Belgium, that beautiful nation tucked inside Europe, is famous for a host of gastronomic reasons. The country produces excellent chocolates, excellent ice cream – and excellent beer, too!
Belgian beer is extremely popular among aficionados around the world mostly on account of the way the brewing happens. Most beers are handcrafted which explains the exquisite taste of their beer. In fact, Belgium started the concept of craft beer which is such a rage among beer lovers worldwide.
In fact, the new age breweries in Belgium have tastefully combined their traditional brewing process with technological innovations to create a delectable range of beers. The most precious & the rarer ones receive a status that is nothing less than that of the most premium wines! There’s a host of awesome beers that Belgium produces and out of that exhaustive list, we will take you through two of them – Belgian Delirium beer & Chimay beer.
Belgian Delirium Beer
The Belgian Delirium beer is very popular & widely recognizable due to its iconic pink elephant logo and ceramic bottles. The Delirium family has several variants under its wings:
- Delirium Tremens – The most popular among the Delirium family. Carries a blend of pear & apple aromas. With an ABV of 9%, this amber-colored ale has a distinct spicy, malty taste.This star of the pack is the proud winner of a gold medal in the Chicago World Beer Championships in 1998.
- Delirium Nocturnum – It’s a dark & strong ale with an Alcohol By Volume (ABV) of 8.5% & a scent of caramel & mocha, with a hint of licorice & coriander; the bitter taste balances out towards the end with a touch of sweetness and sourness combined.
- Delirium Christmas – Chestnut-colored with a fine, creamy foam & an ABV of 10%. Has a taste of toasty malt, caramel, licorice & tea tannins, among others – ending in a combined taste of cinnamon, black pepper & caramel.
- Delirium Red Fruit – It is flavored with cherry. It comes with a gentle scent of sour cherries & almond with a tangy & fruity taste. Has an ABV of 8.5%. Maintains a balance between sweet flavors & bitter ones.
- Deliria – This is a special variant of Belgian Delirium beer. The brewing happens once annually on the occasion of International Women’s Day (March 8). It has a blonde yet pale color and white creamy foam. Emits a nice flavor that is a blend of apples & exquisite chardonnay grapes. Has an ABV of 8.5%.
Belgian Chimay Beer
Monks in Forges-Les-Chimay in south Belgium started to brew this beer, way back in the 1860s. Today, the Belgian Chimay beer is nothing short of a legend, having found its pride of place among the best beers in the world. More than 50% of the production finds its way to markets abroad.
The two variants that are available more than the others and consequently are more popular are Chimay Red & Chimay Blue.
Chimay Red – This was the first beer that the monks brewed at their monastery. It is light-bodied, amber-colored ale with ripe fruit & licorice aromas and an ABV of 7%.
Chimay Blue – It is dark & strong ale with an ABV of 9% and a clear, red glow. Coffee & mocha tastes are the predominant ones when you sip this beer.
These two iconic beers from Belgium are already available in many countries around the world. And aficionados elsewhere will be happy to hear that they are reaching out to newer markets, like India. So, it may not be too long before you can taste for yourself the two brighter stars from the Belgium beer galaxy!
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