There’s a new Belgian importer in the US, 12 Percent Imports. This brand-spanking-new company is based out of Brooklyn, NY, and has only been on the market a few months. Tiny, funky new Belgian craft beer. Loves it! Donnie from Millennium Beverage will be here (with his boundless enthusiasm) to tell you all about them.

VALEIR BLONDE (Brouwerij Contreras – Gavere. East Flanders, Belgium): Dry-hopped blonde ale. Great grapefruit aroma on this one. A very delicate beer with a smooth bitter twang on the finish. [6.5% abv]

VALEIR EXTRA (Brouwerij Contreras – Gavere. East Flanders, Belgium): Fans of Houblon Chouffe, Urthel Hop-It, Green Flash Le Freak and Terrapin Monk’s Revenge will love this beer. A extra-hopped Belgian ale—or Belgian IPA (still getting used to that)—has a great balance of that bready Belgian yeast, sweet candy sugar with a fruity and bitter finish. Loads of flavor and not too high in alcohol at 6.5% abv. We think it’s a winner.

POTTERLOEREKE (Huisbrouwerij Sint Canarus – Deinze-Gottem. East Flanders, Belgium): Big, fruity aroma with a big ol’ blast of raisins, figs and caramel on the palette. Better as it warms, leaving a efferevescent spread on the tongue. Think of it like a liquid Fig Newton, but better, because it’s beer.

EMBRASSE (Brouwerij De Dochter Van De Korenaar): This Belgian strong dark ale is going to be new to us, too! Here’s the description: Aroma of chocolate malt, coffee, & smoke; vanilla, cocoa, toffee, smoke, full-bodied, richly complex. Sounds yummy! [9.0 abv]

‘T GAVERHOPKE EXTRA (Brouwerij ‘t Gaverhopke): This one is so good that Mike ordered it last week already. So, this little gem you get now, like today. This is the beast of the bunch at a big 12.0% abv. Can’t describe how delicious this is, if you enjoy Quadruples. It’s not quite as dark as I would have expected—somewhere between a dark amber and red mahogany. The flavor is like drinking a plum that’s been soaked in Red Zinfandel, both sweet and tart. Again, better warmed up to room temperature a bit.