Beer review: Mikkeller Not Just Another Wit (7.6% Belgium/Denmark: De Proefbrouwerij/Mikkeller)

The Mikkeller Not Just Another Wit is a wheat beer, more specifically a Belgian White (Witbier). It's brewed by Mikkeller, a Danish microbrewery founded in 2006 and specializing in collaborations with other breweries. This beer is brewed in collaboration with De Proefbrouwerij, a Belgian brewery founded in 1996. As the name of the beer suggests, it isn't your typical Witbier, let's find out what this means.

Taste: The Mikkeller Not Just Another Wit is a medium-bodied beer. It starts with a fruity taste of orange and citrus and then moves on to deliver a malty wheat body, with aromas of moderate yeast, coriander and finishes with a strong dryish, herbal and citric hoppiness.

Overall, The Mikkeller Not Just Another Wit is exactly what the name suggests. It stands out among the Witbiers, since it offers strong distinct aromas and finishes with a strong hoppy aroma, not common for Witbiers. That's why I'm a bit confused: As an individual beer it's really pleasant and offers a wide range of aromas but as a Witbier, it really doesn't offer the traditional qualities of one. Therefore, it's definitely worth trying since it offers a flavor-rich experience, but if you're looking for a typical Witbier this isn't your choice.

75 Good

Beer review: Stella Artois (5.0% Belgium: InBev Belgium)

The Stella Artois is a lager, more specifically a Pale lager. It's brewed by InBev Belgium, a brewery that is today part of the world's largest beer corporation Anheuser-Busch InBev. The beer has been brewed in Leuven, Belgium since 1926. Since it's one of the most popular beers in the world, one can't really expect a detailed, mature taste. Then again, there has to be something appealing in it since so many people choose to drink it.

Taste: The Stella Artois is a light/medium-bodied lager with a light, refreshing fruity sweet malt body. The beer finishes with a citric, herbal hoppiness.

Overall, the Stella Artois is very easy to drink. It's a nice refreshing beer that isn't demanding in any way, and I guess this goes a long way to explain its popularity. I'm guessing it doesn't really appeal to anyone, but neither does it turn any of its drinkers away from it. The beer is quite light and refreshing, yet isn't really watery because of the heavy carbonation and the sweet maltiness. I can easily imagine myself drinking this on a sunny day, and apparently so can millions of others. There are definitely many better pale lagers available but the Stella Artois succeeds in being a decent beer despite the fact that it's produced in serious bulk quantities.

65 Above average

Beer review: Gauloise Brune (8.1% Belgium: Brasserie du Bocq)

The Gauloise Brune is an ale, more specifically a Belgian style dubbel. It's brewed by Brasserie du Bocq, a small Belgian family-owned brewery located in Purnode, near Yvoir. The brewery was founded in 1858 and produces about 6 million litres annually.

Taste: The Gauloise Brune is a medium/full-bodied beer with a sweet malty body. It features aromas of dried fruit, some spices, faint yeast and the beer finishes with the taste of dried fruit, a faint bitterness and a slight taste of alcohol.

Overall, the Gauloise Brune was a slight disappointment. The high price, and the fancy bottle raised my expectations quite high, but in the end the beer is a very average Belgian dubbel. I would maybe buy it again if I found it relatively cheap, but in Finland the price is just too damn high!

70 Good

Beer review: Chimay Dorée (4.8% Belgium: Chimay Brewery)

Chimay Dorée is an ale, more specifically a Belgian style, brewed by Chimay Brewery, a brewery located in the Scourmont Abbey in southern Belgium. It is one of the ten breweries in the world to produce Trappist beer. All of the profits from Chimay products go for the benefit of the monastery and to charity. Considering that it's a monastery brewery, the annual amount of Chimay products being brewed is staggering, 12 million litres reported in 2005. The Chimay Dorée was previously reserved only for the visitors and inhabitants of the monastery, but now it has been released into wider distribution and is also available in the Finnish liquor stores.

Taste: The Chimay Dorée is a medium-bodied beer with a really distinct flavor of several spices and herbs. It starts with a fruity, flowery taste of apple, coriander and orange peel. It then delivers a malted body with surprisingly wheaty feel and finishes with a faint bitterness.

Overall, the Chimay Dorée is a great beer with a distinct taste and great character. It really stands out among Belgian ales and especially among the Chimay selection and is perfect for a warm sunny day. Unfortunately the flowery aromas of the beer remind me of some deodorants and fragrances which ruin the experience slightly, but of course that's not the brewery's fault. Maybe the aromas could've been slightly more potent and it would be interesting to taste a stronger version of the Dorée. In any case, it's really an outstanding beer, quite literally.

82 Great

Beer review: Blanche de Namur (4.5% Belgium: Brasserie du Bocq)

The Blance de Namur is a wheat beer, more specifically a Witbier. It's brewed by Brasserie du Bocq, a small Belgian family-owned brewery located in Purnode, near Yvoir. The brewery was founded in 1858 and produces about 6 million litres annually. The Blance de Namur has received several awards, for example the title of World's best wheat beer in 2009.

Taste: The Blanche de Namur is a light/medium-bodied beer with a spicy, yet quite sweet front. The beer is dominated by a wheaty, citric aroma and it finishes with a faint yeasty yet citric aftertaste.

Overall, the Blance de Namur is an excellent supermarket Witbier. It doesn't offer a strong aroma, but that's not what one should really be looking for in a Witbier, especially one that's sold in supermarkets. Being only 4.5%, the Blance de Namur packs a surprisingly rich set of flavors and is really enjoyable. One of the best, if not the best Witbier!

90 Exceptional

Beer review: Kasteel Donker (11% Belgium: Brouwerij Van Honsebrouck)

The Kasteel Donker is an ale, more specifically a Belgian Strong Ale. It's brewed by Brouwerij Van Honsebrouck, a small Belgian brewery, founded in 1865 and located in Ingelmunster.

Taste: The Kasteel Donker is a full-bodied strong ale with a fruity, sweet malty body. It offers flavors of raisin and other dried fruit, and almost gives a wine-like impression (the 11% adding to this). The beer ends with a long-lasting sweetness and a faint hint of hoppiness.

Overall, the Kasteel Donker is a very well-accomplished, mature and sophisticated beer. It delivers a strong, distinctive taste with a lot of character and therefore earns a place among the most interesting beers I've ever tasted. Definitely worth a try!

85 Great

Beer review: Trappist Achel 8 Blond (8.0% Belgium: Brouwerij der Sint-Benedictusabdij de Achelse Kluis)

Trappist Achel 8 Blond is an ale, more specifically a Belgian strong ale Tripel. This means that the brewers use up to three times the amount of malt used in standard Trappist beers. It's brewed by Brouwerij der Sint-Benedictusabdij de Achelse Kluis, the smallest of the eight currently approved Trappist breweries. The brewery is located in the Abbey of Saint Benedict in Achen in Belgium. Sounds really promising, can't wait to try it out!

Taste: Trappist Achel 8 Blond is a medium-bodied beer with a strong, malt-dominant body. It is a very sophisticated and mature beer with challenging, but rewarding aromas. It delivers fruity aromas of peach, apple and citrus. The aftertaste of the beer is a herbal hoppy aroma and the beer finishes with quite distinct hoppy bitterness.

Overall, the Trappist Achel 8 Blond is a really nice beer. However, maybe I expected too much out of it (considering that it's a Trappist and you really can't go wrong with them) but it didn't deliver any real wow factor to me. It's a great beer, but not among the very best I've tried. Still definitely worth trying, because like most of the Trappists it delivers a range of flavors equaled by only a few others.

80 Great

Beer review: Chimay Triple (8.0% Belgium: Chimay Brewery)

Chimay Triple is a strong ale, more specifically a Tripel, brewed by Chimay Brewery, a brewery located in the Scourmont Abbey in southern Belgium. It is one of the ten breweries in the world to produce Trappist beer. All of the profits from Chimay products go for the benefit of the monastery and to charity. Finally a way to do charity while practising a hobby of mine! Considering that it's a monastery brewery, the annual amount of Chimay products being brewed is staggering, 12 million litres reported in 2005. That has to be a sign of something exceptional, let's find out what it is.

Taste: Chimay Triple is the driest and most hopped of the Chimay products. This is apparent in the taste, which is medium/full-bodied yet quite soft. The taste is dominated by a herbal grassy taste of hop.

Overall, Chimay Triple was a bit of a disappointment for me. Chimay Blue is one of my favorite widely available beers, and therefore maybe I expected too much of the Triple. I have to admit that I am generally quite picky about strong hoppy beers. Chimay Triple offers a nice hoppy, yet soft taste but in my opinion does not stand out in any special way. I'm not saying it's bad, when the beer is a Trappist it's bound to be good but I expected a bit more.

75 Good

Beer review: Chimay Blue (9.0% Belgium: Chimay Brewery)

Chimay Blue is an ale, more specifically a Belgian style strong ale, brewed by Chimay Brewery, a brewery located in the Scourmont Abbey in southern Belgium. It is one of the ten breweries in the world to produce Trappist beer. All of the profits from Chimay products go for the benefit of the monastery and to charity. Finally a way to do charity while practising a hobby of mine! Considering that it's a monastery brewery, the annual amount of Chimay products being brewed is staggering, 12 million litres reported in 2005. That has to be a sign of something exceptional, let's find out what it is.

Taste: Chimay Blue is a very sophisticated and mature beer, with a malt dominant, medium/full-bodied yet soft and smooth taste. The aftertaste of Chimay is pleasant, finishing with a warm, mildly sweet, almost liquorice-ish malty flavor.

Overall, Chimay Blue is worth its reputation and its understandable why it's so popular. It's available in almost all of the alcohol stores in Finland, which is a good thing because it's one of my regular picks. If you haven't tried Chimay Blue yet, do it!

95 Legendary

Beer review: Leffe Brune (6.5% Belgium: InBev Belgium)

Leffe Brune is an ale, more specifically a dubbel ale, brewed by InBev Belgium. Although it is a monastery beer, receiving its name from a monastery, it is quite obvious that the bulk quantity of Leffe production means that the monastery is present only in the beer's name. The company which produces Leffe is part of the Anheuser-Busch corporation, the largest beer corporation in the world. Leffe is brewed under a license from the monastery and it receives royalties from the product. However, being part of a big corporation, being produced in a factory, yet selling under the name of a 'monastery beer' is a bit dubious, at least in my books. Let's not let that affect the review of the taste of Leffe Brune.

Taste: Leffe Brune is a very sweet ale. It is medium-bodied, soft and a bit fruity, although less so than the Blonde version of Leffe. The taste of sweet bready malt is quite dominant, and a faint aroma of smoke is present as well. Leffe Brune finishes with a sweet sugary and almost creamy malt flavor with a tiny hint of hops.

Overall, Leffe Brune is a very likable beer and is easily available. In my opinion, it's one of the best beers in wide distribution in Europe. It doesn't provide any mind-blowing taste experiences, and personally I prefer the Blonde version. However, they're both good bulk beers and I'm jealous of mid-Europeans for having this stuff in their supermarkets. + I guess it's a good thing that some of the profit goes to the monastery.

70 Good

Beer review: Leffe Blonde (6.6% Belgium: InBev Belgium)

Leffe Blonde is an ale, more specifically a Belgian style ale, brewed by InBev Belgium. Although it is a monastery beer, receiving its name from a monastery, it is quite obvious that the bulk quantity of Leffe production means that the monastery is present only in the beer's name. The company which produces Leffe is part of the Anheuser-Busch corporation, the largest beer corporation in the world. Leffe is brewed under a license from the monastery and it receives royalties from the product. However, being part of a big corporation, being produced in a factory, yet selling under the name of a 'monastery beer' is a bit dubious, at least in my books. Let's not let that affect the review of the taste of Leffe Blonde.

Taste: Leffe Blonde is a very sweet ale. It is medium-bodied, very soft and fruity. The taste of malt is quite mild and sweet, and the Leffe Blonde finishes with a sweet sugary and almost creamy flavor.

Overall, Leffe Blonde is a very likable beer and is easily available. It doesn't provide any mind-blowing taste experiences, but it is certainly a nice change from your typical lager beer. I guess it's a good thing that some of the profit goes to the monastery. In my opinion, one of the best beers in wide distribution.

75 Good