Church Brew Zwarte Piet’s Xmas Beer

Brewed by Church Brew Works
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania USA

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler

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Great clove taste in this beer. Slightly abrupt finish. Fantastic aroma an very drinkable. ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone

A little aroma or cloves. Very spicy taste. Full of flavor. Slight taste of ginger and full flavor cloves. If you want a flavorful beer try this.

On tap at the brewery. Pours a cloudy dark brown with a medium beige head. A sweet toasted nose, fruity and spicy. A interesting flavor; chocolates, toast, milky, ginger and clove. Nice. Interesting.

Really nice variation on the style with the dull cola color, modest head, plenty of cloves and holiday spices. Clean citric finish foir something with so much spice.

Enjoyed via draft at the brewery. The beer pours a deep dark brown color with a light tan head. Carbonation level is light to moderate, well placed. The aroma brings notes of ginger, clove, and cinnamon. The palate gives all of the indications of being a Christmas-time strong ale, although I must admit that I had not realized that it was in the Belgian style. The aforementioned spice notes greet the palate up front, followed by some mid-range crystal malts, before finishing with some odd and slightly harsh characters. One would imagine that it is the phenols and esters left by the Belgian yeast. However, the beer might improve from the use of a less phenolic yeast, perhaps California Ale or English Ale. Overall, good, not great.

UPDATED: JAN 9, 2011 Sampled on draft at the brewery this beer poured a black color with a trace khaki head. The aroma was sweetish, tangy and malty with notes of licorice, rum and raisin. The flavor was full of raisin, molasses, dates and tart fruits with a lightly bitter middle and a long tart raisin and date finish. Fairly full bodied. Interesting.

On draft at Church Brew Works. Poured deep brown with no visible signs of carbonation. Sweet caramel flavor with notes of cloves, cinnamon, and vanilla. Very thin. Piss poor presentation, carbonation, and mouthfeel which is a shame because the flavor profile of this beer seemed like a winner.

Draft at the brewpub. Came to the table a deep mahogany with a thin tan head. A subtle aroma with plenty of caramel maltiness, cocoa, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and cloves. Plenty of caramel and cocoa flavors upfront taste-wise. Vanilla extract and toasty coffee follows. There is a strange eucalyptus/minty quality in there too. I suppose that could be the ginger from the description. Cinnamon, cloves, and other wintry spices throughout. A drying finish. The body is a little thin for the style, but the spiciness helps to keep things pretty lively on the tongue. A very enjoyable Christmas brew.