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Hoegaarden
 scrapes in
 decent
 good
 excellent
 sublime
Hoegaarden, Forbidden Fruit (Belgium) 
Widely regarded as Hoegaarden's best beer, this is a red ale somewhat in the style of a Trappist beer, with a sourness too. It is brewed with coriander and dried orange peel, and is a live beer. The colour is a deep, vibrant ruby, with a high-rise off-white head. On the nose it has lovely complexity, with spices and dried herbs, hints of tree bark and mossy undergrowth. There is malt too, and a marmalade fruit quality. In the mouth it is soft and foaming, with an immediate sweetness and rich, chocolaty malt. A tang of citrus and caramelised orange fills out on the mid-palate, before that lovely Christmas cake spice and sour cherry bite warms the long, savoury finish. Terrific stuff. 8.5% ABV, 33cl, �1.79, Beersofeurope, Fabeers, Luvians, Peckhams.  |  |
Hoegaarden, Grand Cru (Belgium)
With a similar high ABV as "Tripel" belgian ales, this "big brother" to the regular Hoegaarden wheat beer pours a light-to-medium hazy gold, with a high rise, dense head. The nose is similar to the regular bottling, with cloves and spices, lemon and a slightly malty richness. There's a hint of very ripe, even over-ripe fruit, in quite a complex profile. On the palate it is yeasty and rich, with a smooth white-chocolate note, plenty of racy citrus fruit and an underlying bitterness that adds a grippy edge. It remains a full style of beer, though it has very good balance and acidity. 8.5% ABV, 33cl, �1.60, Euro-beer, Luvians, Beerritz, Sainsbury's, Surf4beer, Tesco. |  |
Hoegaarden, Witbier (Belgium)
This was the big 75cl Hoegaarden, a beer from the giant Interbrew, and one of the most popular wheat beers in the UK. Subtly flavoured with Coriander and Cura�ao, it pours in a swirling cloud of yeast with a pale yellow, almost putty colour and strong white head. It is intensely aromatic, with lots of lemony fruit, spices and a hint of white chocolate. There is plenty of yeasty aroma, that's quite high and floral. On the palate it is very easy-drinking, with not a lot of hop flavour, but plenty of spicebox nuances, a vaguely medicinal hint and a crisp, fruity, refreshing style. 5.0% ABV, 75cl, �2.99, Asda, Majestic, Sainsbury's, Tesco, Waitrose, widely available.  |  |
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