Kerstbie

Brewed by Brouwerij de Bie
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Waregem, Belgium

Amber color, white head that clears very fast. Basement aromas, slightly burned wood smell. Strong caramel and honey flavours with a nice bittersweet ending.

Thanks to HogTownHarry for sharing with Blankboy and I. Appearance: Copper with a small white head. Aroma: caramel, earthy, slightly alcoholic, butterscotch and vanilla. Flavour: heavy cloying sweetness with a good deal of raisins and honey. Not my cup of tea I’m afraid but ultimately not bad.

Bottle ( 330ml ). Shared with blankboy and garthicus, via trade with glouglouburp. Clear light brown, very small frothy off-white diminishing head (3-). Roast caramel, light floral bitterness, some alcohol, plenty of "dark" fruit and light spiciness. Taste is alcohol, prune/raisin, sweet fruity malt, mild alcohol - a little slick and still, and quick finishing - overall decent enough, if a little flat and dull.

Bottled in september 2007. Bottle, from Tbone, thanks! Dark brown color, cloudy. Porto and honey in the aroma. Malty sweet flavor with chocolate, porto, raisin and a hint of cinnamon. Low on carbon. has already thinned. Notes of alcohol and chocolate in the aftertaste. Pleasant beer.

In short: A tasty fruity Begian Dark Ale but too aggressively sweet for my taste.
How: Bottle 330ml, between 6 and 12 months old
The look: Partly cloudy redish brown body topped by a short-lived beige head
In long: Nose is typical sweet Belgian dark ale with dark fruits yeast esters and candy sugar. Taste doesn’t offer a lot more but the blend of a lot of dark fruits, molasses and graham cookies is well done and rather tasty. Unfortunately I find the beer really unbalanced and by half of the bottle its tasty sweet flavours were getting just too much for me and I was sipping on it as if it was a 14% Barley-Wine. As the beer warmed up some tobacco and a mild bitterness almost saved the day. I liked the malt and yeast character of this beer but it really needed something to dry it out a bit. And with such a sweet beer and with a label like this, one has to wonder if they are not targeting 5 to 7 years old as customers.

cloudy dark brown colour with a poor head retention; aroma of spices (I can get ginger) and licorice, sweet and sticky, quite full-bodied; moderately dry finish of spices, marzipan and cola

Bottle - 330ml. Dark brown body with average carbonation and a thin off-white bubbly head. Strong malty aroma with plummy and brown sugar hints. Alcohol is well hidden. Its malty/hoppy taste carries plummy, caramel, and cinnamon notes. Ends with a decent bittersweet finish. Good winter beer.

33cl, from De Hopduvel Gent, complex X-Mas brew, balanced, cloudy, good head, good brew