Abbaye des Rocs Speciale Noel

Brewed by Brasserie de l’Abbaye des Rocs
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Montignies-sur-Roc, Belgium

Draft at DBF2005. Sweet and fruity nose. Dark brown body, small white head. Sweet flavor, some yeast, nice fruityness. Good one.

Bottled. Very complex fruity aroma with plum, cherry and sweet apple. Deep brown color, lots of bubbles, large beige growing head, perfect lace. Very sweet but not too sweet, well hopped, very fruity plum and sweet apple, very malty. Very full, smooth and warming.

Bottled. Red-brown coloured with a small beige head. The aroma contains notes of yeast, fruit, slightly roasted malt, and caramel. And so is the flavor.

I happened upon this at an out of the way Drive thru Liquor store, and bought it, not knowing quite how it had been treated in it’s two years of sitting there. Poured it into a short tulip glass, a lovely two layered beige head formed and laced wickedly down the sides. The body was a murky auburn copper, with heavy yeast clumps swirling about. Generous nose, with toasted bread and lightly roasted coffee dominant. Hints of raisins, nuts and spices, and an underlying waft of Demerara sugar. Mild medicinal, ethanol and warming mouth feel initially, balanced out after that, with a candi sugar front, unusual roasted grains, quite generous, peaty malt, yeast and toasted bread. Finishes with a long, warming and malty sweet, ’fruitcake’ swallow. Lightly spicy, and medium in body, with well ’lagered’ carbonation made for an overwhelmingly sweet, but enjoyable Ale, of good complexity. Quite smooth and well balanced. Lovely!!!

Well-balanced Christmas ale that carries its alcohol effortlessly. Poured a muddy brown colour with a monstrous pillowy tan head and plenty of lees. Head took forever to settle but barely laced. Not a hint of carbonation below the plimsole line. Aroma has the wonderfully rich Christmas cake characteristics you might expect: figs, raisins, treacle, candied peel, mixed spice - all soaked in port. Heavily alcoholic. Creamy mouthfeel. Very rich and flavoursome. Sweet and very well balanced for its 9% abv. Flavour profile is dominated by sweet malt and dried fruit, but with spicy notes and a smooth warming finish. Got better and better as the glass emptied. One of the best strong ales I’ve sampled. (Bottle, best before end 2007)

hazy brown, big ffuffy off white head. boozy brown sugar, tart berries, vanilla and dark malt aroma. flavour is well balanced between boozy and sweet, tart and yeasty and spicy. very ricj sweetness with dried berries and rich chocolate in the finish. thanks josh

Aroma:Sugar,raisin and strawbery... Appearance:Hazy red amber,good head,chunk of yeast... Flavor:Sugar and strawbery...

very sweet candied body somewhat oily and winelike notes. a touch of hop spice and praline with a slighty oaky and herbal balance. fennel seeds and jasmine flower.