Noël de Silenrieux

Brewed by Silenrieux
Style: Belgian Ale
Silenrieux, Belgium

75cl, brew 9% Vol Alc, last tasted at KBF2008, complex brew, balanced, hazy, good head, nice X-Mas brew, the best of the Silenrieux-range

250ml bottle full to brim from under the stairs. Odd, complex aroma of chiccory roast, molasses, butter, blood, chocolate, yeasty edge, hint of vinegar. Dark ruby with a silky beige lid. Dab of Flemish brown/sour, cherry fruit, bottled Mild chocolate and earthy yeastiness, distinct cask notes, iron, lightly roasted malts. Intriguing, sweet-sour, savoury brew with aged splashes.

Bottle at Kerstbierfestival, Essen: Dark red christmas ale, starts with an farm like smell, but it will be sweeter and also better.

33cl bottle from Vinmonopolet. It poured a dark amber colour with a medium big creamy white head that settled down slowly in the glass. The aroma smells of alcohol, apples, grapes and hints of vinegar. The flavour was suprisingly flat compared to the aroma. The flavour is a bit sour and tastes of yeast and apples. It has a very short aftertaste. This is a good beer for people that prefer wine.

Bottle at the Angry Fist of Santa tasting at Chris_o’s. Cloudy brown/amber with thin beige head. Good red fruity malt. Some sourness on end. Decent.

Nice hazy ruby tinted brown coloured body with a thin tan head - not bad, but no head at all after a few seconds. Aroma of fragrant plums, caster sugar, caramel, alcohol, raisins and a bit of grapes. Medium-bodied; Strong assertive carbonation with a very mild taste - showing mostly pit fruits and malt. Aftertaste is also subtle with a more melony type sweetness, coupled with a light whiskey flavour. Overall, this one turned out to have a good look and nice nose, but the taste just wasn’t there. I sampled this 25 cL bottle purchased from Le Bier Tempel in Bruxelles, Belgium (for €1.75) on 02-January-2008, sampled back stateside in Washington on 09-October-2008 while thinking about the next trip to Belgium.

Bottle @ Chris_o’s Pre-Beer Exposed Tasting, September 2008.
[bought @ Utobeer]
Pours a nice, brownish amber with a small, frothy, off-white head. Good aroma, light apple, caramel and chocolate. Good, creamy, mouthfeel. Flavour is nicely malty, light spiciness and a vinious edge to it. Quite pleasant.

Hehe. Not everybody would like this... But at least for me who work with wine, this is a great brew. Some of the clesest you’ll come Lambic... Dark amber, slightly hazy. Aroma of light brown malt, animalic notes, red berries an vinegar. Nice wild yeast aromas, maybe a touch of bretts... Fine champagne’ish mousse with a bright intense, but not long lasting head (beet sugar’ish). Acidic entry on the palate, medium body, very dry vinous character. Then a slight malty taste with hints of sour strawberries. Aromas sit for a little while, but with a long acidic finish. Hints of mint in the after taste. Almost closer to a brut nature sparkling wine than "a beer". Most interesting... I love it, but definately an aquired taste.