6. Trappistes Rochefort 10 Brewery: Brasserie de Rochefort Origin: Rochefort, Belgium Style: Belgian Quadrupel ABV (Alcohol by volume): 11.3%
With Westvleteren 12 nearly impossible to find in the U.S., the Rochefort 10 is about as good of an abbey ale as you’ll find. Brewed by the Trappist monks of Abbaye de Notre-Dame de Saint-Rémy, this is a special-occasion beer.
7. Westmalle Dubbel Brewery: Westmalle Origin: Westmalle, Belgium Style: Belgian Dubbel ABV (Alcohol by volume): 7%
God bless St. Benedict. The monks of Abdij Der Trappisten Van Westmalle adhere to his rule that monks should provide for themselves. Their work is our gain, especially when they brew their well-balanced Dubbel.
8. Three Philosophers Brewery: Brewery Ommegang Origin: Cooperstown, N.Y. Style: Belgian-style Quadrupel with Cherry Lambic ABV (Alcohol by volume): 9.8%
What I love about American brewing is the adventurous spirit that leads breweries like Ommegang to take their quad and blend it with a cherry lambic.
Aventinus Eisbock is a happy accident. When Mathilde Schneider created Aventinus, “the first strong wheat beer,” in 1907, her potent drink would partially freeze during transit throughout Bavaria during cold winter months, leaving the resulting liquid even more concentrated. Decades after the advent of temperature-controlled shipping, word of the legendary eisbock lingered. Schneider Weisse brewmaster Hans Peter Drexler decided to recapture the results of this unintended brewing technique, and my favorite German beer was born.
10. Scaldis Brewery: Brasserie Dubuisson Origin: Wallonia, Belgium Style: Strong Pale Ale ABV (Alcohol by volume): 12%
Known as Bush beer in Belgium and a handful of other countries where it’s been trademarked since the 1940s, Scaldis is the product of a family brewery that doesn’t hold back. The final beer on this list will challenge anyone’s capacity for sweetness.
