Abbaye de St Landelin Spéciale Noël

Brewed by Les Brasseurs De Gayant
Style: Belgian Ale
Douai, France

750ml - Pours a dark amber in color with a foamy white head that settles to a thick covering over the beer. Some small lacing on the glass. Aroma is thick with bready yeast, fruits, honey and sweet malts. Flavor is quite fruity with esters and caramel malts. Flavor is not that strong. Somewhat watery. Some hops, but slightly sweet initially and quite pronounced at the finish. Not that impressive for a "Belgian" (not!)

Bottled@home Apperance: Copper color with a decent sized, white, head and some lacing. Aroma: Fruit, Hops, Spices, Honey and hay. Flavor: Caramel, Hay, Spices, Orange, Fruits & Berries. Palate: On the sweet side with not much bitterness at all. Low carbonation. A disappointment. Tastes very little and not very christmasy at all. An easy drink tho.

Clear amber with small white head.Aroma of caramel and hops,feels moderat sweet and slight tosted a littel like butter cake and syrup but overall a o.k Christmas beer.

Brown 750mL cork-finished bottle. Date stamp on front label 02.28.10. Appearance: An orange-amber hue with fine white bubbles, but no lacing on the glass, just a fine coating on the surface of the beer. Nose: Aromas of French biere de garde. A light honey note followed by dried cereal grains, maybe a touch of honeysuckle. Palate: Moderately crisp, with muted notes of dried barley, honey and a touch of earth. A little sweet too. Notes: Reminds me of a healthier version of Smacks cereal. The aromas are that of a brewery when it’s not actively brewing...dried grains, etc. An okay beer. Doesn’t really achieve the style of "Belgian Dark Ale," however. It’s a little too simple and clean. So far not impressed with this brewery.

2007 750ml Bottle. Appears to be a biere de garde to me. Pours with a large foamy white head and a clear copper body with good lacing. Much lighter than in the picture. Aroma is grassy hops with pepper, caramel and toast with a decent amount of diacetyl. Taste is very caramelly with buttery toast and DMS (not in an unpleasant way), and a bit of grass. Dry and fizzish.

75cl bottle from Sheps Deli (St. Pete, FL). Pours a generally clear amber color with a one finger white head that settles slowly and laces the glass. Aroma is sweet and slightly malty with notes of bread, yeast, hay and maybe some spicy nuts. Flavor is sweet and slightly sour with notes of honey, nutmeg, some ripe fruit and barnyard funk. Generally light-bodied with a strange malty finish. Interesting but doubt I would drink again.

Pours clear amber with a bubbly head. Aroma is light spicy with a caramel sweetness. Quite plain light malty and sweet flavor with hints of fruit and spice.

Bottle in Nice, 2006. Amber beer with a tall head a lots of bubbles. Aroma of amber malt, earthiness, yeast, and nuts. Sweet flavor, a bit fruity, decent hops. Dry finish of hops, Amber malt, a bit of alcohol. A bit too sweet, and not very complex. Not a bad beer, but not very special either. I am also not sure what makes this a Noel beer.