[homoeccentricus]

Several people have asked me what my (being Belgian) favorite Belgian beers are. The best I can do right now is a list of my favorite breweries.

My top 5 (i.e., worth the trip):
     De Struise Brouwers (basically everything)
     Dochter Van De Korenaar (best IPA’s)
     Cantillon (yes, they are really that good, but of course I pay only 15 euros for a big bottle)
     3 Fonteinen (see Cantillon)
     De Dolle Brouwers (esp. the wine barrel aged beers)

Trappists:
     Westmalle (Dubbel and Tripel - from my province)
     Orval
     Rochefort

Sour beers
     Girardin
     Boon
     (several more, of course)

Saisons
     Fantôme

Sour red/brown
     Rodenbach (esp. Caractère Rouge  and Vintage)

Other
     De Koninck (from my hometown)
     Bosteels (Tripel Karmeliet)
     Dupont (esp. Avec Les Bons Voeux and Moinette)

And across the border, in the Netherlands: De Molen and Emelisse.

[Wort-H.O.G.]

well that's a good list 

[reverseapachemaster]

Any reason why you left Dupont out of the saison list?

[jtoots]

very nice list, thank you!!  saved for my bucket list vacation which will probably wait decades until i'm retired.......

[erockrph]

It's a shame that I've never come across any of your top 5 in my area, especially Cantillon and Drei Fonteinen. But I'm glad to see Girardin on top of your sour list. Gueuze Girardin is a top-ten favorite beer of mine, and Girardin dregs are one of the primary components of my house sour culture.

[homoeccentricus]

Any reason why you left Dupont out of the saison list?

No, it's just that the Dupont beers I drink the most are not really saisons. There are of course many more Belgian beers that I like...

[homoeccentricus]

It's a shame that I've never come across any of your top 5 in my area, especially Cantillon and Drei Fonteinen. But I'm glad to see Girardin on top of your sour list. Gueuze Girardin is a top-ten favorite beer of mine, and Girardin dregs are one of the primary components of my house sour culture.

Girardin is very good. At the brewery you can buy 10 liter bag-in-box (uncarbonated) lambic. I've been experimenting with adding my own fruit to this lambic. Already "made" excellent redcurrant lambic and very nice raspberry lambic vinegar ( )

[HoosierBrew]

I've had DeDolle and Cantillon on your top list - both crazy good.  DeDolle is an underrated, amazing brewery . Everything I've had from them was fantastic - LOVE Stille Nacht. I'd love to find some of the others on your list.

[riceral]

Thanks for the list.

I've had Boon and Cantillon before, and Orval. Looking forward to trying some of these, maybe all, when I visit Belgium in May.

[MDixon]

If I could have nothing but De Dolle, Fantome, De Proef, Westmalle, and Rodenbach life would still be quite enjoyable.

[homoeccentricus]

If I could have nothing but De Dolle, Fantome, De Proef, Westmalle, and Rodenbach life would still be quite enjoyable.

Could you please add one kriek?

[chumley]

Good list.  I would add Brouwerij Kerkom to it, as everything I had there was fantastic.

I have a two year old bottle of their Winterkoninkske Grand Cru that I am sorely tempted to crack open at the New Year.

[S. cerevisiae]

I am not a huge Belgian beer fan, but I used to drink De Dolle Arabier whenever I could find it.

[homoeccentricus]

I am not a huge Belgian beer fan, but I used to drink De Dolle Arabier whenever I could find it.

You should try to find a bottle of their red wine barrel aged Oerbier. That is really frighteningly awesome.

[yso191]

I nominate homoeccentricus to be the official supplier of Belgian beers to the AHA forum participants.