tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5367851.post8452237802655997568..comments2008-01-09T03:51:26.870-08:00Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02043446306228115076noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5367851.post-9354051433842298972008-01-09T00:15:00.000-08:002008-01-09T00:15:00.000-08:00I concur. English ales are grossly overrated and stylistically quite similar to one another. Typically people rave about German beers but Belgium wins hands down. My Belgian personal favorites are Westmalle Double and Orval Double. I also tilt the hat to Leffe Blond too!Garrett Hohngarretthohn.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5367851.post-16419256229305010852007-12-24T17:12:00.000-08:002007-12-24T17:12:00.000-08:00Actually, the Order has a standards organization which only allows Trappist abbeys meeting the most rigorous standards to label their bottle "Trappiste". In Belgium, those abbeys are Chimay, Orval, and Rochefort in Wallonia, and Westmalle, Achel and Westvleteren (good luck finding any of that!) in Flanders. Koningshoeven went through a couple of decades' fight to be allowed to use the label after being booted out by the other abbeys, and for the past few years it is being sold as a Trappist, as well. Although it is very close to Flanders both physically and culturally, Koningshoeven is in fact located in Holland, not Belgium.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5367851.post-65086267698028825252007-11-29T07:17:00.000-08:002007-11-29T07:17:00.000-08:00"Belgian law allows only six abbeys to sell their beer as Trappist ale: Achel, Orval, Chimay, Rochefort, Westmalle, Westvleteren and Koenigshoeven"<BR/><BR/><BR/>Looks a lot like 7 to me :-)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com