Oohhhhhhh SHIT. Just got back from Belgium. And yes, I kept track of the beer I had. Over-sized list follows:
(deep breath)
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‘t IJ Zatte Tripel.
Had in a pub in Amsterdam. Pretty good.
Not my photo:
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Duvel.
Met a friend in Venlo, NL. His friend owns a bar and I showed up early to get some food. Turns out they don't serve food, and I didn't want to just get up and leave, so I ordered a beer instead. Not knowing what most of the beers were, I panicked and got something standard. Oh well, Duvel is still really good.
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La Chouffe.
At the aforementioned bar, I asked some of the old townsfolk to recommend a local beer. This is what the came up with. Very nice choice.
Not my photo:
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Maredsous 6.
Again, at the bar in Venlo. I was chatting with some Dutch locals, and my buddy came back from the bar with a glass for me. Quality stuff. Already the beers were great and I hadn't even made it out of the Netherlands.
Again, not my photo:
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Diekirch Grand Cru.
Yes, even Europe has its shit beers. I had this in Berdorf, Luxembourg. I just wanted a single bottle of something cheap, and I grabbed this from a tiny grocery store. It was garbage. Almost couldn't finish it.
My photo:
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Orval.
Visted the Orval monastery (good cheese, btw) so I grabbed a bottle of their Trappist beer. Fabulous. Nice and light for a trappist brew. Stopped for a countryside picnic in Belgium and drank it along with some Orval bier cheese. This stuff is delicious.
Not my photo:
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Maes Pils.
Ordered some mussels in Brussels, and the meal came with free beer, but I didn't get to choose. A bit flat in flavor, but not undrinkable. I think it complemented the seafood fairly nicely, but that was about it. Wouldn't buy it again.
My photo, Maes is in the background.
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Mort Subite Gueuze.
Wifey got this with her mussels. Loved it. Very nice lambic without the super-sweet fruitiness. In the foreground of previous photo.
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Hoegaarden De Verboden Vrucht.
Meh. Not bad. I don't really remember it too much. Had it in a pub in Brussels.
My photo. The pub was very dark so it's a shitty pic:
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Karmeliet Tripel.
The wife got this at the same bar in Brussels. Definitely preferred it to my Hoegaarden. Nothing new, though. I've had it in the states, too.
Same photo as above.
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Brugse Tripel.
At a restaurant in Bruges. Wife ordered this. Very nice, very refreshing for a tripel.
my photo:
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Straffe Hendrik Tripel.
Up to this point, my favorite of all. Strong tripel with a complex taste slightly more reminiscent of a dubbel. Yum.
My photo:
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Halve Maan Brugse Zot.
Took the brewery tour in Bruges, and got free glasses of their unfiltered blonde. It's amazing how the simplest beer in Belgium is heads and shoulders above most of what we have here. Good stuff.
My photo:
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De Konink Bruin.
Went to a bar in Bruges, and my wife ordered this. I remember it was good, but at this point so many beers were starting to run together. Anyway, I was focused more on the beer I ordered:
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Rochefort 10.
Best of the trip. Hands down. If you haven't tried it, do it. Heavy, thick, complex, and just quality. I contemplated going back the next day for more.
Photos of both:
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Dubuisson Bush Ambreé.
So we had a travel guide that suggested some beers to try, but they only picked them because of "uniqueness". Bush was on that list because it is supposedly the strongest Belgian beer. And it was still really, really good. I was expecting shitty cheap touristy alcohol swill, but I really enjoyed it.
My photo:
--Grimbergen Bruin.
Had this at a restaurant in Bruges. Fuck me if I can remember what it was like. I was focused more on the pot of flemish stew and fries, and the kilo of mussels we got. Oh, and it came with free champagne...
Photo:
Try it if you have the chance 
____ _________________ This stuff is made on that little (maybe not) island to the south of Australia called Tasmania
Well, maybe next time.
