Noël des Géants

Brewed by Brasserie des Géants
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Irchonwelz, Belgium

Sampled on 12/9/2009. This Belgian Strong Ale pours a medium orange brown color from a 33cl bottle. Medium sized white foamy head with nice lacing. The aroma is fruity, sweet, yeasty and spicy. A medium bodied Belgian Strong Ale. The malts are caramel, brown sugar, molasses and sweet. The hops are herbal. Spicy and estery. Lively carbonation. Interesting beer. Hides the alcohol well. Mouthfeel is full and round. Finish is clean and smooth. Aftertaste is slightly bitter and spicy.

Dark amber with an off white head. Aroma holds notes of caramel, some fruity easters and spices. Flavor is a little sugery sweet with some nice sweet fruity notes and a well balanced amount of warming alchohol. It great, just abit simple

11 and 1/5 ounce bottle. Pours a deep ruby with a large tan head which quickly collapses into itself. Aroma is mostly of dark malt, brown sugar, maple syrup. Weaker aroma, but what is there is nice. Complex flavor; thick dark malt, maple syrup again, medium hop presence, molasses. More complex than expected. Elegant, gooey mouthfeel, medium carbonation. I’d never heard of this one until I spotted it on the shelf at Total Wine & More, Roseville, but I’m very glad I picked it up! Choice Noel! Overall, excellent, and underrated in my opinion.

Bottle. Pours a murky brune sludgy body with a tan head. Incense, ginger root, light dirt and earth foliage aroma, that’s subdued and almost drying. Lighter malt bill but well disguised due to the domineering nature of the spices. Sharp alive carbonation that prickles at your palate with a cinnamon, ginger, vanilla tone. To be straight forward the spices dominate this beer, so as long as you enjoy that, this should be quite warming on a winter eve.

Picked a bottle of this up on a recent Xmas beer run. 11.2 oz. poured into a tulip glass. Pours a deep dark chestnut brown with mahogany edges and dark golden ruby edges when held to a light source and a frothy two finger off-white head with great retention, only slowly fading into a lasting cap that streaks the tulip with splotches of soapy lacing. Estery dark fruit aroma with lots of sour dark cherry, plum and raisin. Slightly medicinal with some sweet cloying syrupy notes. Spicy pepper/peppermint with slight roasted malt and pine needle. Soft carbonation up front with a lot of sweet estery belgian yeast providing some nice dark fruit notes followed by an earthy toasted subtle malt body and slightly syrupy cloyingly sweet medicinal flavor. Subtle spice, mostly peppery peppermint and pine needle. Very subtly tart with a bit of vinegar feel. Astringent alcohol taste in the finish.

Bottled. Poured dark with moderate, not long lasting head. Malty dark fruity aroma. Nice chocolatey taste. Very well done.

Bottle. Hazy brown body with a thick steady eggish white head. Fruity aroma with notes of yeast, spices, dates and cookies. Medium body and light oily texture. The flavour is medium sweet malty with cardemom and other xmas spices. Ends up light bitter and spicy.

Pours reddish brown with a mostly receding tan head. Notes of clove, brown sugar, sweet spice, toffee, candied fruits, and currant. Medium to full bodied with lush carbonation.