Drinking Education / Lesson 05
Strength can hide behind fruit, spice and bubbles.
Why are Belgian ales often strong?
Bottle conditioning, highly fermentable recipes and why a golden Belgian ale can be stronger than it appears.
In one minute
The useful answer
Not every Belgian beer is strong, but famous dubbels, tripels, quadrupels and strong golden ales often are. Their strength can feel deceptively elegant because dryness and carbonation prevent them seeming syrupy.
The real story
Where it came from
Belgium developed many distinctive local, monastic and commercial traditions rather than one single national style. Names such as dubbel, tripel and quadrupel are useful families, not a simple mathematical scale.
Inside the brewery
How it happens
Brewers build fermentable wort and use expressive yeast that can tolerate higher alcohol. Sugar may increase strength while allowing a drier body. Bottle refermentation adds carbonation and can help flavours develop with time.
Use your senses
What to look for
Evidence cabinet
