Brasserie d'Orval is unique among the Trappist breweries - you won't find the abbey producing a range of ales for export, rather just the one, monolithic beer: Orval.

Generously dry hopped with aromatic noble hops and conditioned in the bottle with Brettanomyces Bruxellensis (a yeast many brewers consider a contaminant), while the beer that leaves the abbey doors is all of the same ilk, this secondary yeast strain noticeably dries the beer and alters the flavour profile, sometimes dramatically, as the beer ages.

As such, Orval's flavour forever changes depending on how old the beer is, with aged Orval sought fervently by enthusiasts, even if the beer's fingerprint remains the same.

Pouring a hazy copper toffee, with a billowing white head, the immediate impression is an aroma of warm muesli, gooseberries, and a smoky, phenolic edge of Brett. funk.

Somewhere under all this lies a grassy, nettle tea hop character and a sliver of lemon garnish.

The body is light, medium dry, and refreshing, as a golden syrup sweetness rises from a chorus of lemon cheesecake and grapefruit pith which lingers on the palate, enhancing the beer's dryness. A gentle dandelion bitterness is present in the finish, along with the characteristic sweat and warm hay of the Brettanomyces yeast. Even if you've had Orval before, there's never an excuse not to return to it once more – it really is one of the best beers in the world.

Recommended by Michael Bates, Trembling Madness, Stonegate, York

Our decision to stock The Celt Experience came about after we were offered a rogue cask of their Imperial Stout – Ogham Ash – by one of our suppliers.

Not ones to shy away from this sort of thing, we took it on, and sure enough it was fantastic stuff. So good, in fact, that we had to get it in bottles so we could continue to enjoy it, unable to guarantee a steady supply on tap for the staff.

Our Welsh section instantly doubled in size, as we took in their other Ogham series (read: strong, experimental beers); completed by Willow, and American-style India Pale Ale, and Oak, a spiced Tripel-style ale, inspired by the Belgian brewing tradition.

Brewed with cinnamon and orange peel, Ogham Oak pours the colour of golden syrup; brassy gold with copper edges, underneath an audibly fizzing white head that soon diminishes to a delicate white collar.

The aroma is pure nostalgia-fodder; pineapple cubes vie with orange pop, foam bananas, and sweet, bready yeast for your attention, underlined by a bitter, dusty note from the cinnamon.

Light bodied and dry, with a spritzy carbonation, a traditional Belgian tripel soon gives way to pineapple juice and banana sweetness. A cinnamon swell rises with the dry finish, its punchy earthiness further drying the palate as an even, but firm, hoppiness brings freshly cut grass and lemon zest to the fray. Complex, innovative, and ultimately fun, Ogham Oak is experimental done right.

Recommended by Michael Bates from Trembling Madness, Stonegate, York

BASED in Esen, De Dolle Brouwers are one of the more elusive and less well-known Belgian breweries whose products intermittently hit our shelves.

It doesn't help that supplies are limited, deliveries months apart, and often only include one type of beer, but it's always a pleasure to have them on hand.

De Dolle are something of an outlier; perhaps most famous for their Oerbier – a delightful sour brown ale. Ask someone to list some Belgian breweries, and there's a good chance they might not mention these guys.

However, every now and then we manage to get our grubby mitts on something from them that might suit a wider audience, rather than the rather niche funky sour ale, and Dulle Teve is one such beer.

Pouring a dusty amber, this 10 per cent tripel generates a billowing white head of loose, large bubbles that dissipates quickly. The aroma is typified by lemon sherbet and orange zest, with an edge of sharp raspberry purée and a dash of peppery esters.

Initial impressions are reminiscent of a banana split – sweet, chewy banana with a scattering of chopped cashews, held together by a rich toffee sauce.

Recommended by Michael Bates, Trembling Madness, Stonegate, York

CAMDEN Brewery are fairly well established, having set up shop in early 2010 – since then they've made a range of refreshing, contemporary ales, their eponymous Camden Pale perhaps best loved among them.

Then, after a time, they caused a few grumbles by announcing their decision to move away from cask conditioned beer entirely, opting instead to use kegs to deliver their beer, favouring keg's consistency over cask's more variable delivery quality.

We never really got their casks this far North anyway, so I've only ever known the keg products, but it seems to be working for them: they now have an expansion in the pipeline, with some of their ever-popular Helles lager brewed at a larger facility in Belgium by the Camden team. Expect to see them in ever-more outlets over the coming years.

Gentleman's Wit is a Belgian style wheat beer brewed with roasted lemons and bergamot, and by far and away my favourite of Camden's wares, pouring a delightful lemon-yellow with a white billowing head. The aroma is led by honeydew melons, lemon-thyme, bananas, and black pepper; a fruity, sweet nose brightened up by a zing of lemon zest.

Sweet, with a moderately viscous wit-bier body and a prickling carbonation, banana ice-cream and lemon rind cut through a creamy sweet wheat background, before a touch of bitter orange peel and oaky, dry bitterness cut through the finish.

Interesting enough to bear scrutiny, and delicious enough to slip down without thought.

Recommended by Michael Bates, Trembling Madness, 48 Stonegate, York