Mike Loves Beer

Name – Augustijn
Country – Belgium
Type – Tripel

Appearance – Pours a mostly hazy orangish color with a big bubbly white head.  It stuck around a bit but then subsided into the brew.

Smell – Apples, cherries and yeast are picked up.

Taste – The apple and cherry are present in the taste as well.  There is a bit of banana in there and a little bit of malts as well.

A pretty good tripel.  A little heavier than most ones I have had in the style but still refreshing.  I know a lot of people really like this one but tripel just isn’t one of my favorite Belgian styles.  I don’t know why.  But It is still good for what it is.

Overall Grade – B

Name – Piraat Ale
Country – Belgium
Type – Belgian IPA

Appearance – Pours a clear amber color with a very big white head that leaves a lot of lacing on the glass.

Smell – Sweet malts and cherries are what I pick up the most.  It is a big boozey.

Taste – More malts and cherries.  A little bit of a yeast taste but not a lot in the way of hops going on.  Alcohol has bite and it gets even bigger the more it warms up.

I’ve seen it time and time again at stores and it was time to try Piraat.  Classified as a Belgian IPA I think it’s more like tripel if you ask me but a little darker.  I really get no hop profile from it but the malts are very nice.  And wow does the alcohol hit you once it warms up.  It was a little to strong for my liking and I like big bold beers.  This one just doesn’t seem to mask it all that well, if they even wanted to.  So drink this with care in mind.

Overall Grade – C

Name – Gulden Draak
Country – Belgium
Type – Belgian Strong Dark Ale

Appearance – Poured a some what clear copper color that was a nice mix of reds and browns.  The head was nearly non existent.

Smell – I didn’t get a lot on the nose but you can pick up some dark fruit and a bit of alcohol.

Taste – The taste has more going on.  Dark fruit, toasted malts, a little bit of chocolate.  There is an alcohol burn at the end and especially as it warms up.

I had Gulden Draak on tap a number of months ago at The Lodge in Boca Raton and remembered liking it so I picked up the Belgian Beer Pack from Brouwerij Van Steenberge and started off with this one.  I have to say it wasn’t as good as I remembered it being on tap.  I remember it being a bit sweeter before and not as boozey.  But the differences between bottle and tap are always going to be found in some beers.  This is one of them for me.

Overall Grade – B-