This is a very new beer from De Glazen Toren, and we were lucky enough to have it bottled the same week our pallets were being picked up for the last shipment. It’s always nice to try new beers early on.
A Belgian Extra is a low ABV Belgian Pale Ale. The most notable example would be the Westmalle Extra, thought the first one I ever remember trying was St Bernardus Extra 4.
There is a growing trend for Belgian brewers to offer a lighter ABV beer in their portfolio, and this is Glazen Toren’s nod to that movement.
Light straw in colour with a hazy body, there is a mild Belgian yeast character in the aroma along with a grainy malt body. The flavour is similarly light, with that biscuity grainy malt in the relatively thin body, with just enough malt sweetness to carry the solid hop bitterness of the Saaz hops.
It finishes pretty dry with a bit of hop bite and a short aftertaste of the malt. These beers are meant for easy drinking, with just enough character to keep things interesting. As it warmed a little, I reckon there is a bit more character coming through, but it was so easy to drink it didn’t last long. I enjoyed this but couldn’t help but compare it to Westmalle Extra the whole way through. An unfair comparison really as the Westmalle yeast is a cheat code for any style.
The winter seasonal offering from the KleinBrouwerij De Glazen Toren - a rich, dark winter warmer.
An extremely interesting take on the classic Belgian dubbel style, with hints of being a Flanders Oud Bruin.
The winter seasonal offering from Glazen Toren is a Scotch Ale
A traditional Belgian Tripel, as all good Belgian breweries have in their range
Four grains are used to produce this fantastic 'Double White' from KleinBrouwerij De Glazen Toren.
An imperial witbier, brewed with barley, wheat, oats and buckwheat, and the addition of coriander and curaçao
So good it was recently included in USA Draft's '25 Best Beers of the Year'.
