Abbaye des Rocs Speciale Noel

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

Bottle. High fluffy but lasting off-white head. Lovely clear red body. Barley malt aroma with caramel cocoa nutmeg and weak notes of citrus. Smooth and mild relatively sweet caramel cocoa spicy flavor with low carbonation and a short aftertaste. Alcohol well hidden.

A strong nutmeg beer, and cinammon and ginger and licorice and orange peel. Some malts and candy sugar to tone down Belgium spice. White foam. Basically syrupy. Some brandy alcohol. Three years of aging would add to the experience.

Bottle (750ml) My bottle shared with blankboy, garthicus, GregClow and tupalev - via trade with glouglouburp. 2007 vintage. Cloudy brown-amber with a large lasting fluffy off-white head and plenty of floaties - lovely lacing: yep, that’s des Rocs all right. Lush dry yeast aroma, sweet spice, solid caramel malt - very sweet and seasonal. The taste follows, seems a little creamy-lactic, even a tad minty - whatever, it’s yummy. Soft mouthfeel, sugary, lightly carbonated, mostly just sweet/spicy with a moderate amount of warming alcohol - so smooth, really hit the spot.

2008-02-28. Ruby brown body with a modest beige head. (3+) Sweet rich ambiguous fruit in the aroma, sugars are muddled but pleasant (7+). Sweet fruity flavour, similar spices as in the aroma, very brief allusion to candy cane (7+). Becomes a touch to sweet halfway, but is still quite nice. Smooth, not quite medium bodied palate. (3+)
On tap at Delerium Cafe, Brussels

Bottle. Pours a cloudy amber brown with a 3 finger tan head. Aroma and flavor is sweet malt, chocolate, clove and spices, pepper yeast, and some hoppiness in the flavor.

Bottle. The evening’s big surprise was defiantly this one. Have tried the Abbaye des Rocs Brune and the Speciale Noel is not quit as complex but still carries some of the excellent characteristic from its big brother. Color was plumed like black with an exceptional creamy head. Some lacing is left in glass. Aroma is heavy sweet, with notes of plum, raisins, dates, nuts and bread. Not much hop notes can be felt. Some smoked notes like tobacco and some chocolate can also be detected in the bouquet and mouth. Medium to full bodied with flavor being heavy sweet. Finish is sweet, spicy and here some hoppy bitterness can be felt, which gives this beer a very strong and impressive finish. All in all a fantastic experience.

Bottle (75cl) at home - shared with Mette - while eating the christmas dinner. Dark red/brown - offwhite head. Wheat, licorice, red berries, chokolate, hoppy, spicy, alco-burn finish. Very nice. A bit too high carbonated !!

(Bottled) Muddy dark brown color with a smallish, but creamy and lasting, lacy head. A nicely christmasy, sweet aroma of plums, loads of rye-pudding, rhum and raisins, spices, bitter orange, orange peel, and somewhat De Dolle -like yeast. Rye-puddingy-malty, sweetish flavor with some ashy roastiness, licorice and quite bitter hops in the roasty finish. Full-bodied, somewhat sticky-syrupy, very smooth-carbonated palate. A deliciously thick Xmas treat for rye-pudding lovers! (Bottled, at the Helsinki Beer Festival 2004, was 7-4-8-4-15=3.8) Dark brown color, medium head. Slightly sour, earthy, orange-peel, anise and slightly spicy aroma. Oily, slicky, sweetish, full-bodied palate. Very nice and warming christmas beer.