About a week and a half ago, I revisited The Globe in Garden Grove.  If you haven’t read about my original visit to The Globe, you can find my article here.

This visit I tried three beers on tap – Tripel Karmeliet, Caracole Nostradamus, and Monk’s Stout.  Here are my tasting notes:

Triple Karmeliet_webTripel Karmeliet (8% ABV) – Bosteels Brewery (in Buggenhout, Belgium) makes Triple Karmeliet.  Founded in 1791 by Evarist Bosteels, this brewery has been in the Bosteels family for seven generations.  In addition to Triple Karmeliet, Bosteels Brewery also makes Kwak and Deuce beers.  Triple Karmeliet is brewed based on a recipe from 1679 that originated in the Carmelite monastery.  Wheat, oat, and barley grains are used to make this beer that uses in-bottle refermentation as part of the process.  This beer pours a clear light golden color with white foam head consisting of tiny bubbles.  Triple Karmeliet has fruity ester aromas of honeyed orange and banana combined with wheat and malt.  The beer has a rich, medium to full-bodied feel in the mouth with pleasant carbonation.  Triple Karmeliet tastes of mango fruit and malt.  This is a good beer, but I think I need to try it again as it did not hold up to other reviews I have read.

caracole nostradamus_webCaracole Nostradamus (9.5% ABV) – Brewed by Brasserie Caracole, this beer pours a wonderful coffee reddish-brown color with a tan foam head.  Caracole Nostradamus smells of sweet apples, caramel, and pears.  The beer is medium-bodied with some spicy, biting carbonation.  Wonderful flavors of sweet malt and caramel start, followed by figs, biscuits and cinnamon.  The flavor finishes with a hint of pear, peppery spice, and ever so slight licorice.  This is an excellent and smooth beer made for sipping and savoring.

Monks Stout_webMonk’s Stout (5.2% ABV) – Monk’s Stout is made by the Dupont Brewery and is definitely a Belgian version of a stout.  The beer pours a dark black color with tan foam head consisting of tiny bubbles.  Monk’s Stout has a strong coffee and chocolate aroma combined with an earthy barnyard background.  The beer is light to medium-bodied with pleasant carbonation.  Although dry, Monk’s Stout is not as dry as a typical Irish or American stout.  This stout has rich espresso coffee and chocolate flavors with subtle citrus undertones.  These flavors are complex and not as powerful as American stouts (which can tend to go over the top).  Monk’s Stout has a peppery spice finish.  You can definitely tell this beer was brewed using Belgian yeast.  This is an excellent beer that demonstrates uncanny Belgian ability to brew complex, flavorful beers in any style.

Once again I had some great beers and a delightful time at The Globe in Garden Grove.  If you go to The Globe (and you should), tell Michael that Firkin Ron sent you.  By the way, The Globe has better frites than any I had in Belgium – don’t miss out!

Thanks to my lovely wife for supporting the trip and being the designated driver.