Another new, small Belgian brewery to add to our sampling list. In 2008, brewer Peter Van der Borght was joined by three friends, and they formed the Lupus Brewery. The name was later changed to Wolf Brewery.
Starting with borrowed time at other breweries, they soon moved into their own premises with their own equipment; complete with tasting room and café. Though they still brew some of their beers in the nearby Het Anker brewery (which is famed for the Gouden Carolus range of beers).
The Carte Blanche is one of the newest addition to their range, introduced in 2014, and it was our favourite.
It has a lovely full malt body, sweet up front with both fruit and grain. The spicy yeast character then kicks in, along with a good hop bitterness from the five different hops used in this beer.
Really interesting, and a little unexpected – the flavours seems to complete on the tongue, without any one aspect winning out in full. It took a couple of tastes to get used to this one, but it was intriguing. Medium-high carbonation adds to the sensation, with a dry bitter finish.
An interesting beer from Alvinne, and one of Belgium's most bitter beers at 115 IBU
by Abdij Averbode (Brouwerij Huyghe)
A multi grain mix of barley oats and spelt, plus dry-hopping make this strong blonde ale a really interesting creation
A Strong Blonde Ale cross Belgian Tripel, with oak chips used in the brewing process to add a hint of vanilla
by Brouwerij De Hoorn (Palm - Swinkels)
A Belgian Strong Blond Ale aged on oak chips
The 'Devil's' little brother, made to the same recipe but without secondary fermentation in the bottle
by Brouwerij van Hoegaarden (AB InBev)
Like a super-charged Hoegaarden witbier...but better
A special Belgian Strong Pale Ale that is the only Belgian beer to use Witloof
A sort of Belgian style strong blonde ale, made using unsold sourdough bread
Like a bigger, tastier (and classier) version of the classic Leffe Blond
A strong blond ale in the style of Duvel, brewed by Het Anker brewery
A delicious strong blond ale with a crisp malt body and a nice hop bitterness
The world renowned Belgian Blond Ale from Orval Trappist Monastery. There simply is no other beer like Orval.
by Brouwerij Palm (Swinkels Family Brewers)
A fruity, malty Belgian pale ale, originally brewed in 2003 to celebrate the 90th birthday of the brewey's former head brewer.
by Brouwerij Verstraete (Deca Services)
An unfiltered, unpasteurised, dry-hopped strong blond ale with barley, oats and wheat in the grain bill
A classic strong pale ale from one of Belgium's old family breweries.
A variation on the acclaimed Piraat strong blond ale, this time with four different hops added at three separate times during the beer-making process
A delicious, complex but light and dry Belgian Strong Blonde Ale from Brasserie St Feuillien
A special Belgian Blonde ale, dry-hopped with Cascade hops. A tribute to Armand Desplenter, one of the founding brewers