Beers of Belgium – Guided Tasting Event

This ticket covers a guided tasting of seven beers from the worlds greatest beer culture with discussions on styles, flavours, aromas and breweries.  Each participant will receive 1 third of a pint of each beer.

The tasting is limited to a small group of 14 and should take approximately 2.5 hours. We are open to the public before the tasting so feel free to arrive early.  We have 50 Belgian beers and glassware within our range of 650 beers and ciders, all available before or after the session.

The tasting is only open to adults – we operate a 25 challenge policy if you need to bring ID.  The beers you will taste are between 5 – 9% so transport arrangements are advised.  We have free parking outside.  Water and soft drinks are available together with beer snacks.

Click here to see our full Belgian range or if you fancy a regular drop of beer click here for our great Belgian subscription.

Fancy visiting Belgium – click here for a blog on our favourite beery destination

Have a read below to see the styles of beers we usually cover in the tastings.

Trappist Ales

The lovely beers brewed by monks within the walls of Trappist Abbeys. Orval, Chimay, Rochefort, Westmalle always in stock with La Trappe, Spencer, Engelzell and Tynt Abbey from beyond Belgium.

Blond Ales

A safe choice – averaging 6% abv these are lovely easy drinking pale ales.  Our choice is Brugse Zot but Maredsous, Grimbergen, Corsendonk and Hommel or for a stronger hit go for Delirium Tremens or Chouffe.

Dubbels & Ambers

Darker beers and a little stronger with a caramel, malty edge. Try a Kwak, Westmalle Dubbel, St Bernardus Pater 6, Rochefort 8 or Delirium Nocturnum.

Tripels

Tripels are pale ales at around 8 – 9%.  Westmalle Tripel is the king of the style but Straffe Hendrik, Carolus, Ondineke from Glazen Toren, Kasteel and St Bernardus can’t be ignored.

Flemish Red & Oud Bruin

Challenging on first sip but become the favourite style for many.  Develops flavour and sours from bacteria working over time. As lovely as they are difficult to pin down.  Duchesse de Bourgogne takes the top spot for me but Oud Bruin and Rodenbach are musts.

Quadrupels

The big boys. 10% + but you’re seduced by the caramel flavours so you don’t realise. St Bernardus Abt 12, Chimay Grand Reserve, Kasteel Donker and Rochefort 10 compete for the best.  Westvleteren XII if you can get it.

Wit / Wheat

Lovely summery beers – Belgian style usually flavoured with citrus and coriander and often come in at less than 5% so quite sessionable.

Lambics & Gueuze

An ancient style using airborne yeasts to spontaneously ferment the beers which are then barrel aged, blended and often fruited.  3 Fonteinen is a world-beater but Oud Beersel and Boon’s Kriek and Framboise are very accessible. The flavours often work for the white wine and cider drinker.