The Malheur line of beers – “misfortune” in French – may not be among the most well known Belgians around. But what the beers lack in popularity they more than make up for in quality.

Highly regarded among Belgian fanatics, Malheur beers are world-class craftsmanship in a glass; back in 2000, none other than Michael Jackson called one of Malheur’s products “an inspired beer.” Soon, the crowd of those who have discovered the charms of Malheur is sure to grow, as for the first time two of the beers will be available on draft in the United States.

Kegs of the Malheur 10° and 12° – a strong pale ale and a quad, respectively – are set to arrive at Baltimore’s port on March 11th, 2010. A week later they will be available in select bars in cities throughout Massachusetts, New York, Maryland, Georgia, Texas, California and Washington (more info on bars that will serve Malheur on draft is below).

The 10° and 12° have been sold in bottles in the States for a few years now, along with Malheur’s excellent Brut and Dark Brut champagne-style beers. The draft versions of the 10° and 12° will be slightly sweeter than the bottled ones to reduce carbonation, according to Brad Batson of Belukus Marketing, the importer of the Malheur line.

The beers are produced at De Landtsheer, a modern iteration of an old family brewery in Buggenhout, a small town in Belgium’s East Flanders region. The brewery’s roots can be traced back to the 17th century, but it ceased production from just before World War II until 1997, when Manu De Landtsheer took it upon himself to revive the family business. He built a new brewhouse on the site and began turning out beers under the Malheur label. (A multifaceted connoisseur, De Landtsheer is also the president of a Cuban cigar club in Belgium.)

The 12° would certainly go well with a fine cigar, or, as Batson suggested, a nice steak. It is elaborately bold, bursting with black cherry, plum, raisin and other dark fruit notes, and its well-hidden 12 percent ABV gives the beer a pleasant warming finish.

Bright tinges of peach, pear and apple cider dominate the golden 10° (10 percent ABV), which also displays some spiciness and touches of honey and lemon. Its Saaz, Styrian and Hallertau hops provide a bitter balance to the sweetness.

Bars whose taps will soon flow with Malheur include the Ginger Man and BXL Cafes in New York City;  Max’s Taphouse in Baltimore; the Publick House in Brookline, Mass.; O’Brien’s in San Diego; Lucky Baldwins in Pasadena, Calif.; the Trappist in Oakland, Calif.; Brouwer’s Café in Seattle; and the Ginger Man and Flying Saucer in Austin, Tex. Also look for the beers on draft in Atlanta at the Brick Store Pub, Leon’s Full Service, the Porter and a few Taco Mac locations, as well as at the Trappeze Pub in Athens, Ga.

-- Nick Kaye