Affligem Noël (Christmas Ale)

Brewed by Brouwerij Affligem / De Smedt (Heineken)
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Opwijk, Belgium

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler

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UPDATED: APR 13, 2004 Head is initially small, fizzy, off-white, mostly diminishing. Body is hazy dark amber, bottle conditioned. Aroma is moderately malty (caramel, cookie), moderately yeasty (cobwebs, mold), with notes of orange, toffee, and coriander. Flavor is heavily sweet, lightly bitter, moderately acidic. Finish is moderately sweet, moderately acidic, moderately bitter. Medium body, watery texture, lively carbonation, lightly alcoholic.

An unclear brown beer with a decent disappearing head. The aroma was sweet, brown sugar, & very yeasty. The taste was sweet, yeasty, & a off putting artificial taste that did not go down well.

Brown coloured with nice head. Rather malty and yeasty aroma. Quite yeasty and slightly alcoholic flavour.

Flat carbonation, roasted malts, some vanilla sugary aftertaste. Average at best.

Dark amber/copper with small beige head. Aroma was sweet with hints of spice. Medium bodied with ample carbonation. Flavor was of a Christmas punch bowl with fruit and spices. Not my cup of tea.

bottle from the wine store at 18th/Florida (can’t remember the name). pours a translucent deep orange/red/amber, decent head but no lacing. aroma, even after it warms up, is very mild: some caramel, some yeast, maybe a hint of higher alcohols? full bodied maltiness with lots of caramel but not much fruit. fades into a finish that is....you guess it, still very sweet. no balance here. very disappointing, though it hides the 9% decently.

Bottled 0,75L. Burnt brown/reddish color deprives of fizz. Short duration head. Roasted and singed aroma of malt, wood and ash. And indeed strongly unbalanced taste. With too many excesses and not in compliance with the style for my tastes.

alot of licorice on the aroma. not a Christmas smell to me but that is beyond the point. had at a Winter Warmer tasting. some caramel notes in this fizzy beer as well.

had on my wishlist since 4/19/2006, drank sometime in late ’08 .. . on special for 5.75, why? .. . Quite cheeky, spewed for a minute .. big head, nice lacing (i hope billy is enjoying his beer more) .. simple flavors- brown sugar, light xmas spice, blah needs more .. . nides the abv well, some slight metallic notes to it .. firing squad or electric chair, its all the same to me...

Dark brown tinted red, rocky uneven tan head. some prune and cola (dr pepper) aroma, mostly hits me as stale syrupy soda. Biting alcohol, nearly piercing. More prune and cherry leads to old wheaties, followed by cheap dark rum. Nothing redeeming, drainpour.