Belgian beers

[hhfarang]

Are all Belgian beers dripping with sweetness? I remember going to a big beer tasting festival in San Francisco and finding some really good Belgian dark beers; however, every one I've tried here (in Thailand) is so sweet it could be considered a dessert. I've tried them in Bangkok and at Lost Cafe here where there is a good selection and at around 250 baht a bottle I've yet to find one that is not like drinking a glass of brown honey.

I know from my SFO experience that there are some good ones that are more akin to Bavarian dark beers and do not taste like a dessert (they are even usually served in stemmed dessert glassware!). Can someone recommend one that is like what I tasted before and that is not sickeningly sweet?

[kendo]

Stella Artois is my tipple i guess you Americans would call it a lite beer, bloody lovely and hits the spot.

I have never found this in Hua Hin tho if anyone has please do tell.

Kendo.

[Pleng]

Stella is a Lager and I believe it's French.

I believe hh is talking about Ale as opposed to Lager.

As far as Lagers go, I don't see why anybody would go out of their way to try and find their preferred one. I mean, and I say this as a Larger drinker, they all taste pretty much the same.

Ales are different. I can't stand them. But I can certainly see why people who do like them would be on a mission to find their preferred one. While they all taste bad to me, they all taste bad in a very different way

[dozer]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stella_artois

Stella Artois is brewed in Leuvin, Belgium.

[STEVE G]

In my experience Belgium dark beers do tend to taste a bit like treacle and whilst one is nice, I can't drink much of it. I imagine it's where those monks get their calories from! I prefer something like Duvel which isn't a dark beer but a very fine one and although it has a straw colour, it is a genuine ale and not fizzy lager.

[Dannie Boy]

Are all Belgian beers dripping with sweetness? I remember going to a big beer tasting festival in San Francisco and finding some really good Belgian dark beers; however, every one I've tried here (in Thailand) is so sweet it could be considered a dessert. I've tried them in Bangkok and at Lost Cafe here where there is a good selection and at around 250 baht a bottle I've yet to find one that is not like drinking a glass of brown honey.

I know from my SFO experience that there are some good ones that are more akin to Bavarian dark beers and do not taste like a dessert (they are even usually served in stemmed dessert glassware!). Can someone recommend one that is like what I tasted before and that is not sickeningly sweet?

Macro in HH have at least 2 varieties of Leffe beer which are brewed in Belgium. I am not sure whether either of them were the dark beers or not, but about 120 baht for a 33 cl bottle.

[PeteC]

SF was a long time ago HF. There are some ailments as we age that make things taste sweet now, but not so when we were younger. It may be the opposite of diabetes, I'm not sure.....only going on comments from other elders about change in taste of food and drink as time unfortunately marches on. Pete

[dtaai-maai]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stella_artois

Stella Artois is brewed in Leuvin, Belgium.

But it's still gnat's pee!

[hhfarang]

SF was a long time ago HF. There are some ailments as we age that make things taste sweet now, but not so when we were younger.

What are you trying to say Pete?

[kendo]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stella_artois

Stella Artois is brewed in Leuvin, Belgium.

But it's still gnat's pee!

DM Stella is no way weak its 5% come and try sinking about 10 pints with me in an afternoon and tell me the same thing it's not really a session beer that's why its got the nick name Wife Beater.

Kendo.

[kendo]

Stella is a Lager and I believe it's French.

I believe hh is talking about Ale as opposed to Lager.

As far as Lagers go, I don't see why anybody would go out of their way to try and find their preferred one. I mean, and I say this as a Larger drinker, they all taste pretty much the same.

Ales are different. I can't stand them. But I can certainly see why people who do like them would be on a mission to find their preferred one. While they all taste bad to me, they all taste bad in a very different way

Well it is Belgian, it is a beer, and it's not sweet hence why i mentioned it.

Now for me all larger beers taste different i recon i could name a fair few with a blind fold on especially the Thai one's they are all very different, and i have had plenty of practice.

Kendo.

[Hezze]

Not Belgian but awesome ale: Kilkenny, 150 B for a pint at murphs.
4-5 with a breakfast burrito to start the day!

[PeteC]

I think Belgium may have more locally brewed beers than any other country in the world. I remember years ago going to the famous drinking cellars in Antwerp (perhaps old WWII bomb shelters?) and the beer menu was several pages. Most of that beer isn't or can't be exported. Perhaps it's not pasteurized, I don't know. I recall one in particular named "Duval" which I think means the devil....and it sure is. The alcohol content must be 7%+. The country sure is a beer lovers paradise though, as much or more so than Germany IMO. Pete

[hhfarang]

The place I mentioned, The Lost Cafe in Takiab must have between 50 and 100 Belgian beers on the menu. That's where I had one last week that was 12% alcohol, served in what looked like a champagne glass and was so sweet it was like drinking a glass of dark honey. I know there must be some great one's there, but at a price of 250 baht a pop I can't afford to work my way through the menu to find the ones I like, hence the original question. I suspect the owner is Belgian since he imports so many beers from there but he wasn't there last week on Friday night, only Thai staff who didn't seem to know anything about the beers.

Pete, Duval is easy to find here. Villa Market sells it.

[Dannie Boy]

The place I mentioned, The Lost Cafe in Takiab must have between 50 and 100 Belgian beers on the menu. That's where I had one last week that was 12% alcohol, served in what looked like a champagne glass and was so sweet it was like drinking a glass of dark honey. I know there must be some great one's there, but at a price of 250 baht a pop I can't afford to work my way through the menu to find the ones I like, hence the original question. I suspect the owner is Belgian since he imports so many beers from there but he wasn't there last week on Friday night, only Thai staff who didn't seem to know anything about the beers.

Pete, Duval is easy to find here. Villa Market sells it.

From my relatively limited experience of drinking Belgium beers, the greater the alcohol content the sweeter the beer, so try to stick with those between 5-6% alcohol.