I made my regular stop at Magruder’s on Friday afternoon (November 20) to pick up some beer for the weekend and to see what they were sampling.  It was the Best of Belgium 18-pack, which includes a six-pack of three Belgian beers.  I sampled the:

• Leffe Blonde, a Belgian Abbey beer
• Stella Artois, a golden Belgian Lager
• Hoegaarden, a classic Belgian White

The Best of Belgium 18-pack is not the best beer that Belgium has to offer.  Not even close. The Mass-Produced of Belgium might be a better name for this mix-pack, since the three brands included are now owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev.  But I don’t hold that against these three beers.  Marketing be damned, these are enjoyable, easy-drinking beers.  While the Stella lacks in flavor and body, the Hoegaarden and Leffe are smooth and drinkable.  The Hoegaarden, in particular, is a standout Belgian Wit.

Six packs of these three beers usually sell for $9.99 each.  The 18-pack was on sale for $19.99 and I regret not getting two! This was a nice change-up to my usual session beer fare.