Rather odd pricing

In article , Simon Mason writes

Krieks and Trappist are *not* bitters or lagers.

Quite. It's rather like talking about a typical Gin like Glen Morangie isn't it?

Steven Pampling - a made-up name if ever I've heard one - said

Errr...for the relative newbies here, and for someone who drinks Kriek and Trappist beers often, what *are* they?

loobyloo a écrit :

Trappists are ale, and kriek is either an ale or a lambic, depending on which you talk about.

Right... back to basics,although most of it is in the FAQ :

There's three families of beer, after three ways of fermenting them :

- ales aka top fermentation beers. The sweet wort is fermented more or less at room temp by adding a yeast that frothes quite a lot at the top of the vat. Quick process, short maturation times. The fermentation leaves esters behind, ie. aromatic molecules that give the beer a fruity edge. Styles of beer : traditional British Isles styles, ie. bitter, pale ale., IPA, old ale, mild, light, heavy, wee heavy, etc., most porters and stouts, German Weizen, Weizenbocks, Berliner Weisse (sour because ofl actic fermentation), Kölsch and Altbier, Belgian blanche/wit, saison, abbey ale, trappists, oud bruin (soured, aged brown ales), most french bières de garde.

- lagers aka bottom fermentation beers The sweet wort is fermented a a temperature of around 6 to 9°C, a yeast is added that does froth a lot less at the top of the vat. The process is longer than for ales, and thos beers need a long maturation time at

- lambics aka spontaneous fermentation beers The sweet wort is left to stand overnight in shallow vats right under the roof, which has openings, so that wild yeasts present in the april / may air can deposit in the wort. Beer then is moved to wooden casks, which themselves also contain a bacterial flora. Fermentation and maturation is the casks take up to three years. Proper lambic has a clear sour edge, due to lactic and acetic fermentations. Styles : lambic (pure), faro or lambic doux (lambic with sugar added), gueuze (assembly of young and older lambics to give a balanced beer), andof course all the fruit variations.

Yet not all krieks are based on lambic. Kriek just means that it is flavoured with cherry (may be syrup, flavourings, or, sometimes, real fruit or fruit juice). Some krieks and other belgian fruit beers are based on oud bruins (winey, aged, sour, fruity brown ales), such as Liefmans Kriek, and some are based on a blanche-like basis (St. Louis, IIRC).

Hope this helps. Any style your'e not really sure where to fit in there ?

Cheers !

Laurent

Go on, finish the job Laurent - describe the style of Rodenbach.

It isn't "oud bruin" since it's not brown.

In article , loobyloo writes

They are krieks and Trappist beers!

Does everything have to be squashed into the narrow categories of either ale or lager? (Bitter is an almost obsolete term for a particular style of ale.) There are many styles of beer besides these two.

Well yes, and why not? They're both top-level categories; ie both capable of subdivision. And capable of describing all beer between them - you could almost claim a lambic as an ale, as IIRC the wild yeast tends to like to lurk at the top as well. Why bother categorising beer at all?

Really? A lot of the lagerboys I know describe me as a "bitter drinker". As it's the most common style of ale in the UK I hardly think it's an obsolete term.

Steven Pampling a écrit :

Yup, Flemish Red ale, but when addressing beginners, I try not to confuse them with the nuance between oud bruin et flemish red... ;o)

The Submarine Captain - a made-up name if ever I've heard one - said

Thanks very much Laurent - that was most useful. I've always been a bit hazy about these distinctions, and that makes it a lot clearer. I've saved your post and will have to try to get a grip on these categories - and obviously, practical experience is the best teacher :)

I'll chip in - a severe insult to my stomach!

Give me a glass of Haacht Wit any day...