Brewery Bosteels has always been a favourite of mine, having been lucky enough to have visited several times. It took a little finding in the days before sat-navs, but once inside the big double wooden doors there was always a very warm welcome from seventh-generation owners, and the beers weren’t half bad either.
In 2016 it was announced that the brewery was to be sold to AB-Inbev, which was met with much sadness and consternation at the time. Since then, we can happily attest to the fact the three iconic beers – Karmeliet, Kwak and Deus – have not suffered from the ownership change. And in typical ‘big-beer’ fashion, two new beers were introduced earlier this year under the Kwak label.
So here we have the newly released Kwak Blond, described by the brewery as ‘a smooth and refreshing blonde beer, with delicate bitterness and a subtle hint of aroma hops’. So a blond beer with Styrian Golding, Cascade and Simcoe hops.
For a blond it is one the sweeter side, with the taste of pear and apricot evident alongside the malty body. There really isn’t a lot of hop aroma, with just enough bitterness to start balancing out the malt sweetness. I would swap a normal Kwak for this beer, but it is easily drinkable and interesting to taste the newest addition to the Bosteel range.
The historical beer style of Antwerp recently revived
A fruity malt backbone, a spicy hop bite and a hint of vanilla
A Belgian blond with the addition of coriander and orange peel
From a rustic farmhouse brewery, a hoppier version of the classic belgian blond ale.
The 'house beer' of Brugse - a delicious Belgian Blond ale from De Halve Maan brewery
A light and lively Belgian blond beer from the rustic Brasserie Caracole
This Belgian Blond is named after one of the ascents of the Tour De Flandres
De Molen's new core range Belgian Blond with Sorachi Ace hops
A typical Belgian Blonde style ale, slightly on the sweeter side of things
Brewed to a 1000-year old recipe, this is a great example of an almost-forgotten style.
Good malt body, gentle hop bitterness and classic Belgiam yeast aromas make this a great introduction to Belgian beer.
A strong blond ale, leaning toward a Belgian IPA with a good dose of European noble hops
A hoppy blonde ale which is the official beer of the Antwerp University
Pils and Munchener malts, Amarillo hops, coriander and mango are all fermented with yeast from Westmalle
by L'Arogante (De ProefBrouwerij)
A hoppy blond ale, combining three US hops with a solid malt base
The newest beer in the Leffe range - a classy, tastier version of the iconic blond ale
by Mokke Bier
A Belgian Blond with coriander, orange zest and a hint of honey with a touch of saison funk
A balanced Belgian blond ale, with a beautiful hop bite that lasts.
by Brouwerij Omer Vander Ghinste (Bockor)
Light malts, citrus fruitiness and three varieties of hops
An easy-drinking citrus and hoppy blond ale, brewed for the 'Ommegang of Brussels' procession.
A delicious grassy blond beer from 2013's Best New Brewer Belgium
A traditional Belgian Blond Abbey Ale, from a family-run brewery with over a century of tradition.
Dedicated to the hero of Antwerp, a dry-hopped spicy blond ale
Fruity aroma and hoppy, spicy flavour make this an extremely drinkable beer.
A golden Belgian style pale ale, dry-hopped during secondary fermentation for a rich malt body and lovely hop bitterness
by Wilderen Brewery & Distillery
A golden blond ale from the Wilderen Brewery & Distillery
A pleasant Belgian blond from the Witkap family of beers
A malty blond ale with a pleasant peppery bite from only the second brewery in Brussels
From the elegant bottle to the delicious beer itself, this brewing masterpiece could be mistaken for an elegant French champagne.
Unique for it's 'coachman's glass', the beer is more than a match for its presentation.
The world-renowned three-grain tripel, still brewed to a centuries-old recipe.
