Belgian Variety Sampler (6 bottles)

Selected by the Staff of Belgian-Style Ales

Brewed by: Various
Country: Belgium
Style: Various
Color: Various

ABV (Alcohol by Volume): Various; from 4.9% - 10%
Ratebeer.com rating: Various; from 89 - 99
BeerAdvocate.com rating: Various; from 86 - 95

Bottle Size: 11.2 oz. (6 bottles)

The Belgian Variety Sampler is ideal for those who want to taste examples of Belgian ales that represent a range of unique styles. Belgian-Style Ales has hand-selected these brews to ensure a diverse sampling of beers that demonstrate the variety of options that the craft of Belgian brewing has to offer. For the beginner or the expert beer lover, this sampler is a convenient and satisfying way to compare some of the finest Belgian ales that exemplify different styles.

BELGIAN IPA
Houblon Chouffe (ABV 9%) is rated 98 on Ratebeer.com and 93 on BeerAdvocate.com. A combination of the traditional English style India Pale Ale and the Belgian Tripel, it uses a trans-Atlantic combination of three hop varieties to produce a purposefully bitter brew. Top fermented and bottle conditioned, it pours a pale golden with a thick white head. The hop aroma is powerful, but so are notes of citrus, grapefruit, honey and malt.

BLONDE ALE
Duvel Belgian Strong Blond (ABV 8.5%) is rated 99 on Ratebeer.com and 95 on BeerAdvocate.com. It is top-fermented and bottle-conditioned in a process that takes three months, resulting in a pale golden brew with a full creamy head, aromas of citrus, apple, bananas and hops, and flavor notes of pale malts, fruity esters and subtle spice. Mouth-feel is silky smooth and finish is dry.

BROWN ALE
Delirium Nocturnum (ABV 8.5%) is rated 88 on Ratebeer.com and 90 on BeerAdvocate.com. Nocturnum pours dark amber brown with a medium beige head. Top fermented and bottle conditioned, the brew boasts aromas of red fruit, bread, berries and dates, with notes of chocolate, toffee, malt and spice. The finish is long, warm, and slightly bitter.

CHRISTMAS/WINTER ALE
Delirium Noel (ABV 10%) is rated 93 on Ratebeer.com and 87 on BeerAdvocate.com. Top-fermented and bottle-conditioned, the brew boasts potent aromas of dark fruit, apricot, caramel malt, sweet cherry, cinnamon and clove with notes of vanilla, apple, banana and yeast. Taste is similar to aroma and also includes toffee, plum, and red wine with notes of pepper and bitter hops. The ABV is well hidden, and the finish is lingering, spicy, and dry.

SOUR ALE
Duchesse de Bourgogne Sour Ale (ABV 6%) is rated 96 on Ratebeer.com and 94 on BeerAdvocate.com. It's a bottle conditioned blend of mature and young sour ales matured in oak barrels for 18 months. Aromas of dark fruit, bread, apple, toffee, vanilla, and tart sour cherries herald a flavor profile that charts a similar course, and also includes vinous notes of red wine, oak, malt and chocolate.

*****  We reserve the rights to change Brands with comparable styles from this list of beers based on availability.  Bottles or cans will be selected for the sampler.  *****

WHITE (WITBIER)
Hoegaarden White (ABV 4.9%) is rated 89 on Ratebeer.com and 86 on BeerAdvocate.com. A refreshing, unfiltered wheat beer (Witbier), cloudy, pale gold with a lasting white head. Aromas of peppery yeast, citrus and spice give an indication of its classic witbier taste, which is enhanced by the addition of orange peel and coriander. Bubbly carbonation, a bit of tartness, and a relatively low ABV add to its drinkability.