Thiriez La Noël dEsquelbecq

Brewed by Brasserie Thiriez
Style: Brown Ale
Esquelbecq, France

Serve in Dimpled mug, Shaker

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Eclipsed crimson. Fat and pasty dirty-white head exhibits stellar retention. Intricately malty is comprised of dark breadcrust, creamed coffee, Turkish apricot, candied fennel seed (Strisselspalt?), tobacco, ripe plum, plasticlike phenolics. Characterful yeastiness. Fluffy, expansive effervescence. Initially leathery with an earthy yeast signature swirled with sweet toffee-drenched nuts and a brisk cottony roast contrast. Malt continues to gradually unravel, yielding layer upon layer of artfully nuanced smoky dryness interwoven with deeply roasted nuts, unsweetened chocolate and dabs of espresso richness. Splash of ripe fruity esters gorgeously augments the malt-resonant center with striking vibrancy. Burnt popcorn generates considerable acidity and thus hampers the otherwise impeccable maltiness. Robust earthy hoppiness exudes with moderate strength. Remarkably juicy to the core, with a savory fusion of fruity esters and lush toasty dextrins. Closes with a refined scratchy bitterness mirrored by grassy malt and a pronounced char clench. A very nice beer aside from the dreaded burnt popcorn off notes. Brown ale is one of those styles that can easily become tainted by huskiness if the brewer is not extra careful, and such is the case with this. Truly a bummer because without that minor flaw this would probably be a 4+ beer for me.

Light brown, beige head. Aroma is malty with some toffee and light chocolate, moderate spice. Flavor of bready and toasty malt, moderate earthy spice and orange peel. Spices are well balanced and not overdone. ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone

Bottle, labelled as "Biere de Noel". Bubble medium brown pour. Low aroma of bready malt with sour undertones. Slightly watery mouthfeel, with simple bready malt flavours and a definite sour/tart finish. Lively mouthfeel. Lightly spicy. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but it was more than what this delivered.

750mL bottle to pint glass Heavy toasted malt, coffee, and ginger. Very deep cloudy amber under light, but looks brown; thin off white head, nice lacing. Taste is sweet with a slightly alcohol bitter finish. Full bodied and creamy. A great beer to drink while wrapping presents.

Bottle 0,33ltr: Hazy brown coloured brew with an fruity, roasty, kinda smokey, spicy and caramel taste and the finsh is light bitter.

Bottle. Dark brown pour, thin off-white head. Aroma of spices, roasted malts, some yeasts and a hint of cardboard. Flavor is sweet spicy and roasted malts. Some bitter in the finish. Nice balance, but a bit thin.

New Beer Distributors, NY 750ml ($7): Pours a hazy brownish amber with a very light brown head. Aroma is yeasty and a bit fruity, akin to a Belgian ale. Taste is slightly sour. Rather malty and not much in the way of hops. Has a rather light body. Easy drinking. Not bad. Kind of unique in its own way.

Brown bodied, glowing and with a frothy stable beige head. Smoke, nutmeg, raisins, pie and a great farmhouse yeast. Moderate, but it works well. Taste is a bit rough, quite dry like dry toasted malts plus a refined sugar. That disappoints a bit. Bit thin in body. That’s to be expected at the abv maybe, but I expect more from a Christmas beer. (75cl bottle from De Bierwinkel Leiden)

Bottle 33cl, a dark amber beer with huge and creamy head, good retention. Nose is on dark malrt ans slightly vegetable like. Aroma is on caramel, dark malt, roasted notes associated with a spicy and slightly sour background. Dry body with a grassy and bitter hops, coffee finish.Kind of dry stout like with intense bittering hops.

750ml bottle pours amber in color with a massive off-white head that leaves some decent lacing on the glass. Aroma is mild but pleasant with light fruits and caramel. Taste is light fruit and caramel sweetness with a mild hop bitterness. An easy drinking winter ale that is tasty and recommended for those seeking a lighter winter ale.