A Six Pack of Belgian Beer (liquor, best, drink, purchase)

[MyTarge13]

I am looking for some feedback and maybe some recommendations.

A group of friends and I are going on a vacation in October to Belgium and the Netherlands. We are getting together this Sunday to do a little celebrating and planning. As part of the gathering I have put together a 6 pack of Belgian beers that we will all sample. I am the only real beer enthusiast in the group although everyone in the group will drink beer. My hope is that by doing the sampling my friends will find out what they like and what they don't.

Here is what I have purchased:
1) Kriek Lambic (black cherry)
2) Trappist Rochefort 10
3) Trappist Rochefort 8
4) Westmalle Trappist Ale Dubbel
5) Westmalle Trappist Ale Tripel
and last but not least
6) Orval Trappist Ale

What do you think?

[biggunsmallbrains]

Originally Posted by MyTarge13

I am looking for some feedback and maybe some recommendations.

A group of friends and I are going on a vacation in October to Belgium and the Netherlands. We are getting together this Sunday to do a little celebrating and planning. As part of the gathering I have put together a 6 pack of Belgian beers that we will all sample. I am the only real beer enthusiast in the group although everyone in the group will drink beer. My hope is that by doing the sampling my friends will find out what they like and what they don't.

Here is what I have purchased:
1) Kriek Lambic (black cherry)
2) Trappist Rochefort 10
3) Trappist Rochefort 8
4) Westmalle Trappist Ale Dubbel
5) Westmalle Trappist Ale Tripel
and last but not least
6) Orval Trappist Ale

What do you think?

Sounds tasty to me. What time do we start?

Here's a nice article about traveling to Belgium for beers:
http://www.roughguides.com/article/t...belgian-beers/

They had a limited amount of the Westvleteren (I think it was the XII) at Binny's liquor store in Chicago for $75 a six pack. I guess it must have been pretty good because it sold out in less than a day.

[Drover]

Too much style repetition. I'd try to get a wider style variety: a dubel and a tripel abbey/trappist, a lambic, a witbier, a farmhouse/saison, a Flanders red like Duchesse de Bergogne or Rodenbach Red, etc.

[PJSaturn]

I'm one of MyTarge's traveling gang. Thanks for the input, bigguns and Drover. Appreciate the link.

I was never much of a beer drinker before I met MyTarge, and he has introduced me to some that I've really enjoyed. Though we can get Belgian beers here in the States, I'm looking forward to trying them across the pond, right where they're made.

.

[Mr.Bungle]

Rochefort is a solid choice but I think just 10 would suffice. Tripel Kameleit is always a nice choice. Fantome or Cantillon selections if you can find them would be good. Trappist beers are great but there are so many more excellent choices. Many escape me or I'm too lazy to try to spell them.

[Drover]

Originally Posted by PJSinger

I'm one of MyTarge's traveling gang. Thanks for the input, bigguns and Drover. Appreciate the link.

I was never much of a beer drinker before I met MyTarge, and he has introduced me to some that I've really enjoyed. Though we can get Belgian beers here in the States, I'm looking forward to trying them across the pond, right where they're made.

.

You'll be pleased to know that some of this stuff is almost Budweiser-cheap over there. It's easy to get nice an toasty on a budget.

[Drover]

Originally Posted by biggunsmallbrains

Sounds tasty to me. What time do we start?

Here's a nice article about traveling to Belgian for beers:
The top twenty best Belgian beers | Travel Feature | Rough Guides

They had a limited amount of the Westvleteren (I think it was the XII) at Binny's liquor store in Chicago for $75 a six pack. I guess it must have been pretty good because it sold out in less than a day.

It's not necessarily that it's that good but that it's that rare. It's not made available for export and any Westvleteren that finds its way here did not do so with the monastery's authorization.

While it was never exactly common, it used to be easier to find before the monastery started putting tighter controls on sales and distribution. I had it a couple times when it was easier to get and could be had for around $25 per four-pack. Yes it's good, but IMO it's no better than Rochefort. IMO it's only worth paying that kind of premium if you simply must brag that you've had it.

[biggunsmallbrains]

Originally Posted by Drover

It's not necessarily that it's that good but that it's that rare. It's not made available for export and any Westvleteren that finds its way here did not do so with the monastery's authorization.

While it was never exactly common, it used to be easier to find before the monastery started putting tighter controls on sales and distribution. I had it a couple times when it was easier to get and could be had for around $25 per four-pack. Yes it's good, but IMO it's no better than Rochefort. IMO it's only worth paying that kind of premium if you simply must brag that you've had it.

Nah. I like beer but not to the point of lunacy. It was a limited sale because supposedly the monks were expanding or renovated their abbey. So they decided to sell some beer to Binny's rather then have a bingo night or something. Anyways, I only remember because 75 bucks is a lot of moola for a six pack no matter how great it may be. That doesn't seem like a very monk like thing to do though. That's another thread though .

[biggunsmallbrains]

Sorry, I guess it was 85 bucks. But it did come with two "free" glasses.

Westvleteren XII, 'World's Best Beer,' Makes One-Time U.S. Appearance

Monks selling drugs to pimp there pad. Well, at least I bet their abbey rocks now.

[Mr.Bungle]

I think Rochefort 10 is better. I've had several Westvleterens and while it's good, it is not worth the price or the trouble of getting it.