Craft Beer Power Rankings 7-19-13 Belgian Independence Day Edition
We are breaking away from the normal format of Craft Beer Power Rankings, in which we rank the top five most buzzworth craft beers to rank the top 5 heavy hitting Belgian Ales in honor of Belgian Independence Day. Factors include my own personal enjoyment and community perception. Cheers!
5. Westmalle Trappist Tripel – This is the standard for Trappist Tripels. Anyone making a homebrew Tripel aims for this, it’s highly ranked by the largest beer communities in the world.
4. Chimay Blue – Long before craft beer was at the peak it’s at right now, one of the finest beers you could find at liquor stores and restaurants that had a clue was Chimay Blue. People often debate whether or not to cellar this beer, either way it’s pretty delicious and is an icon.
3. Trappiste Rochefort 10 – This beer is strikingly similar to Westvleteren, but easy to get and a fraction of the cost. If you are in the no Westy Zone, this is as close as you will get to that beer, which is pretty darn good.
2. Cantillon FouFoune – Easily my favorite Cantillon beer, and has subsequently piqued my interest in apricot and peach sours and lambics. So delicious, so refreshing, so complex. It’s still not super easy to get, but if you can, snag them and drink them fresh.
1. Westvleteren XII – Might be the water, might be the rarity, might be the majestic ingredients, might be the detail put in by the monks, but this beer is a game changer. I would argue that this beer would still be just as highly regarded if it was easy to get. It’s dark, a little chewy, effervescent and silky at the same time. It’s a completely unique beer experience worth seeking after.
Honorable mention: Orvall. I know some people have their special oh my God moment with this beer, but the product I get here in the US is hit or miss depending on the age and temperature this beer is kept. With that said, when this beer is on, it’s amazing.
