Belgian blond beers are staples of the Belgian brewers’ portfolio. While the tripel is the quintessential Belgian beer, the blond is the beer that does the hard work.
The name doesn’t evoke any great expectations; it almost sounds underwhelming. Coming in around the 6.0-7.5% ABV level, drinkers can afford to try a couple of these before moving on to the tripels and quadrupels. I think for that reason, they tend to get a little overlooked. They probably aren’t going to be the beers you remember from your Belgian holiday, but they are rock-solid examples of how good Belgian beer can be.
Our Petrus Blond pours a glowing golden colour with a big frothy cap on top. You can tell it is Belgian from the yeast aroma, though really this beer doesn’t have such a strong nose to it. A bit of grainy malt, some grassy hops and a little light yellow stone fruit notes.
All of the above do follow through in the taste, which again is restrained but somewhat elegantly so. I think the biggest thing to note is the balance – no one thing is exerting dominance, rather everything is working together. A little malt sweetness, some grassy hops and the fruity flavours of citrus, apricot and pear.
Such an easy beer to drink and enjoy, it is a good analogy to the whole Belgian beer culture. Simple, refreshing, understated and just bloody enjoyable!
The historical beer style of Antwerp recently revived
A fruity malt backbone, a spicy hop bite and a hint of vanilla
A Belgian blond with the addition of coriander and orange peel
From a rustic farmhouse brewery, a hoppier version of the classic belgian blond ale.
The 'house beer' of Brugse - a delicious Belgian Blond ale from De Halve Maan brewery
A light and lively Belgian blond beer from the rustic Brasserie Caracole
This Belgian Blond is named after one of the ascents of the Tour De Flandres
De Molen's new core range Belgian Blond with Sorachi Ace hops
A blond ale with apple juice, quince puree and a touch of cinnamon
A typical Belgian Blonde style ale, slightly on the sweeter side of things
Brewed to a 1000-year old recipe, this is a great example of an almost-forgotten style.
Good malt body, gentle hop bitterness and classic Belgiam yeast aromas make this a great introduction to Belgian beer.
A strong blond ale, leaning toward a Belgian IPA with a good dose of European noble hops
A hoppy blonde ale which is the official beer of the Antwerp University
A delicious Belgian Blond beer with a great story
Pils and Munchener malts, Amarillo hops, coriander and mango are all fermented with yeast from Westmalle
by Brasserie de la Cambre (Brouwerij Het Anker)
A traditional Belgian blond beer made by the Het Anker brewery
by L'Arogante (De ProefBrouwerij)
A hoppy blond ale, combining three US hops with a solid malt base
The newest beer in the Leffe range - a classy, tastier version of the iconic blond ale
by Mokke Bier
A Belgian Blond with coriander, orange zest and a hint of honey with a touch of saison funk
A balanced Belgian blond ale, with a beautiful hop bite that lasts.
An easy-drinking citrus and hoppy blond ale, brewed for the 'Ommegang of Brussels' procession.
The newest addition to the Bosteels range is this Kwak Blonde
A delicious grassy blond beer from 2013's Best New Brewer Belgium
A traditional Belgian Blond Abbey Ale, from a family-run brewery with over a century of tradition.
Dedicated to the hero of Antwerp, a dry-hopped spicy blond ale
Fruity aroma and hoppy, spicy flavour make this an extremely drinkable beer.
A golden Belgian style pale ale, dry-hopped during secondary fermentation for a rich malt body and lovely hop bitterness
by Wilderen Brewery & Distillery
A golden blond ale from the Wilderen Brewery & Distillery
A pleasant Belgian blond from the Witkap family of beers
A malty blond ale with a pleasant peppery bite from only the second brewery in Brussels
This Belgian Blond is named after one of the ascents of the Tour De Flandres
This beer is the Petrus Tripel, with Amarillo and Cascade added, plus 15% foederbier
Voted World's Best Wood Aged Beer 2012 and 2013 and World Beer Awards
A deliciously malty Begian Dubbel made using 6 different specialty malts
A 'double brown' beer from the family brewery Batik-De Brabandere
A delicious blend of two Petrus beers used to create this traditional Flanders Red ale
A typical Belgian tripel from one of Belgium's Traditional Family Brewers
