 JamesD (156), Centreville, Virginia, USA
Jan 2, 2008
This is a vertical tasting I am doing. This is the rating of my fresh example. The beer pours a rich amber, somewhat like the color of syrup. The aroma is yeasty, spicy, with notes of pear, apple, and caramel. It is very effervescent, and when one first sips it, the bubbles envelope ones tongue. Flavors of cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and bitter orange exist under the velvety malt blanket in one’s mouth. There is a slight citrusy flavor, almost like that of coriander though I don’t think that that is present in this beer. This beer has a lingering aftertaste of spicy yeast and bread and leaves a somewhat sticky feeling in the mouth after it has been swallowed. This beer is smooth in some aspects but retains a strong spicy bite which provides an interesting contrast in one beer.
In a few years I’ll add my second tasting!
MuttyD (68), Cambridge, USA
Sep 6, 2008 Brown pour with white head. Spicy and sweet aroma. Sweet, spicy, and cookie/bread flavor. Not what I was expecting, not something I would try again either.
Beerman6686 (724), Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
Aug 22, 2008 Poured a nice dark red/brown color with a big off white head. Aroma was of dark fruits and some nice spices. Flavor was just incredible. Most christmas beers are either weak, over overloaded with spices, but this was perfect, nice and spicey, but did not overtake the other complexities of the beer.
Skeegle (315), USA
Aug 19, 2008 Very nice but subdued Belgian ale. Nice and sweet, but it was a bit off with the sweetness, darkness, fruitiness because it was combined with a light colored yeasty flavor profile of the more stereotypical belgians like Delerium and Duvel. Odd, yes, because even as it warmed the sugars never popped. But hey I’d buy the stuff again and enjoyed it, so I’ll rate it verrr nicely.
NomDeBeer (149), Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Aug 14, 2008 I just can’t get into these malt-driven Belgian ales. Alcohol, ripe fruits, sweet and bread-like. Well-crafted beer, but it’s not for me.
Borresteijn (542), Amstelveen, Netherlands
Aug 8, 2008 Bottle. Dark brown colour, creamy beige head. Aroma of dark fruits, chocolate and sweet alcohol. Flavour is soft, dark chocolate, dark fruits, roasted malts and some alcohol. Little metallic hint in the flavours, but not offensive. Oily texture. Not too sweet, very well balanced.
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