CHAPTER 3.4: Belgian Beer Styles Flashcards
Which of the following is not a common trait of Belgian-made beers?
A. Assertive bitterness from Belgium-grown hops
B. Frequent use of spices, fruit, and sugars
C. Fruity, spicy flavors from yeast
D. Often more than 6% alcohol by volume
A. Assertive bitterness from Belgium-grown hops
Belgian beers rarely focus on hop content. However, an increase in alcohol content, distinctive fruity-spicy yeast traits, and the use of spices, fruits, and sugars are all common traits.
Of all the breweries in the world, how many may use the name “Trappist”?
Twelve:
- Achel
- Chimay
- La Trappe
- Orval
- Rochefort
- Westmalle
- Westvleteren
- Mont des Cats
- Engelszell
- Spencer
- Zundert
- Tre Fontane
“Trappist” is a closely controlled designation reserved for the exclusive use of Trappist monastaries where monks are directly involved in the production of beer on the premises of the monastery.
Which of the following is NOT generally true of the monastic series of beer styles that includes Single, Dubbel, Tripel, and Quadrupel?
A. All are the same basic color
B. Each style in the series has more alcohol than the previous
(Single = lowest, Quadrupel = highest)
C. Sugar is frequently added to achieve alcoholic strength while maintaining drinkability
D. Most monastic brewers make two or three of these styles
A. All are the same basic color
While Dubbels and Quadrupels are generally brown, Tripels are usually pale to golden in color.
In which category are so-called “Quadrupel” beers classified?
A. Belgian Blond Ale
B. Belgian Dubbel
C. Belgian Dark Strong Ale
D. Belgian Pale Ale
C. Belgian Dark Strong Ale
Quadrupel is a strong, dark Belgian beer. It is amber to brown in color. Belgian Dark Strong Ale, as its name implies, also has a higher alcohol content of 8-12% ABV.
Chimay Red, St. Bernardus Pater 6, and Lost Abbey Lost and Found Abbey Ale are commercial examples of what Belgian beer style?
A. Belgian Blonde Ale
B. Belgian Dubbel
C. Belgian Trippel
D. Belgian Dark Strong Ale
B. Belgian Dubbel
Belgian Dubbel ales are malt-balanced, have an elevated alcohol content, and are low in bitterness. Chimay Red is a good example of a dry but malt-balanced beer.
Which of the following is NOT true about the Belgian Trippel style?
A. High alcohol content
B. Moderate bitterness
C. Lots of fruitiness and some peppery spiciness
D. Amber to brown in color
D. Amber to brown in color
Belgian Tripel has high alcohol content, moderate bitterness, and a slight sweetness with some peppery notes. At 4.5 - 7 SRM, however, Tripel is actually pale to golden in color.
Apart from an impression of sweetness, what separates Belgian Blond Ale from Belgian Dubbel?
A. Dubbel has more alcohol than Blond Ale
B. Dubbel has a lighter color than Blond Ale
C. Dubbel has less alcohol than Blond Ale
D. Dubbel has a darker color than Blond Ale
D. Dubbel has a darker color than Blond Ale
Belgian Dubbel is dark amber to brown in color, while Belgian Blond Ale is gold in color.
Dubbel and Blond Ale have similar alcohol content.
Chimay Red, St. Bernardus Pater 6, and Lost Abbey Lost and Found Abbey Ale are commercial examples of what Belgian beer style?
A. Belgian Blond Ale
B. Belgian Dubbel
C. Belgian Tripel
D. Belgian Dark Strong Ale
B. Belgian Dubbel
Belgian Dubbel ales are malt-balanced, have an elevated alcohol content, and are low in bitterness. Chimay Red is a good example of a dry but malt-balanced beer.
Which Belgian farmhouse style beer is often made with raw wheat, coriander, and orange peel?
A. Bière de Garde
B. Saison
C. Witbier
D. All of the above
C. Witbier
Witbier is made with as much as 50% unmalted wheat and usually includes spices such as coriander and orange peel. Saisons, on the other hand, are made with unique yeasts that impart a peppery trait. Saisons typically have higher hop bitterness and flavor than most other Belgian styles.
You’ll see wild beers described as funky time and time again. Which is NOT a descriptor typically associated with this “funky” moniker?
A. Leathery
B. Goaty
C. Barnyard
D. Nutty
D. Nutty
Flavors typically associated with wild beers include leathery, barnyard, and goaty, among others.
Which of the following is NOT true of Gueuze and Fruit Lambic beers?
A. They are sold only on draft
B. They are usually blends of different batches and year
C. They are fermented with organisms other than brewers’ yeast
D. They are made with aged hops for very low bitterness
A. They are sold only on draft
Gueuze and Fruit Lambic are bottle-conditioned products blended from different batches and years of production. They are brewed with old hops for very low bitterness and fermented with many different organisms.
Which of the following is usually a pale- to golden-colored beer with a unique peppery yeast flavor that may include sugar or spices in the recipe?
A. Bière de Garde
B. Saison
C. Witbier
D. Gueuze
B. Saison
Saisons are made with unique yeasts that impart a peppery trait. The addition of sugar can help to lighten the mouthfeel.
The breweries Chimay, Rochefort, Orval, and Westmalle are examples of what type of brewery?
A. Abbey
B. Cistercian
C. Franciscan
D. Trappist
D. Trappist
These breweries are owned and operated by Trappist orders. They have exclusive rights to describe their beers as Trappist.
Which of the following styles launched the popularity of pale-colored ales in England in the mid-1800s?
A. Best Bitter
B. India Pale Ale
C. Dark Mild
D. Strong Bitter
B. India Pale Ale
Despite India Pale Ale’s initial popularity, the style essentially died out by the end of the 20th century. In recent years, however, American craft brewers have helped to revive interest in India Pale Ales, both in the US and overseas.
When a beer has a name that ends in -ator, what style is it likely to be?
A. German Pils
B. Munich Dunkel
C. Märzen
D. Doppelbock
D. Doppelbock
Most Doppelbocks have names that end in “-ator” to associate with Paulaner Salvator, the original Doppelbock. Other commercial examples include Spaten Optimator and Ayinger Celebrator.
