Bush

Bush is a Belgian beer brand associated with the Dubuisson Brewery in Pipaix, in the municipality of Leuze-en-Hainaut. Its best-known beer is the amber, high-fermentation strong ale now officially called Amber Bush and historically marketed as Bush Beer or Bush 16. The beer is distinguished by a pronounced malt character and very high alcohol strength, reaching 16% alcohol by volume in the flagship formulation. Its label presents it as the strongest Belgian beer, positioning the brand around intensity, traditional Belgian brewing, and strong-ale specialization rather than mass-market lager consumption. The brand was created in 1933 by brothers Alfred and Amédée Dubuisson, one year after they inherited the family brewery. At the time, English strong beers had a significant position in the market, generally carrying alcohol levels of approximately 6% to 8%. The brothers developed a stronger beer, initially at 12% alcohol, to compete with that tradition. They chose an English-language name for the product: “Dubuisson bière” was translated into English as “Bush beer.” In the United States, the beer has been sold under the name Scaldis, derived from the Latin name for the Scheldt River, because of naming considerations in that market. The original Bush Beer name was changed to Amber Bush in 1998, reflecting the beer’s characteristic color. The broader range has included several strong and specialty variants, including Bush Blonde, Christmas Bush, Night Bush, Luxury Bush, and Pêche Mel’ Bush. These products extend the brand beyond a single amber ale by using different recipes, seasonal positioning, fruit or lambic blending, and barrel maturation. Some formats also use separate names for larger bottles, such as Tripel Amber Bush, Bush Blonde Triple, Christmas Premium Bush, and Tripel Cuvée des Trolls. Dubuisson Brewery is described as fully independent, with Hugues Dubuisson exercising substantial decision-making authority. The brewery is partly self-sufficient in production inputs: it maintains its own laboratory yeast culture and draws brewing water from a well reaching approximately 37 to 45 meters below the surface. Hops and barley are purchased from the Czech Republic. This combination of in-house water and yeast management with externally sourced grains and hops supports the brewery’s independent, specialist identity. Bush products have been exported beyond Belgium. Markets identified in reference material include France, Switzerland, Spain, the Netherlands, Italy, the United Kingdom, Canada, Japan, the United States, Taiwan, Hungary, Brazil, and South Africa. The brand therefore operates internationally, although its identity remains closely tied to the Dubuisson brewery and Belgian specialty beer culture. Production of Bush 7, a lower-strength 7.5% beer, was discontinued, while Cuvée des Trolls remains a Dubuisson product with a separate brand identity rather than a Bush-branded beer.

The Bush brand was introduced in 1933 by Alfred and Amédée Dubuisson, who had inherited their parents’ brewery the previous year. The brothers created the beer in response to the popularity of strong English beers. Whereas the English products they sought to challenge were generally in the range of 6% to 8% alcohol, the first Bush beer was brewed at 12%, giving it a distinctive strength-oriented identity from its beginning. The name was intentionally rendered in English. The brothers translated “Dubuisson bière” as “Bush beer,” using an English presentation to compete in a market where English strong beers were already established. In the United States, the product has instead been known as Scaldis, a name based on the Latin designation for the Scheldt River. The beer became the flagship product of the Dubuisson Brewery, located in Pipaix, near Leuze-en-Hainaut in Belgium. Its principal expression is a high-fermentation amber beer with a strong malt profile. The beer later became associated with an alcohol level of up to 16% and the name Bush 16. In 1998, the product name was changed from Bush Beer to Amber Bush, emphasizing its characteristic amber color while preserving the established Bush identity. Over time, the brewery developed a range of related beers. Bush Blonde was introduced as a 10.5% blonde strong ale. Christmas Bush provided a seasonal expression at 12%, with a stronger 13% version sold in larger bottles under the name Christmas Premium Bush. Night Bush was made by maturing Christmas Bush for six to nine months in wooden casks that had previously held Burgundy from Nuits-Saint-Georges. Luxury Bush used Amber Bush matured for six months in oak barrels. Pêche Mel’ Bush combined Amber Bush with Timmermans lambic in an equal blend and had an alcohol level of 8.5%. Bush 7, a 7.5% beer, was later discontinued. The brewery also produces Cuvée des Trolls, a 7% beer that is not named Bush. Although it belongs to the Dubuisson product portfolio, the beer has its own identity and has been associated with dedicated microbreweries in Mons and Louvain-la-Neuve. This separate branding illustrates that the brewery’s business extends beyond the Bush family while retaining Bush as its central strong-beer brand. Dubuisson has remained independent. Hugues Dubuisson is identified with the brewery’s decision-making, and the operation is described as having substantial autonomy. The brewery maintains its own laboratory yeast culture and obtains brewing water from its own well, drawing from a depth of approximately 37 to 45 meters. Hops and barley are purchased from the Czech Republic, making the brewery semi-independent in raw materials rather than completely self-sufficient. Bush products have been exported to a broad set of markets. By 1996, listed export destinations included France, Switzerland, Spain, the Netherlands, Italy, the United Kingdom, Canada, Japan, and the United States. Later references also identify Taiwan, Hungary, Brazil, and South Africa. The brand’s international distribution has helped establish it as a recognizable Belgian specialty beer, while its product identity remains centered on strong alcohol content, amber ales, seasonal brewing, and barrel-aged variants.

1. 1998Bush Beer is renamed Amber Bush

   The original Bush Beer name is changed to Amber Bush, reflecting the beer’s characteristic amber color.

   Source
2. 1996International exports are documented

   Reference material identifies exports to France, Switzerland, Spain, the Netherlands, Italy, the United Kingdom, Canada, Japan, and the United States.

   Source
3. 1933Bush Beer is created

   Alfred and Amédée Dubuisson introduce Bush Beer as a strong Belgian beer designed to compete with established English strong beers. The initial version has an alcohol level of 12%.

   Source

A specialist Belgian strong-beer brand built around high alcohol strength, malt-forward flavor, traditional fermentation, and the independent identity of the Dubuisson Brewery.

• Amber BushStrong amber ale1933

  The flagship Bush beer, originally created in 1933 as Bush Beer and later renamed Amber Bush. It is a high-fermentation amber beer with a pronounced malt character and alcohol strength reaching 16%. The product is also associated with the historical name Bush 16 and is sold in 33 cl bottles. The 75 cl format is known as Tripel Amber Bush.

• Bush BlondeStrong blonde ale

  A blonde member of the Bush range with an alcohol level of 10.5%. It is sold in 33 cl bottles, while the 75 cl presentation is marketed as Bush Blonde Triple. The beer extends the brand’s strong-ale positioning into a lighter-colored style.

• Christmas BushSeasonal strong ale

  A seasonal Bush beer with an alcohol level of 12%. Larger bottles are sold as Christmas Premium Bush and carry a 13% alcohol level. The product is part of the brewery’s seasonal and high-strength specialty range.

• Night BushBarrel-aged seasonal ale

  A barrel-matured variant made from Christmas Bush. It is aged for approximately six to nine months in wooden casks that previously held Burgundy wine from Nuits-Saint-Georges, producing a more specialized maturation profile. Its alcohol level is 13%.

• Luxury BushOak-aged strong ale

  An oak-aged version of Amber Bush. The beer is matured for six months in oak barrels and has an alcohol level of 13%. It is sold in 75 cl bottles, emphasizing premium presentation and extended maturation.

• Pêche Mel' BushFruit and lambic blend

  A blended specialty beer with an alcohol level of 8.5%. It combines equal parts Timmermans lambic beer and Amber Bush, bringing together a fruit-oriented lambic profile with the stronger Bush beer base.

• Bush 7Strong ale

  A Bush beer with an alcohol level of 7.5%. Reference material states that production was discontinued, making it a former member of the range rather than a current flagship offering.

• Cuvée des TrollsBelgian specialty ale

  A 7% beer produced by Dubuisson but marketed under a separate name rather than the Bush brand. It is sold in 33 cl bottles, with a 75 cl format known as Tripel Cuvée des Trolls. Dedicated microbreweries associated with the product operate in Mons and Louvain-la-Neuve.

• 1998Rename Bush Beer as Amber BushStrategy

  The original Bush Beer name had become closely associated with the product, while the beer’s amber color was a defining visual and stylistic characteristic.

  What changed. Dubuisson changed the official product name to Amber Bush, while retaining the broader Bush brand identity and historical associations such as Bush 16.

  Aftermath. Amber Bush became the formal name of the flagship beer and continued to anchor the Bush range.

  Source

1. Bush (beer)