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By Scottie, January 31, 2010 4:12 pm

Saint-Martin Cuvée De Noel

Not Your Typical Winter Seasonal Beer.

Brasserie De Brunehaut was founded in 1890 in the Belgian town of Brunehaut. In 1990, the brewery relocated to an updated facility with modern equipment.

Brasserie De Brunehaut grows all of their barley and wheat used for brewing, guaranteeing quality and consistency in their beers. All of their beers are bottle refermented in 33cl & 75cl bottles, which adds to the overall complexity of the beer.

Today, the brewery still follows recipes developed by the original monks in 1890. They produce three styles of beer – Abbey, Organic, and Regional. The Saint-Martin Cuvée De Noel is one of Brasserie De Brunehaut’s Abbey ales.

Appearance:

Murky brown color with a slight ruby hue and a large khaki colored head that dissipates quickly. The dissipated head leaves behind some nice lacing.

Smell:

There is a very pronounced spiced aroma backed by notes of sweet candied sugar and caramel.

Taste:

Again, a very strong holiday spice flavor that is complimented by candied sugar, caramel, and hints of malt sweetness. At 8.5% ABV, the alcohol is noticeable but very subtle.

Mouthfeel:

The mouthfeel is much lighter than I was expecting. There is a crispness that I found unique for this style of beer.

Drinkability:

The light and crisp mouthfeel, combined with the very subtle alcohol presence makes this an easy and enjoyable drink.

Overall:

I had heard good things about the Cuvée De Noel and had been trying to find this beer for sometime in DC, which never happened. I was finally able to grab a bottle from the Foodery in Philly over the holidays.

This beer was definitely a surprise in a bottle. I was expecting a medium to full-bodied beer; a dark beer with a thick and coating mouthfeel – expected characteristics of winter seasonal beers. Instead, the Cuvée De Noel had crisp flavors with a much lighter body; making it a very drinkable. This is not your typical winter seasonal, but an enjoyable drink nonetheless.

Brewery website: http://brunehaut.com/

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By Scottie, December 6, 2009 4:07 pm

Arabier by De Dolle Brouwers

The Arabier’s unique label has a picture of a parrot holding a beer glass. If a parrot is going to have a beer, it might as well be good one. The Arabier is not just good, it is an exceptional Belgian ale.

The Arabier is a golden yellow color and pours with a mountain sized, off white colored head.

This light bodied beer has a nice mouthfeel and is very drinkable for having 8% ABV and moderate carbonation.

There are strong aromas of citrusy fruits, apples, and honey. These sweet smelling aromas are only the beginning of this complex beer.

The true beauty of this beer lies in the flavor. The citrus and fruit flavors are complimented with sweet honey and toasted malts. There are beers that have sweeter, more pronounced flavors. However, there are few that are this complex and well-balanced from start-to-finish.

The Arabier is a great example of what a lightly golden colored beer can be. It is unfortunate that so many people equate lighter colored beer to the mass produced swill created by the American mega breweries. Yeah, I’m talking about you Anheuser-Busch.

Arabier, preferred by parrots everywhere.

Brewery website: http://www.dedollebrouwers.be/

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By Scottie, December 6, 2009 4:01 pm

Autumn Maple by The Bruery

The Autumn Maple, by the Bruery, just might be the perfect beer to have with your Thanksgiving dinner.

The Autumn Maple is an unfiltered, bottle-conditioned, Belgian-style brown ale brewed with yams, molasses, maple syrup, and spices. The orange and brown label has maple leafs in the background, only fitting for a fall seasonal.

This mahogany colored ale pours with a large, light tan colored head. There are aromas of brown sugar and spices. Never having a beer brewed with yams, I certainly had some doubts on how this seasonal would taste.

Fortunately, this beer’s flavoring blew me away. There is not one flavor that overpowers the next. There is a perfect balance of brown sugar, syrup, and cinnamon with a subtle touch of yam. When thinking of ingredients to brew with beer, yams aren’t the first thing to come to mind. Good thing the folks at the Bruery like to think outside the box.

This maple flavored brew is medium bodied with mild carbonation. For having 10% ABV, it is surprisingly drinkable. The alcohol that is present provides a nice warming affect, perfect for a cold autumn night.

This seasonal by The Bruery is a deliciously unique brew. The label states, “We don’t need pumpkins in our beer!” I guess they’re right. When you got yams, who gives a damn about pumpkins?

Brewery website: http://www.thebruery.com/

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By Scottie, December 6, 2009 3:57 pm

Kerstmutske Christmas Nightcap by Brouwerij Slaapmutske

The Nightcap’s label has a picture of a smiling, sleeping moon who looks very content.

This 7.4% ABV Belgian seasonal comes in a corked, 750 ml bottle.

The Nightcap is a mahogany color with hues of purple. It pours with a light beige colored head that leaves behind beautiful lacing.

It has aromas of dark fruits (berries and plums) and caramel with spicy (possibly nutmeg and cinnamon) undertones. The aromas of this beer are very strong and inviting.

The flavors are not as robust as the aromas, which I found a tad disappointing. The berry, plum, caramel and spice flavors are all well balanced but a little on the light side. If the flavors were more pronounced, this beer would be an absolute marvel.

The drinkability and the mouthfeel more than make up for the light flavors. This creamy, medium bodied brew, is a joy to drink. When trying to think of a way to describe the drinkability, smooth jazz comes to mind.

Overall, I am pleased with the Kerstmutske Christmas Nightcap. Like the moon on the label, I too am smiling after finishing this seasonal Belgian brew.

Brewery website: http://www.slaapmutske.be/

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By Scottie, December 6, 2009 3:46 pm

Magic Hat's #9

The Magic Hat #9, according to the brewer, is not quite a pale ale. I will agree with them. From the psychedelic swirling orange label, to the super strong apricot flavor, this is not your typical pale ale.

The first time I had a #9 I thought it was the greatest beer ever. I was in college, and to be honest, it was probably the best beer I had up to that point. I was like most college students, I preferred quantity over quality. You can’t really play (or afford to play) beer pong with an artisan beer like a St. Bernardus Abt 12.

The #9 is a light, translucent amber color that pours with a thick, fluffy white head. After the head dissipates, it leaves behind pretty nice lacing.

The #9 smells so sweet and fruity that it reminds me of apricot flavored gummy bears. Like the smell, the #9 tastes extremely sweet with flavors of apricot and peach. These flavors, especially the strength of them, will not be for everyone. If you do enjoy these characteristics, you may find this beer very enjoyable.

The #9 is different, and sometimes different is good. My flavor preferences have definitely changed since the first time I tried this interesting ale. I would no longer claim that it is the greatest beer of all time. The thing that I like about Magic Hat is that they try to be different. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.

If you enjoy strong fruit (and more specifically, apricot) flavors and aromas in your alcoholic beverages, you need to try this not so pale ale.

Brewery website: http://www.magichat.net/