Belgium's Most Modern and Sustainable Brewery

Kasteel Brouwerij Vanhonsebrouck makes the famous line of Kasteel (Castle) beers at its modern brewery in Izegem, Belgium. The good news for Kasteel fans is that these specialty brews are now available in America! They are high-quality specialty beers that reflect the Belgian brewing industry’s traditions, while moving forward with innovation and creativity.

Since 1811

Kasteel Rouge - Belgium’s First Strong Fruit Beer

Founded by Major Amandus Vanhonsebrouck in 1811, the brewery has been in the family up until the present day. Luc Vanhonsebrouck moved on from lagers to specialty beers throughout most of the 20th century. Luc’s son, Xavier, joined the brewery in 1991 and developed a sales strategy for classic specialty beers which influenced the industry. In 2007, Luc introduced a new style of beer - strong fruit beer – the first of which was Kasteel Rouge, an 8.0% ABV cherry ale. In 2009, Xavier takes over the brewery from Luc and opens a brand-new brewery in Izegem in 2016. In 2019, Vanhonsebrouck becomes the first specialty brewery to add an in-house canning line – an innovation that allows the brewery a sustainable way to distribute its beers internationally. And now, these cans are available here in the U.S.

To this day, Kasteel Brouwerij Vanhonsebrouck is one of Europe’s most modern and sustainable breweries.

Kasteel Beers

As of this writing, Kasteel’s four main beers are:

Kasteel Wit – a hazy wheat beer with notes of citrus, ginger, coriander and lemongrass, is sweet, tart and spicy with a zesty, refreshing and dry finish. It is 4.8% alcohol.

The Kasteel Beer Lineup

Kasteel Rouge is the aforementioned strong cherry beer. Its 8.0% alcohol is a good bit higher than other fruit and sour beers. Flavor notes of caramel, toffee and malt accompany the cherry fruit and add complexity. The beer’s soft, full mouthfeel leads into smooth clean finish with a hint of tartness.

Kasteel Rubus, at 7.0% alcohol, is another strong fruit beer, this one flavored with raspberries. Malt, fruit, a hint of bitterness and a refreshing tartness give this beer great drinkability and complexity.

Kasteel Donker, a dark Quadrupel ale, is big (11.0%) and complex. It was the first of the new line of Kasteel beers. Roasty malt and notes of caramel, toffee, figs and raisins add to the rich complexity of this special beer.

In addition to these four core beers, Kasteel also makes a number of other beers that are released seasonally or for special occasions.

Kasteel Blond (7.0%) is a classic Belgian Blond ale that is crisp and thirst-quenching.

Kasteel Hoppy is a 6.5% hoppy, IPA-style beer. It uses only Belgian hops and is flavorful and refreshing.

Kasteel Tripel is, at 11.0% ABV, one of the stronger Tripels on the market, and was the second in the modern Kasteel lineup. It is bready, crackery and spicy with a nice dose of Belgian hops.

Trignac XII - Aged in French Cognac Casks

Kasteel Xtra is a 4.5% Enkel (Single) is a light blond ale that is somewhat hoppy and is dry-hopped for extra aroma.

Kasteel Chocolate Quad (11.0%) is a strong dark ale with roasty notes of chocolate and coffee, and a smooth, creamy mouthfeel.

Kasteel Cuvée du Chateau is reminiscent of an aged Kasteel Donker. This strong, dark ale is rich and malty with some Madeira and dark fruit notes. It is 11.0% alcohol and is made in the Quadrupel style. It is a big, complex connoisseur’s beer.

Kasteel Trignac XII is a blonde Tripel aged in French cognac casks. It comes in at a whopping 12.0% alcohol, so it packs a punch. Only very limited supplies are available and it is a true classic!

Kasteel makes other beers from time to time, but these are the most significant beers in their lineup. Vanhonsebrouck also makes the St. Louis line of Lambic beers, Bacchus and Brigand Golden Strong ale. All the Kasteel beers are well worth seeking out.