den Bierzolder
Brew: Alvinne Extra Restyled
Style: Belgian IPA
Source: 11.2 oz Bottle
Glass: Large Wine Glass
Temp: 45 deg.

Appearance: The hazy golden colored ale poured with a very small head that didn't last long.
Scent: The scent of this one is an odd combination of aromas. I pick up on estery notes, followed by light yeast and finally slightly citrus hops. It smells like a Belgian Pale Ale... and a little like an IPA.
Taste: The initial taste is lightly citrus and little bit sour, once again quite like a Belgian Pale Ale. There is a small bitter aftertaste that must be the hops desperately trying to announce themselves.
Drinkability: The body of this brew is watery and lightly carbonated. A medium amount of taste + a medium alcohol content + a light body = a very drinkable ale.
Notes: This is only my second experience with a Belgian IPA, so I am not yet well versed with the style. While this brew is much more Belgian Pale Ale than IPA, I believe that is par for the style. Mostly this beer makes me think of a Belgian Pale Ale, only a little bit more sour and bitter. Overall, it's an enjoyable brew and something interesting enough to buy.

I give this brew a 6 out of 10.

Eis Igian,
Randall

Orval Trappist Ale

With the words 'trappist' and 'Belgium' on the bottle I was sold immediately.  The initial taste is not the splendor that Westmalle is, but the more you drink it the better the aftertaste intermingles with the taste buds and provides a pleasant surprise.

Brew Details: Orval brewed byBrasserie D' Orval, Belgium
Serving Conditions: Served directly from the uncalibrated fridge into my 'Duvel' tulip glass.
Appearance: A very foggy amber, reminiscent of a hefeweizen.
Scent: Smells amazing, reminds me of other trappist ales.
Taste: Smooth, but a touch more bitter than I expected.
Mouthfeel: Lots of carbonation with a great warm aftertaste.
Drinkability: I could have another one, but I wouldn't choose it purposely.

It gets a 7.5, because the more you drink it, the better it tastes due to the amazing aftertaste.  The Belgium's generally do not disappoint and this is a great beer, just not in comparison to the Westmalle Trappist Ale.

-charles