Brigand Xmas

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

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler

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Very difficult to get. Only brewed for export to specialist beer bars in Holland and always in casks, no bottles. I managed to review it at the 16th Essen Christmas beer festival 2010, where they always try and get a barrel. Darker than the regular Brigand and with a better head which remained intact for longer than the regular too. Stronger in flavour also, maltier and spiced? I could detect coriander both in the smell and taste. The hop content is certainly overpowered by the malty character of the brew. The alcohol is masked by a sweetness from the malts, but this isn’t one of those sickly winter brews you sometimes come across in Belgium, this is very good indeed.

Draught at The White Horse on Parsons Green (London), a light copper colour with a large foamy white head. A sweet, smokey malt aroma. Grainy malt and yeast ether flavours on a full mouthfell. Very nice I thought.

Draught: Small white foamy head turns into white lacing. Amber orange colored beer. Smell malts, sweets, spices, fruit. Taste some light toasted malts, spices, fruit, light hints of apple and raisiny, some sweets and some other dark ingredients.

1 year matured. Hazy golden ale with a thick white head. A pleasant grassy aroma, with light Brettanomyces notes, biscuitty. In mouth, light sweet malt with an interesting catty hop, a bit resinous, with a well balanced body. A good and interesting find, recommended by JorisP. Enjoyed on tap at Kulminator, Nov. 2006, with Joris and Carlos.

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.

Dark amber color, small white head. Smell malts, sweetness and some spices. Taste malts, spices and dark fruits I think. Nice carbo and body.

On tap, Kulminator Antwerp, 09-02-’07. Rather refreshing and fruity beer, not at all what i suspected of this kind of beer. Very spicy and la chouffe like, fairly complex and easily drinkable, without noticing the EtOH too much. Nice one!

On tap at Kulminator, appearantly just the ordinary Brigand, but stored on cask. Deep golden colour, quite clear, creamy white head. Very complex aroma, fruit, yeast, dough as well as floral hops. Flavours deliver spicy yeastiness, fruit and good bitterness. Full body. A complex and very nice Belgian blond.

Den spytigen duvel. Light amber to blond coloured, small white head, and very light carbonation. Dough yeasty aroma. Full creamy body. Finish is again rather dough, little alcoholic dry. Strange finish but very nice and special.

On tap @ Café Gollem, last winter. Tastes almost the same as the normal Brigand, with addition of a few spices and a bit of extra sourness. No improvement of the regular Brigand, still very nice.