Corsendonk Christmas Ale

Brewed by Du Bocq
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Purnode-Yvoir, Belgium

Poured a dark garnet with a foamy tan head into a snifter. Smells of ginger, pepper, clove, and alcohol. It tastes like a spiced up version of their brown ale. Spice flavors include ginger, coriander, and clove and are a bit overpowering at times. Finishes dry with a lingering spice flavor. A decent holiday spiced beer but i was expecting a bit better from Du Bocq.

250 ml bottle from Bieropholie, served at cellar temperature in a tulip glass. BB 03/10/09. MA07/08.

App.: Deep copper, clear, fair light tan head. Aroma: Very sweet, lots of caramel and brown sugar, cherries, apples, pears (and a bit of acetone), lots of tropical fruits – pineapple in particular, light warm spices; rich and inviting. Palate: Medium body, full but rounded effervescence. Flav.: Dark dried fruits, still some cherry and tropical fruits, brown sugar, toffee, a bit nutty and a touch woody.

Sweet and tasty – a good dessert beer.

Bottle: Poured a clear deep brown color ale with a nice huge foamy head with good retention and some nice lacing. Aroma of bubblegum and sweet malt is really enjoyable and somewhat reminiscent of great Belgian dark ale. Taste is a mix between some bubblegum notes with a nice fruity ester and some sweet Belgian-type malt. Body might be slightly thin for the style with some great carbonation and no apparent alcohol. I was expecting something good but definitely this one exceeded my expectation.

Gift from kiefdog, brown bottle, 11.2oz. This is a good Christmas beer. It is heavy on the brown sugar and molasses with some malty sweetness to it. It poured a dark amber color and it let little light through. Poured with off-white head with a decent amount of lace. It was very thick and warming, the way a Winter beer should be.

Brown bottle, 750 ml, best before 25/09/08, via Importations Privées Bièropholie, savoured on May 3 2008; eye: ruby, clear, good effervescence, creamy beige head that remains, light lacing; nose: sweet, spices, liquorice, caramlized malt; mouth: sweet, spices (pepper), lots of yeast, caramel, caramelized malt, liquorice, hint of alcohol, hops appears near the finale, finale in malt with lots of caramel and fruity presence, creamy and sticky texture, quite lively, mildly sweet, lightly bitter, medium to full body; overall: nice surprise FRANÇAIS Bouteille brune, 750 ml, meilleure avant 25/09/08, via Importations Privées Bièropholie, savourée le 3 mai 2008; œil : rubis, claire, bonne effervescence, mousse crémeuse beige qui se maintient, légère dentelle; nez : sucrée, épices, réglisse, malt caramélisé; bouche : sucrée, épices (poivre), beaucoup de levure, caramel, malt caramélisé, réglisse, pointe d’alcool, apparition de houblon près de la finale, finale en malt avec beaucoup de caramel et présence fruitée, texture crémeuse et collante, très vivante en bouche, moyennement sucrée, légèrement amère, corps moyen-corsée; en résumé : belle surprise

(From old notes, 0.75 l bottle on 2008-01-12) Quite ok Belgian ale, The spices used for flavouring can be found both in nose and taste. Sweetness from malts.

35cl from Countryside Liquors (FL). Pours a dark, reddish brown with a one-finger tan head that diminishes quickly but still provides lacing. Smells sweet, malty, hints of sour wood, and nuts. Flavor is sweet, malty, woody, with a dry finish. Well-balanced Christmas Ale.

750ml bottle (alko)
Dark but clear brown, large tight beige head. Sweet fruity notes on the nose - some raisins, plums, and a hint of pineapple. Sweet richly roasted malts too. Pleasantly lively in the mouth. There’s a soft and sweet liquorice direction to the taste, almost salty too, but the body’s also quite creamy. Tart spicy finish, more liquorice and richly roasted malts. Disappointing for a Bocq - it’s only excellent!