La Moneuse Speciale Noël

Brewed by Brasserie de Blaugies
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Dour-Blaugies, Belgium

Cork reads 2005. Pours fully cloudy with a strong orange with a darker brown tone that only goes away when held right to light. Small head off a careful pour. Nose is fairly uneventful. Kind of a minor spice thing going on with some sugar. Like the label reads, this is a saison, and an interesting one at that. Unique edge to it for sure. Feel is nice with a good carbonation and a smooth liquid feel. This is an easy drinker. Worth trying.

750 ml bottle via Lubiere, served at cellar temperature in a tulip glass. The second I loosened the cage, the cork came whizzing out (slight gush). Scared me so bad I had to drink the whole bottle to calm my nerves...

App.: Very cloudy, dirty orange-amber, large light orange head that swells quickly. Aroma: Yeast, lots of esters (banana, tropical fruits, bubblegum), light caramel, light “warm” spices, light citrus and a bit of alcohol. Palate: Sparse and soft effervescence, medium-light body, a little astringency. Flav.: Yeast and citrus, wood, alcohol, esters are distant, caramel-like medium malts are more noticeable, more spice.

Joyeux Noel and open outside.

750 ml bottle-An orangish amber body with a big off white/tan head and an aroma of yeast, citrus, spices, and sweetness. Taste of the same with some fruitness and grains. Not as good as the original but still pretty tasty.

750 ml, 2007 Special Winter Ale. Hazy orange-amber with a large creamy head. Spicy evergreen, fruit, and bubblegum aroma, maybe some slight alcohol. Flavor is surprisingly hoppy: resin with maybe some citrus notes, and only hints of the usual Belgian malt-sweetness and yeasty flavors. Some roasted, earthy, bitterish nut flavor in the finish. Smooth, near-medium body is slightly oily and finishes dry.

750ml, 2007 vintage, bought on clearance. pours a cloudy dull amber with white head. nose of toasted biscuit, sweet orange peel, and coriander. flavor is has some sweet and toasted biscuit, mild citrus, finishes with an odd dark fruit and grain. thin body with good carbonation and alcohol is well hidden. the label calls this a saison but I think RB has it listed right. pretty bland and straight forward as well. decent enough but i’d pick regular La Moneuse anyday.

Malty and slightly musty aroma. Cloudy orange color with a medium white head that quickly diminishes. Mild beginning with a sweet and bitter finish.

This 2004 vintage is courtesy of Degarth. It pours a light dirty brown with white head. The aroma is nice and melded with smooth smelling fruitiness like dates along with mild spices. It is tough to discern the aroma due to how well melded the notes are at this age. The taste has a sustaining mild tartness mixed with prunes, raisins, amped with above average carbonation. The taste is just as well integrated and melded as the aroma and tough to pick apart. Wow, very easy drinking and smooth.

[978-20071215] 1pt9.4floz (Holiday Tasting 2007 @ Cole’s, Buffalo, NY). Light lemony background aroma has a bubbly booze malt front. Cloudy, dark orange brown body with a long-lasting creamy off-white head. Light bubbly spicy malt flavour has a yeasty background. Medium body. Has interesting but faint saison qualities.