Customer Reviews

All Belgian Beers

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book is exactly what I was looking for, but it's not for everyone. If you're looking to learn about Belgian beer then I suggest you look elsewhere. This book is intended for those who already know what they're looking for.

It's best used as a catalog or "to drink" list. Each beer is shown in the bottle and in the glass on one page and general information about the beer is on the facing page. The info includes: fermentation method, style, brewery, ingredients, alcohol content, appearance, serving suggestion, serving temperature and a brief description. The description is more factual than review and is intended not to influence the reader. The author left space for you to write your own notes on the beer. I hope to fill the notes on every page.

This book is a must have for anyone looking for a concise list of the current belgian beer market. This book will be no help to beginners. This book is for the expert beer geek who knows his styles and is looking for a list complete w/ pictures to help him find beers in their favorite belgian style. Each beer is listed with the fermentation style, style of beer, brewer, Alc %, color, pouring directions/type of glassware, perfect drinking temp, flavors/tastes, and other minor info...on the other page is an awesome picture of the bottle and proper glassware. The only thing that is off is the size of the book....it's hardcover book about 4 inches thick, 6 inches tall and 5 inches wide. A very weird sized hardcover to say the least. Don't be thrown off by the price @ $30+ it's a steal.

Being a BeerMason I was very excited when I can across this little tome.
Unfortunately it's nothing more than a picture book of Belgian Beer, which is the great aspect, but the information about each beer is scant at best. I'd love a bit more in depth information and some food matching if they publish another issue.

As others have commented, this is definitely a book only for true Belgian beer connoisseurs who might be looking to track every beer they possibly can. Minimal details are provided and, to be honest, the huge book is still far from complete, but the array of Belgian beers described is still remarkable. Also, good info is offered on brewery names and locations. This book is not for the average enthusiast, but certainly has a niche for true beer Meisters!

Cons:

As mentioned in previous reviews, this book's does have an akward size for a harcover book.
Trying to find a specific beer was a little difficult because it's not sorted by brewery, but by beer title. Ex. Westmalle Trappist is under "T" for Trappistes Westmalle.
Not all information was available at print. Author left out in a few brews things like, temperature, glass type, flavor profiles, and pouring instructions.

Pros:

Almost every beer in the book has a glass with beer in it. This helps with what type of glass to use when enjoying the beer. You don't have to use the brewery glass, but a glass similar to it is what the author was going for.

Pictures are great. If not for the akward size, the pictures would be fantastic.

The serving temperatures are extremely helpful. I bought a bottle of 2008 N'Ice Choffe back in November 2010 and when I served it, the flavors were off and I couldn't figure out why. I thought it was a bad batch. Turns out, I served too cold which I know now because of this book. I served at say 42 to 45 degrees when it should have been at 54 degrees.

Almost every entry has instructions on how to pour the beer. This will help anyone who has never had a Belgian beer before. Not all need the yeast poured out so this book helps you with which specific beer styles benefit from the adding of the yeast to the glass.

It's a book about BEER. That will always be +!


If you would like to have a big book of beer, specifically Belgian's, and are ok with an odd shape, this is a must.

This is not a book of reviews, but a reference work on Belgian beers. 1500 pages, beautiful photos, trilingual, and all pertinent information on beer and breweries in Belgium. Great book.

If you enjoy the different taste of Belgian Beers this book is for you. Tell you everything you need to know.