Brouwerijen Alken-Maes

Commercial Brewery in Alken, Limburg, Belgium 🇧🇪
Owned by Brouwerijen Alken-Maes NV/SA - Heineken Belgium

Established in 1988

Contact
Stationsstraat 2, Alken, 3570, Belgium
Subsidiaries
Brouwerijen Alken-Maes owns 3 breweries:
Description
Winning innovator on the Belgian beer market with brands such as Maes, Cristal, Desperados, Grimbergen, Affligem, Strongbow and Mort Subite.

De “Brouwerijen Alken-Maes NV” ontstond officieel in 1988, als gevolg van de fusie van de brouwerijen Maes en Cristal Alken. Maar de roots van beide entiteiten gaat terug tot omstreeks 1880. In Waarloos kocht Egied Maes toen nl. de brouwerij Sint-Michaël, terwijl korte tijd later Arthur Boes een brouwerij startte in Alken, zo’n 100 km verderop.

Beide brouwerijen ontwikkelen zich stelselmatig, met bv. Cristal dat in 1928 als eerste Belgische pils het licht ziet. Maes Pils volgt in 1946. Nadien vervoegen Grimbergen, Ciney en andere bieren de portfolio, tot aan de fusie in 1988. Na onderdeel te hebben uitgemaakt van Danone en Scottish & Newcastle, wordt Alken-Maes in 2008 eigendom van Heineken.

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6.8/10 Appearance 7 Aroma 7 Flavor 7 Texture 7 Overall 6
0.3 liter bottle to glass on the Viking Ingvi longboat. The pour is amber brown copper with a decent sized light tan head. The aroma is plum fruit sweetness, caramel malt, brown sugar, and general Belgian yeast. The taste is big malt sweetness up front, plum caramel and toffee, then moves to the yeast. The palate is medium to heavier bodied, low carbonation and the yeast and slightly boozy finish. Solid Dubbel.
Tried from Bottle on 19 Apr 2025 at 13:52

6.3/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 6 Flavor 6 Texture 6 Overall 7
Old rating from 2013 - 330ml bottle, pours clear golden with a white head. Aromas & tastes of grain, clove, banana, grapes, pear, earth, nuts & malt. Moderate body. Sweet slight bitter finish
Tried from Bottle on 18 Apr 2025 at 13:47

7/10 Appearance 7 Aroma 7 Flavor 7 Texture 7 Overall 7
0.3 liter bottle to glass on the Viking Ingvi longboat. The pour is a clear golden yellow with a minimal white head. The aroma is honey malt, floral, and a pleasant Belgian yeast ester. The taste is the nose exactly, very much honey malt, floral and Belgian yeast. The taste is the herbal easter yeastiness, the honey maly and the floral carries the finish. The palate is medium bodied with soft natural carbonation and the yeast and floral finish.
Tried from Bottle on 17 Apr 2025 at 23:13

7/10
Tried from Draft on 13 Apr 2025 at 15:21

7.8/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 7 Flavor 8 Texture 8 Overall 8
From Paris, trying this beer at Prélaz, ordinary Belgian tripel, not bad, again a bit too sweet, smooth side of apricot, malty, alcool. 11.06.2019.
Tried from Bottle on 10 Apr 2025 at 17:20

6.3/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 5.5 Flavor 6.5 Texture 7 Overall 6.5
Dark amber still body.
Minimal malt aroma.
Medium bodied, lightly carbonated with a clean back.
Sweet, malt, caramel & toffee tastes with a tangy finish.
Deece but not a style I like.
Tried from Bottle on 06 Apr 2025 at 17:46

5/10
Skunky, sweaty.
Tried on 05 Apr 2025 at 10:33

8.3/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 8.5 Flavor 8.5 Texture 8 Overall 8
For a Grimbergen, it is a really interesting beer, full of red fruits, plum, apricot, cynamon, pear, porto, hop and malt, complex. 30.04.2018, De Siebenthal at Montagny.
Tried from Bottle on 27 Mar 2025 at 08:45

5/10
Tried from Bottle on 26 Mar 2025 at 11:50

5/10
Tried on 26 Mar 2025 at 06:28