Troubadour was the first brewery we ever imported, and the Magma was one of our favourite beers. It is fair to say it had something of a cult following in our local area in those early days.
It remains the brewery’s highest profile beer, and each year they produce a variant of Magma. Over the years they have altered the hops, the malt even the yeast (the 2015 Triple Spiked Brett was my personal favourite).
For 2019 they dialled back the level of ingredients to make a more sessionable beer of 6.5%, and added two extra hops to the dry-hopping regime. Nelson Sauvin and El Dorado hops add the tropical twist.
The aroma is fruity, though maybe not as tropical as I was expecting given the name. Also a Belgian yeast character on the nose.
The flavour is again maybe not as invitingly fruity as imagined. The malt body is crisp, with good carbonation lifting the mouthfeel. It is light with a sustained bitterness. There is some tropical fruit flavour but it is quite subdued with the beer finishing dry and bitter.
A second version of this beer, with a dominant display from the Morpheus yeast supported by Cascade and Chinook hops
A Belgian IPA with Challenger, Smaragd and Citra hops, finished with a Belgian saison yeast
Hop bitterness, with dry spicing and just a hint of wild earthy funk
A bigger, hoppier version of the Noblesse Belgian Pale Ale
A Belgian classic - Duvel - with a current hop-driven twist
The classical Belgian Strong Blond Ale, jazzed up with an extra hop that changes each year
The 2015 special edition Duvel Tripel Hop features the Equinox hop
The 2016 version of Duvel's Tripel Hop, featuring an experimental hop from the Yakima Valley
This is now the permanent feature in the Duvel range, with the Citra version being voted the favourite of all the Duvel Tripel Hop varieties
The 'other' Duvel Tripel Hop in the range shows of Cashmere hops
The favourite of the Duvel Tripel Hop series is the Citra hop version
Five old-world hops are used in this fresh grassy Belgian IPA
The original Belgian IPA, from one of the three breweries in the 'Brewers Town' of Watou.
A seasonal batch of Hopus brewed in Spring, which is dry-hopped with Citra
by Brasserie d'Achouffe (Brouwerij Duvel Moortgat)
Best described as an extremely hoppy Belgian tripel style
A Belgian IPA with a strong citrus character and nice earthy bitterness
A Belgian IPA using Mapuche hops grown exclusively for Leffe on the plains of Patagonia
Another riff of the Troubadour Magma, this one is a more sessionable, last of the summer sun type of beer
The 2016 variation of Troubadour's flagship beer Magma features Maris Otter premium malt
The 2017 variant of Magma sees a change in malt and hop quantities, resulting in a fruity, earthy and dry IPA
A perfectly balanced Belgian IPA, deceptively drinkable for the 9.5% ABV.
Not really fitting in to a style category - inviting sweet malt backbone with a good dose of hop bitterness.
Ella hops from Australia provide a tropical fruit character to this crisp and refreshing Belgian IPA
A Belgian style IPA, taking a step back to an older style IPA recipe
The second incarnation of this beer, featuring Columbus, Simcoe, Amarillo and Centennial hops
by
An Anglo-Belgian style IPA, with a big malt body and balanced hop character
A clean, crisp and sessional IPA from the team at Troubadour
Dedicated to the hero of Antwerp, a dry-hopped spicy blond ale
Fruity aroma and hoppy, spicy flavour make this an extremely drinkable beer.
Four malts, roasted barley and two hops create a beautiful Imperial Stout - with a Belgian twist.
The body of a Belgian triple style beer, hopped like an American Imperial IPA - the best of two brewing cultures in one beer.
Another riff of the Troubadour Magma, this one is a more sessionable, last of the summer sun type of beer
The 2015 variant of their flagship Magma, with the addition of Brettanomyces yeast at all three fermentation phases
The 2016 variation of Troubadour's flagship beer Magma features Maris Otter premium malt
The 2017 variant of Magma sees a change in malt and hop quantities, resulting in a fruity, earthy and dry IPA
The 2022 Magma variant is finished with a wine yeast
A rich, smooth and complex dark ale - a perfectly balanced mild stout with a Belgian body.
Amber ale with a spicy and malty character, crisp and light with a dry, slightly bitter finish.
A Belgian west coast Imperial Black IPA, made using 100% Belgian hops
A beautiful imperial black IPA that uses all-Belgian west coast hops
