Categories
beer reviews Belgium

Old favourites

A bottle of Westmalle Triple beer

We spend so much time hunting down new beers that we sometimes neglect old favourites — well known beers we’ve had many times and always enjoyed.

Inspired by Tim Webb and Joris Pattyn’s excellent 100 Belgian Beers to Try Before You Die! (of alcohol poisoning, presumably…) we spent a recent Sunday in the Dove, Hackney, reacquainting ourselves with some classics.

Westmalle Triple, for example, is one of the world’s best beers, but easily overlooked because it’s relatively easy to come by. On this occasion an expert pour from an anxious barmaid gave it a head which stood an inch above the lip of the chalice, like a particularly appealing looking meringue. It tasted great, too, and reminded us why people make such a whoop-de-doo about Belgian triples. It was spicy, fruity and astoundingly complex.

We’re going to drink one a week from now on.

We’ve been in Germany. We wrote this post before we went.

4 replies on “Old favourites”

Westmalle Dubbel is one of my favourite Belgian beers. For me better than the tripel.

Westmaalle tripel. My favourite Belgian brew, at least of the ones I’ve tasted so far. It’s the kind of beer that doesn’t need to scream “I’m here! Look at me!”. It talks to you in such a lovely voice. And the fact that many people sort of take it for granted, makes it even more attractive.

I’m fond of the Dubbel, but just recently picked up a bottle of the Tripel for the exact reason you mentioned. I’ve seen it sitting in several places, but often overlook it for something else. Not this time. With that and a couple bottles of old-standby Orval, I’ll get reacquainted, too.

ESD — there are times when trying one new beer after another can be nothing but disappointing. It’s at times like those that an old favourite can really help to lift the mood. We’ve been saving some Orval (it’s now a year or so old) and might crack that open soon, too.

PF — poetical, as per usual!

Paul — we had a bottle of Dubbel the same day, but it was the this one that caught our attention again. The Dubbel is great, though.

Comments are closed.