In our previous article, we listed all 107 Awards that Belgian breweries have received. Now we would like to dwell on the most important prices. You can win the following prizes:
- World’s Best “Main Category” across the subcategories of this main category
- World’s Best “Sub Category” which exist under each main category
- Country Winnners within each sub-category
- Gold, Silver Bronze possible in every country
We are going to take a closer look at the Belgian style winners here, because this covers all countries. The Belgian breweries won 1 Worlds Best Style Winner medal in 9 medals to be distributed and 3 Style Winner medals in a sub-category out of a total of 88 sub-categories.
The most important prize went to Brasserie Vanuxeem from Ploegsteert.
With their Queue de Charrue Oud Bruin they won the World’s Best Style Winner prize in the main category World’s Best Sour & Wild Beer and of course also the Country Winner in the sub-category World’s Best Old Brown. Born in 1986 when Gaston Vanuxeem’s grandchildren decide to relaunch their own beer. They found the recipe in the brewery’s archive. The name is the French translation of the Flemish name of the village of Ploegsteert. The beer is aged in oak barrels for 18 months, giving it its sweet and sour taste.
Within the subcategory World’s Best Pale Belgian Style Blonde, the Alken-Maes Brewery was the Style Winner with their Affligem Blond and of course also the Country Winner.
They describe the beer as fresh-spicy with notes of citrus and vanilla accentuated by the refermentation in the bottle. Soft malty taste with notes of tropical fruits that end in a fresh hop bitter aftertaste.
Within the sub-category World’s Best Pale Belgian Style Strong, the Duvel-Moortgat brewery won the Style Winner and Country Winner prize with their Duvel.
This beer has been sold under the name Duvel since 1923. Previously, it was nicknamed “Victory Ale” following the end of World War I. During a tasting session with the notables of the village, shoemaker Van De Wouwer, intensely surprised by the powerful aromas of the beer, exclaimed: “This is a real Duvel.” and the new name was born.
The Alken-Maes Brewery also received a second Style Winner, within the sub-category World’s Best Kriek. The Mort Subite Kriek Lambic won this prize and was therefore also the Country Winner.
This sweetest Kriek Lambic of the family is a blend of young Lambic for fun, 1 year old Lambic full of fresh cherries for freshness and 3 year old Lambic for the necessary experience and that typical slightly sour touch.
To see all the Belgian winners in a row, you can use this LINK. More information can be found on the website of Word Beer Awards.
