Belgian Strong Ales — North Coast Brewing Co. vs. New Belgium

North Coast Brewing Pranqster
Belgian Style Golden Ale
ABV 7.6%

Color: Orange, slightly hazy, very low carbonation.
Aroma: Floral honey, cardamon, bit of damp cellar funk.
Flavor: Almost no carbonation. Honey sweet, almost mead-like with herbal notes.
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): Malty.
Finish: Sweet with piney/rosemary herbal notes.
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Good +

New Belgium Lips of Faith
Belgian Style Blond
ABV 8.5%

Color: Straw yellow, fitting of the blond(e) moniker.
Aroma: Very sweet smelling, like banana cream pie.
Flavor: Classic banana and clove. Not as sweet as it smells.
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): Malty (but not as much as Pranqster).
Finish: Dry, woody, slight hop bitterness.
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Good

Winner by unanimous decision: Pranqster. The New Belgium came out swinging and really had Pranqster on the ropes for awhile. But despite a slow start (the low carbonation took some getting used to) the Pranqster eventually wore down the Blond with a touch more complexity and range of flavors. However, if you're in the mood for a American version of a Belgian style beer you can't go wrong with either of these offerings. Both were more appealing to us than the world-renowned Duvel.

Extra Credit: Despite the different names of these beers, they actually both fit in the Belgian Strong Ale category. That means, be careful. These will sneak up on you. One minute you'll be enjoying a Belgian Strong Ale with friends and the next you'll be playing a one string banjo in a boxcar headed for Bakersfield, California.

In the interest of full disclosure to satisfy the FTC’s law, this battle features a sample bottle received from the New Belgium Brewery.

Two syllable Belgian beers that end with L — Orval vs. Duvel

Orval Trappist Ale
ABV 6.9%

Color: Hazy pumpkin orange with huge off-white head.
Aroma: Crazy aromatic. Funky piney hops, bay leaves, rosemary, sweet malts.
Flavor: Thin and savory (coriander, herbal notes) with some citrus.
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): Hoppy
Finish: Grains with moderate bitter hops.
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Mediocre

Duvel Belgian Golden Ale
ABV 8.5%

Color: Straw yellow with huge snow white head.
Aroma: Orange marmalade, Belgian yeast, cloves, soap.
Flavor: Thin, smooth and creamy with some lemon.
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): Balanced
Finish: Grain and some noticeable alcohol.
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Mediocre

Split decision: Orval vs. Duvel. Two titans of the beer world facing off for bragging rights. Truly a bottle battle for the ages. Unfortunately it was not a very interesting fight. Call us sacrilegious, but we thought these beers were mediocre at best. Perhaps they were a victim of our expectations, perhaps we're American West Coast beer snobs, but these just didn't do it for us. E chose the Duvel, preferring its sweetness and creamy body and I chose the Orval because I thought it had an interesting aroma. However, we both had a hard time coming up with descriptions for the flavors of the beers. They both just seemed thin, simple and refreshing. In other words, nothing special. Finally, neither seemed to deliver the kind of flavor and complexity that we'd expect from a beer that is so high in alcohol. The Duvel, especially, seemed extraordinarily potent for a thin, light, easy drinking beer.