• American Lagers
• Belgian Whites 
• Dubbles and Tripels
• English Ales
• Strong English Ales
• German Beers
• India Pale Ales
• Lambics
• Mixed Styles I
• Mixed Styles II
• Mixed Styles III
• Mixed Styles IV
• Mixed Styles V
  
• Oktoberfests 1999
• Oktoberfests 2000
• Pilseners
• Stouts 1999
• Stouts 2002 
• Strong Beers I
• Strong Beers II
• Strong Beers III
• Strong Beers IV
• Wheat / Golden Beers

• Alpharetta / Cumming, GA
• Athens, GA
• Atlanta, GA
• Austin, TX 
• Belgium 
• Chicago, IL 
• Fort Collins, CO
• Minneapolis, St. Paul
• Nashville, TN
• New England - RI, NH, ME
• New Orleans, LA 1999
• New Orleans Beer Tour Photos 2001
• New York, NY 
• Philadelphia, PA
• Germany: Munich, Bamberg, Kulmbach, and Berlin 
• Salt Lake City, UT
• Tampa, FL 
• Chimay Trappist 
• Orval Trappist 
• Rochefort Trappist 
• Westvleteren Trappist 
• Westmalle Trappist
  
• Globe Bar, Athens, GA 

Copper Creek was kind enough to host our evaluation of these beers. Copper Creek is Athens' only brewpub and offers a great selection of house-made beers and an impressive menu.  It is located at 140 East Washington Street (phone: 706-546-1102) in downtown Athens.

(LtoR):  Johnnie Sutherland, Kerri Allen, and Lynn Gieger.  (Photos by Owen Ogletree.)

Liefmans Kriekbier Oud Bruin with cherries  Liefmans Brewery, Oudenaarde, Belgium FIRST PLACE Aroma: Sour cherries, tartness, vermouth, malt.  Sweet and sour aroma is beautiful. Appearance: Ruby in color with a nice clarity.  Garnet hints are gorgeous. Flavor: Good balance of sweet and sour flavors.  Oak, cherry, fruit, raisin, cherry pits.  If you are experienced with sour Belgian ales, this one does not seem overly sour.  This is an extremely complex, elegant fruit beer.

Kasteel Donker (dark) 
Belgian Strong Dark Ale
Van Honsebrouck Brewery, Ingelmunster, Belgium
SECOND PLACE
Aroma: Phenols are complex.  Sweet, malty, nice aromas.
Appearance: Dark brown, thick, and rich looking.  Ruby highlights apparent when held to the light.
Flavor: Syrup-like body that is suprisingly not insipid.  Thick, viscous, sherry-like, malt flavors.  This would be a wonderful dessert beer.  Similar to a tawny port.  Would go well with cheese cake and berries or nuts.  Fruit, raisin, plum, cinnamon, figs, dates, toffee --  all these flavors are here.  A deeply complex ale.

Duinen Dubbel
Dubbel
Brouwerij Huyghe Melle, Belgium
THIRD PLACE
Aroma: Raisins, rum, fruit, plum, malt.
Appearance: Beautiful tan head.  Dark brown and clear.
Flavor: Chocolate and cherries -- cordial-like.  There are hints of nuts.  Hop flavor is low to none (good for style).  Hints of cola, brandy, and vanilla.

Trippel
Tripel 
New Belgium Brewing Company, Fort Collins, CO, USA 
HONORABLE MENTION (tie)
Aroma: Clove, banana, malt, pineapple.
Appearance: Clear and golden, with a white creamy foam.
Flavor: Clovey, spicy, peppery.  Hops are nice in flavor and bitterness.

La Chouffe
Belgian Strong Golden Ale 
Brasserie D'Achouffee, Achouffee, Belgium 
HONORABLE MENTION (tie)
Aroma: Floral, fruity -- apricots.  Perfumy with hints of aloe.
Appearance: Golden with nice carbonation and an attractive clarity.
Flavor: Creamy body.  Warming, bubbly, phenolic, spicy.  Coriander and ginger hints with citrus.  This is a complex beer that has a crisp dryness that is appealing.

Augustijn Ale 
Belgian Strong Golden Ale 
Brewery Van Steenberge, Ertvelde, Belgium 
Aroma: Honey and yeast.
Appearance: Golden and clear (if poured with care).  Effervescence wants to bring up yeast into beer.  Belgian lacework from foam is pretty.  Big carbonation.
Flavor: Malt, yeast, honey.  Tartness is balanced with malt character. Peppery bite is nice. This is a pleasant beer with a medium body that gives a light impression.

Hell for Certain 
Belgian Strong Dark Ale
Bluegrass Brewing Company, Louisville, KY, USA
Aroma: Cara-munich malt notes. Cocoa, plums, prune, phenols, cocoa butter.
Appearance: Color is light end of style for a Strong Dark Ale.  Clear with a reddish/amber color.
Flavor: Very grainy and malty with a lingering aftertaste of dark grains.  Fruity with a medium body.  The dark/roasty grain flavor is pleasant, but not really to style.

Affligem Tripel
Tripel
Affligem Brewery, Opwijk, Belgium 
Aroma: Citrus, butter, lemon with a hint of diacetyl (butterscotch).
Appearance: Clarity is fair.  Color is golden.
Flavor: Clove/plastic phenols are OK for style.  Honey, spice, fruit.  This is a earthy beer with a warming alcohol content and a carbonation bite.  A well-made Tripel.

Clovis 
Belgian Strong Golden Ale
Brasserie Dubuisson Freres, Pipaix, Belgium 
Aroma: Fruit, coriander, and honey.
Appearance: Dark golden with a nice white foam.  Very clear.
Flavor: Honey, malt, sherry-hints -- not very citric nor spicy.  Pleasant and drinkable.  Needs more fruit and spice character.

La Folie Wood Aged Beer 
Flanders Red Ale
New Belgium Brewing Company, Fort Collins, CO, USA
Aroma: Oak, fruit, cherry/red berry notes.  Fantastic, tart aroma.
Appearance: Deep red/brown with good carbonation for style.
Flavor: Oaky dryness.  This needs to be more sour -- mild for style.  Sherry and wine flavors are nice.  Could be more complex.  Dark grain hints.  A pleasant beer that is a bit too mild compared to Rodenbach.

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LaTrappe Quadrupel
Belgian Strong Dark Ale
De Koningshoeven Brewery, Tilburg, Netherlands 
Aroma: Sherry, malt, cherries, fruit, toffee.
Appearance: Dark amber/ruby -- clear and beautiful.
Flavor: Malt, caramel, toffee, and fruit flavors are good.  Alcohol presence is notable.  Earthy and sherry-like. Would expect more malty body and complexity from such a strong ale.