Piraat Ale, Belgium

Piraat Ale – 3.5/5

Ahoy maties. I have the perfect beer to celebrate international talk like a pirate day. This little number from Belgium pours out cloudy amber and has a typical Belgian yeast flavor. It’s supposedly a Belgian IPA but I would liken it more to a strong ale. It’s not overly hoppy and is warm on the way down. It’s quite obvious that the ABV is over 10%.

While I enjoyed Priaat Ale, it blessed me with a bad case of heartburn which turned me off at the time. Having said that, I’m keen to give Piraat Ale a second chance and potentially bump up the rating a little. Definitely worth trying if you can find it.

Duchesse De Bourgogne, Belgium

Duchesse De Bourgogne– 4.5/5

I love grey imported beer when you can’t read the label as it often leads to surprises; hopefully good ones. This was another birthday beer from Jay and the Thomas girls and boy did it catch me off guard.
After pouring it out into a glass I took a nice big sniff as I always do. I felt like I had buried my head in a bag of salt and vinegar chips and taking a good old whiff. It had a really vinegary smell to it which tingled all the way up my nose. I took a sip and found it to be quite sour which lead me to do a quick google search from my phone to make sure it was supposed to be this way and hadn’t spoiled. After the first initial shock I went back for more and was getting notes of dark cherry coming through.

Overall it was very refreshing and quite pleasant. I can picture drinking Duchesse De Bourgogne with Thanks Giving turkey as an alternative to champagne. It’s definitely worth trying.

Ayinger Celebrator Doppelbock - Aying, Germany

Ayinger Celebrator Doppelbock - 4/5

This was another decent beer donated by Erin, Cheryl and Jay. It poured out nice and dark and had a fluffy head.

It has toasty notes up front and a nice coffee bitterness. If you're into malty beers then you'll love this little Baverian bombshell. With this in mind, it's not the greatest consumption beer and best left alone on warm summer days.

This beer would pair well with a nice, earthy Camembert or Fontina cheese.

Orval Trappist Ale - Brasserie d’Orval, Belgium

Orval Trappist Ale - 4.5/5

I feel my close friends are really starting to get to know me. Erin, Jay and Cheryl were nice enough to hand select some very interesting beers for my birthday and I finally got around to drinking them last weekend.

Although I have read about Orval and seen around, I was yet to experience this Belgian delight. From what I had heard, Orval is brewed with wild yeast therefore no two bottles with be exactly the same.

With this in mind, there are some common characteristics. Firstly, I was surprised to find how fizzy it was. It poured out a golden amber color and had a nice, thick head. It was dry and hoppy and finished a tiny bit sour. Overall, a fantastic brew. Thanks guys for introducing me to another world class Belgian ale.