Brigand Xmas

Brewed by Brouwerij Van Honsebrouck
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Ingelmunster, Belgium

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler

send corrections   |   shelftag   |   edit barcodes   |   add pic

I drank this one next to the normal Brigand and I couldn’t really taste a difference except for the fact that this one was on tap and normal Brigand from the bottle but fresh. Nice but not exciting.

A clear orange beer with a nice lasting white head. The aroma is sweet, slightly spicy with notes of yeast. The flavor is sweet with notes of yeast, oranges, spices, and malt. Not a lot of Christmas in this one, but nice.

Strong yellow body with a small head. Hops and malt. Some bitterness. Unpleasant corn-finish. Some sourness in finish. Quite boring.

UPDATED: DEC 7, 2006 (Somewhat aged sample) Quite hazy orange; slim white rim. Powerful orang/orangezestnose, with both nutmeg and oxidation (not thàt old!). Spicey-bitter main taste. Different flavours as from rather exotic spices (nutmeg, horseradish, galanga root) to quite medicinal. Palate seems to give a bit of overyear hops and vanilla. Rather refreshing despite obviously well-bodied (and oxidation from the nose!); some alcohol evident. Aftertaste is still spicey-medicinal and hint at oxidation. Too much is too much: this medicinal thing is a bit too overpowering. At the same time, it might be the reason for the oxidation not to come forward in the taste.
New version, on draught only. Same recipe as Brigand, but lagered on vessel for 1 yr Very surprising nose with a few seconds of Brett, even including horseblanket, saddlesoap), going into a flowery, honeyish aroma, reverting to lemon afterwards (8/10), Taste is much sweeter, and especially more alcoholic than the nose. There’s some perfumey malts, even almonds. Retronasal very neutral, just a little perfumey. (7/10).

UPDATED: APR 1, 2004 From tap at the Kerstbierfestival in Essen, Belgium, Dec 2002. Cloudy blond beer with no head.Sour fruity aroma. Yeasty start with the sourness taking over. Slightly bitter finish.

Well, i totally agree with the earlier comments. This is going to be a very low StdDev ;-).

This one is only available on 20 liter barrels; the brewery stopped the production of bottles. Bright, golden colour; short lasting head indeed. True a smoke aroma, amazing this smell came actually from the beer. (caesar and I drank this one just at Kafe Belgie). Bit malty aroma, sour, spices and refreshging. Palate is sour, bitter. 12 % ABV is hardly noticable.

Clear golden color. Short lasting head. Malty aroma, bit smoky from cigarettes (not because my neighbour was smoking). Taste is a bit malty again, moderately sour. Alcohol is hardly present. Decent refreshing palate, moderately lasting.