Val-Dieu Bière de Noël

Brewed by Brasserie de l’Abbaye du Val-Dieu
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Aubel, Belgium

A nice light toffee ambered brown color thats fairly clear fills the goblet with some slow but always active streams of bubbles. A small/mediumish, yet firmly smoothed and compacted capping of slightly tanned and grayed foam sits atop with good length. Tons of lacing coats the glass with lots of powdery spots and a glaze of frosty sheeting. Aroma is mild yet well fitting within a malt laden nose that resembles most bock-type smells. Toffee, plum, dried apricot, and fig dance lightly, with a dash of bakery spice, but with a clean, approachable roundedness thats sweetened and deep. Flavors are much like the nose. A nicely played out mildness in tone of malts that gather in a rounded fruity, darkened sweetness with some nice notions to peach, apricot, and plum surrounded but a tender toffee undertow. Slightly spicy in a few areas that speak of vanilla, cinnamon, and brown sugar develope as it finishes. some nice little sticky areas remain in the sweet toffeeish malts. Feel is very creamy and smooth with a fullish medium body of silken maltyness that glides down with amazing ease throughout each sip. Just the right amount of carbonation grab hits the front and middle. Nice and lengthy with a semi chewy body that really sticks the malts on the palate and memory. Especially in the finish. The cinnamom and vanilla spice make for a nice delight as the malts soak in. Very creamy and drinkable as the lower 7% for a Tripel makes this nearly effortless to put back. A beautifully made beer that nurtures and cares for your palate with a yummy, rounded, delicate, smooth, creamy, maltyness which endures the likes of its own presense in the mind as well as the palate. You then ponder how they can make such a lovely beer. Solidly delish!

(Bottle) Pours a lightly cloudy amber body with an average creamy off-white head. Aroma of caramel, orange, and coriander. Flavor of caramel malt, light citrus, yeast, and nuts.

Explosive carbonation: For the first time I experienced that the metal cover went with the cork into the ceiling. But the beer didn’t flow over. It’s amber with a big, lasting head. Fruity, yeasty aroma and a surprisingly fresh, acidy flavour.

(Bottle 33 cl) Pours a slightly hazy amber golden with a handsome, off-white head leaving a wide curtain of laces. Frest, lightly tart aroma with a whiff of coriander. Fairly full body, slightly spicy with a touch of sweet licorice. A wee bit of fustiness. Almost no bitterness. 300606

hazy amber ale with a huge head. smells yeasty, spicy and malty. malty, sweet, fruity(citrus) and sourrish taste with some nicely balanced spices. finishes long, spicy, fruity and sourrish. quite nice brew. but nothing special.

Bottle: Poured a medium amber color ale with a huge foamy head with great retention. Aroma of cinnamon and pepper with some distinctive Belgian yeast. Taste is quite sweet with a good malt presence and a well mix balance of spices. Body is above average but a good creamy texture. Nothing extraordinary but good example of the style.

Bottle. Hazy amber colour with a firm white head. Almond, grass, wormwood, light chocolate and dust in aroma. Yeasty and a bit thin flavour of almond and berries. Licorice, salt and grass in the aftertaste.

75 cl bottle with cork dated 10/05. This amber ale poured with a fluffy off-white head that lasted a while. The flavor is malt and yeast with a strong dose of coriander, initially sweet with a bitter chalky finish. This is not a typical Christmas ale, but I guess the brewer thought that the spices made it so. Overall a decent, but not remarkable brew.