3.9 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
Bottle picked up at stateline on a snowy night. Limited Edition 2008? Anyway. Pop the top and it "spewed" all over. Poured in to a snifter, good head. Nice aroma of some spices, dark fruits. Taste reminds me of a quad. Spices, some dark fruits, sweet but not sugary sweet, nuts and a little chocolate with a strong malt base. Texture is smooth. Really easy to drink for ten percent. Scary actually. Overall a nice belgian strong ale. Drank in memory of Warren:(
3.8 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 15/20
2008 vintage, 750 mL bottle from Holiday Wine Cellar ($10.99). Pours a hazy red-brown with lots of floaties. Good carbonation as I opened the bottle leading to a thick beige head with good retention. Aroma of spice, yeast, and candied fruit. Flavor is rich with more sweet candied/dry fruit, dark grape juice, caramel, yeast, and some spice. There is also a slight hoppy character which may be the curacao peel...but I do not detect the thyme. Dry finish and good carbonation. There is detectable alcohol in the finish but otherwise quite smooth. A great holiday beer....that I’m now drinking at the end of January.
4.7 AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 19/20
Limited Edition 2008 - From the big bottle, this brew poured murky amber color with plenty of n’ice beige foam, lasting for days. The aroma is boozy and fruity, with apricots and definite herbaceous and bready notes. The flavor is intense and complex. It’s got all the sweet Belgian yeastiness you could want, with a bit of toffee as it warms and some sweet/sour fruit peeking through, maybe like a dark grape(?) I would say it’s got a medium finish with nice caramel and malt prevailing there. Has a very soft mouthfeel with well moderated carbonation. This is everything a Belgian should be! N’Ice work! (couldn’t help myself)
3.8 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 14/20
750ml champagne bottle.
Presents a dark, somewhat murky dark brown body with quite a big thick persistant off-white head.
Lots of spice on the nose; clove and Christmas spice, some rich dried fruits to add to that, as well as a boozy brandy-like brown sugary malt sweetness.
Thick texture, lots of body without being cloying or overbearing, alcohol brings warmth and carbonation adds a smooth, slightly velvet-like mouthfeel.
Earthy spice combines with rich notes of dark brown sugar, mollasses and dried/glace fruits. Finishes warm, somewhat bittersweet and lingering.
It’s a bit Christmas pudding like, but not too much, there’s a good sense of balance and nothing is overdone. Another very good beer from this brewery.
3.9 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
Limited Edition 2008 750ml. Poured murky brown with a amber hue. There is a thin off white head that left no lacing on the glass. Aroma of dark fruits, spices, plums, fairly malty. Tastes of plums, raisins, spices, light hops, and toasted malts. Pretty nice.
3.7 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 14/20
Draft.. Brown pour with a good amount of head. Sweet candy, dark fruits, spices, etoh flavor and aroma. Nice warming for the winter/xmas beer.
3.6 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 14/20
Bottle. Deep orange brown with a big beige head. Plummy dark fruity aroma with some underlying spiciness. The flavor has dark fruits, some caramel, and unidentified spices.
4 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
75 cl bottle, shared with friends. Dark brown beer with white-beige foamy head. Aroma of dark fruits, some caramel and spices. Taste is a great combination of caramel, dark fruits and spices at one side, and some nice sweetness with roasted malts and even light hops creating a nice light bitter taste at the other side. Very good Christmas beer!
|
