Affligem Noël (Christmas Ale)

Brewed by Brouwerij Affligem / De Smedt (Heineken)
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Opwijk, Belgium

Tasted blind. Amber, big white head. Nose is oxidized, fruitcake, maraschino cherry, childrens cough syrup/ludens cherry cough drops. Flavor is fruitcake, alcohol, medicinal cherry. Maybe some berry towards the finish w. more alcohol.

I really like it when a brewer offers holiday/seasonal wishes with their offering. Okay, so maybe its not the same lineage of folk that have been brewing Affligem ales since 1074, but the fact that a brewing tradition has been around for close to a millennium now still speaks to me in a way that I haven’t further words to explain (even if it is now owned by Heineken). I think what I’m trying to say is: What year is it? Does it matter? Is it 1009 or 2009? Who cares, let’s enjoy a Noel ale:................................ Pours a dark brown, somewhat cloudy, with a medium-sized light-brown head that initially sticks, but then collapses into itself rather quickly. Aroma is a little alcoholic at first, but then the molasses and brown sugar aromas come into play quickly thereafter. No hop notes detected in the aroma, just traditional Belgian maltiness and sweetness. Ultimately it is a very pleasant aroma. Wow, I really dig the malt body in this brew; Very "edible" beer here with lots of thick brown malt and brown sugar, just the way a Noel should be. A little hop counterpoint is starting to come around now, though not interfering with the soulful sweet malt. My esophagus gets a little warmer with each sip. Average mouthfeel for the style; silky, but a little uncarbonated. Maybe I’m just in a celebratory mood, but I’m really enjoying this one a lot. Overall, excellent. Thanks Affligem.

Bottle from Dranken Geers. Red tinted brown with pale brown head. Aroma is dark fruit and spice, some caramel type sweetness. Flavour is similar but a little light. Yeasty, some alcohol and a little aniseed. Nice enough but there are others I’d pick at Xmas time.

drank at wrong time of year - but hey, what are you gonna do? Aroma of spicy yeast and fruit. Pours red/brown. Sweet, yeasty and spice. Smooth finish for high alcohol content.

April(?) 2008: Affligem Noël is sweet and reminds me of a candy cane with some other spice(s) included. There are also flavors of caramelized candi sugar and nice holiday spice. The beer pours a cloudy amber-brown color and is capped by a beige head. It has a good medium-full body. This beer is very balanced and flavorful.

750 mL bottle (9% alc./vol. / 6 271 15) shared by Rob. Thanks! Rating #377 for this beer.

"I hate Christmas, but I’d like it to Christmas all year ’round if it meant I could drink this all the time. Had a couple of pints in Paris last week, at Kitty O’Shea’s. The establishment was okay, but this beer was simply brilliant. Bad ambient lighting made it hard to rate the appearance, but the colour looked a hazy brownish orange beneath a fluffy white head. Aroma was inviting, with lots of spices, and not really a suggestion of the 9% ABV. Taste was every bit as good as the aroma, delicious is all I can say. Mouth and finish were very pleasing. "

Aroma of belgian yeast, apples and spice. Pours cloudy caramel. Flavor is big time cinnamon, Belgian yeast, sweet malt and a little sour fruit and a tiny bit alcohol. Fantastic balance of spice, alcohol and malt.

This Belgian offering pours a dark opaque brown that has a slightly orange hue to it, and a nice tan head that left some nice lacing behind. Phenomenal smell; very sweet and consisted of yeast, cherry, apple, and some pleasant spices. This brew has a very warm taste to it; sweet yeast, cherries, almond, cloves, and coriander mix to make a unbelievable taste. This was a very smooth beer to drink, and the high alcohol content could hardly be detected. The flavor was not over powering like in some other strong Belgian ales what makes this beer very drinkable.