Bocq Christmas

Brewed by Brasserie Du Bocq
Style: Abbey Dubbel
Purnode-Yvoir, Belgium

Serve in Trappist glass

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UPDATED: FEB 17, 2009 (Bottled, 0.75l) Hazy orangeish brown color with medium, beige head. Quite spicy, fruity and bitter-hoppy aroma with toffee hints. Sweetish-malty, nicely spicy, toffee flavor with a strong anise finish. Smooth, medium to full-bodied, slightly sugary-sticky and wineous, quite bitter palate with some alcohol and foamy carbonation. A very enjoyable, full-bodied and spicy Belgian christmas ale - like a mixture of Orval and Westmalle Dubbel. Tastes great even at room temp. (0.33l bottle) Quite sweet, no Orval sourness, simpler than a big bottle. Would score 3.7.

Bottle-conditioned, Best before end 1999. Cloudy brown color, no head, probably because of its age. Extremely alcoholic nose, wine-like. Sweet taste, very alcoholic, quite complex. Spicy, malty, all together. Not a starter though.

UPDATED: DEC 26, 2011 Re-rate: Bottled, Regal X-Mas, from my parents’ cellar, approx. 8 years old. Very dark brown colored, small brown head. Very strong malty nose, lots of chocolate, fruit, caramel, impressive. Flavor has lots of liquorice, in between sweet and bitter, balanced. Very thick mouthfeel. I’m impressed, this kind of complexity is almost exclusively found at ABVs above 10%. Still, i have no clue what a fresh version would taste like. Previous rating (3.8):19-04-2003 (BB 09-1999). Dark brown, no head. Malty, port-like aroma with some liquorice. Strong port-like flavour, like an aged (>5 years) Chimay Bleu. Not as balanced though. Not an everyday beer, but very nice on occasion.

Malty aroma with pepper and grapes. Malty, prickly flavor with licorice, grapes and some fairly well hidden alcohol. Medium bodied. Very well made beer, warming and some complexity.

Deep, deep purple color; Big milkshake head; tart toffee nose. Very mild. Slight grapey maltiness. Not a ton of depth. Like a weak Chimay GR.

Clear mahogany with small tan head. Aroma is sweet bubblegum, caramel, somewhat fruity. Taste is pretty bland -- peppery, not much else. Hint of bubblegum, has a dry finish. Disappointing.

UPDATED: FEB 20, 2003 Deep copper brown. Zero foam. Yeast laden aroma. Underlying notes of ginger, toasted bread, mint, port wine, fruit cake, and wood. Lovely mouthfeel with with lots of fluffiness, which is yielded by a wonderful job of the bottle conditioning. Huge malt notes of crystal and a trace of peatiness. Very unique and delicious flavors compliment the sweet malts ingeniously with spruce, juicy fruit gum, herbal traits, and pepper. Long malty finish with a perfect touch of numbing spice. Very Christmasy and just what I was seeking in this spicy Bruin style.

UPDATED: MAY 2, 2005 750 ml corked bottle conditioned, cool label! Brown colour, slightly hazy, good initial head but not lingering, lovely spicy aroma, yeasty, malty and spicy flavour - a real treat for the Christmas table.

Light amber cloured beerwith a big, off white head. The aroma is malt, slightly roasted and somewhat perfumy. The taste is malt with a hint of caramel and flower. Slightly bitter finish.

UPDATED: FEB 6, 2008 2007-11-20, draught at Den Tatoverede Enke, Copenhagen, 7-5-8-4-16=40
Beautiful red-mahogany color; creamy head. Aroma and flavor are based on the caramel, sweetish, with delicate spices (anis, cinnamon); low bitterness of course, but still pleasant. Sweet! But very good.

2003-01-20, bottle aged 4 years, 10-5-9-4-18=46
Dark color. Wonderful aroma, malty, fruity (raisins, curaçao), rum, some alcohol, infinitely complex.
Sweet, malty, light Madeira character.
Malt squash, just misses some better hop sharpness.

2002-08-15, bottle aged 4 years, 9-5-8-4-18=44
Dark amber colour. Wonderful aroma, strong, malty, candy, light banana, curaçao, light roasted barley, alcohol. Sweet, full body, malty, lightly roasted, oranges, lightly spicy, caramel. Medium palate, the sweetness is not fully balanced by the bitterness.