N’Ice Chouffe

N’Ice Chouffe with O.G., my old-school branded snifter. Copyright 2017 by Andrew Dunn.

Christmas is officially over. The tree came down today. The ornaments and decorations have been put away.

We’ve celebrated almost a month of Christmas around here at the Belgian Beer Bureau. First, the wife and I had Christmas between ourselves in mid-December. Then we celebrated Christmas at Walt Disney World in Florida with friends and family.

On Dec. 25, we enjoyed Christmas Day with my wife’s family in Florida. And shortly after, we shared Christmas with my family in Alabama.

Finally, today, we had time to put all that holiday cheer back in its box, so to speak. Well, my wife did most of the work. I made chili, a hot lunch on a very cold and snow-covered day.

So how else should one celebrate the end of Christmas? With a Christmas beer, of course. N’Ice Chouffe, my selection for today, is a seasonal holiday/winter strong brown ale from Brasserie d’Achouffe in Achouffe, Belgium, a Duvel-Moortgat Brewery property.

Smell: The nose on N’Ice is of licorice and molasses.

N’Ice Chouffe poured into O.G. Copyright 2017 by Andrew Dunn.

Sight: The beer pours a muddy brown with a medium cappuccino head to it.

Taste: N’Ice is a sweet and rather spicy beer. However, it has a strong herbal note to it and just a light tartness and bitterness. The beer is brewed with thyme and curaçao, the bitter orange liqueur. You can definitely pick up those flavors. A complex mix for sure.

Alcohol: This one burns. The alcohol is 10 percent, and you definitely feel it.

Overall: The beer was nice enough. But it didn’t blow me away. I’m not wild about the herbal flavor. I think had it not been a seasonal beer, I would like it more. I just expect a certain flavor out of my Christmas beers, and this one just doesn’t deliver what I’m typically looking for. I know, I know. It’s not exactly advertised as a “Christmas beer.” But it’s also not exactly not advertised as such either. I mean the dwarves are clearly wearing Santa hats and beards. So bah humbug.

Bottomline: Achouffe can be a rather economical beer. A four-pack of N’Ice Chouffe is only $10-$12. So a single bottle will set you back $3-5, a very reasonable price making it worth sampling.

 

 

Cantillon Kriek

Cantillon Kriek poured into a branded glass. Copyright 2016 by Andrew Dunn.

Thirsty Thursday is here, and the Belgian Beer Bureau is celebrating. Today was the last day of teaching for me until after the holidays.

Christmas cheer and Christmas beer await. As I’ve noted before, Christmas beers are among my favorites. So there is much to look forward to.

I’m particularly fond of Troegs Mad Elf, an American-brewed and Belgian-style strong dark ale brewed with honey and cherries. I actually have a vertical taste test lined up this month to pit aged Mad Elf against fresher Mad Elf.

Cherries have always reminded me of Christmas. My mother always gets a box of chocolate covered cherries on Christmas Day. She is also fond of Christmas fruit cakes, which are full of cherries.

So it is fitting that this week’s review is a kriek, a lambic fermented with sour cherries. Cantillon Kriek marks the fifth of five reviews the Bureau has done from Brasserie Cantillon in Brussels, Belgium. I was lucky enough to sample all five beers at the Zwanze Day 2016 celebration at Fonta Flora Brewery in Morganton, North Carolina.

According to the brewery’s website, Cantillon Kriek uses organic cherries from Turkey to ferment its kriek.

We only use fresh fruit and, as is the case for wine, Cantillon beers can be referred to in terms of vintages. Prevailing weather conditions have a major impact on the ripeness and quality of the fruit, and this is why the taste of the brewery’s fruit-based beers will differ slightly from one year to the next.

So what did the 2016 kriek bring to the table?

Smell: Cantillon Kriek smells like cooked cherries, which seems appropriate. But it smells more sweet than sour.

Sight: The beer pours a candy apple red with a hot pink, super foamy head. It’s actually quite difficult to pour as the foam fills up the glasses quickly.

Taste: The taste is a bit like a dry cherry soda, lightly sour. There are some unexpected herbal, flowery notes. The end has just a tiny bitterness to it.

Alcohol: At only 5.5 percent alcohol, this holiday party can go all night.

Overall: Cantillon Kriek is a fresh and inviting beer. The color and aroma seduce you. It is a complex brew with much to ponder. However, as I have said before, I kind of like a sweeter kriek. But this one definitely holds its own.

Bottom line: As with all Cantillon beers, if you can find the kriek, you will pay quite the bounty. The 750 ml bottles go for $25 to $30 a piece. That’s not the worst you will ever pay. But that’s only if you can find them, which you likely won’t. If you can, it is worth springing for a bottle though.

Bonus points: UNESCO announced today that Belgian beer culture has been added to its Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list. So cheers to that!

Beer Review: St. Bernardus Christmas Ale

St. Bernardus Christmas Ale with holiday glass. Copyright 2015 by Andrew Dunn.

The Belgian Beer Bureau is a firm believer that Christmas cheer is incomplete without Christmas beer. Nothing pairs better with turkey, ham, and mounds of starchy, cheesy sides than festive winter brews.

Some of the Bureau favorites include Highland Brewing Company Cold Mountain Winter Ale, Sam Adams Old Fezziwig Ale, Sam Adams Winter Lager, and Shiner Holiday Cheer.

Most winter warmer/holiday brews are darker beers featuring vanilla and spice. They pack a nice malty sweetness that accentuates all of those salty holiday meats.

The Belgians love their Christmas beers. There are many to choose from. The first beer I reviewed on this site was a Belgian Christmas ale.

One had eluded me though. For some reason, Santa’s elves just don’t make enough St. Bernardus Christmas Ale, a quadruple from Watou, Belgium, that Paste named its favorite. But I have been an especially good boy this year, and Santa put aside one for me.

Smell: There’s an aroma of mulled wine, fruit, and banana.

St. Bernardus Christmas Ale poured into a holiday glass. Copyright 2015 by Andrew Dunn.

Sight: The color is deep caramel. The head is a thick and rich cream, which leaves ample lacing.

 

Taste: The first flavor that hits you is Bananas Foster, with all of the sweet richness that comes with that caramelized fruit. There are also notes of cinnamon and clove. There is only a whisper of bitterness trailing off at the end.

Alcohol: St. Bernardus Christmas Ale is much like the meal it should be paired with, heavy and indulgent. This beer waddles at 10 percent. Share it with your friends and loved ones. I shared mine with my father.

Overall: A holiday themed Belgian quadruple? Please. This isn’t even a question worth answering. I love Christmas. I love this beer. As they say, it is an instant holiday classic. It sure beats eggnog.

Bottom line: You can pick up a regular bottle for about $5.50 or a 750 ml bottle, which is what I had, for about $15. Either way, it is definitely worth splurging for a bottle or two.

Bonus points: My bottle was aged a year. This beer can be aged up to 15 years, which means it might be the only holiday treat with a longer shelf life than fruit cake. Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

 

 

Beer Review: Corsendonk Christmas Ale

Corsendonk Christmas Ale and branded tulip glass. Copyright 2015 by Andrew Dunn

Winter is finally waning here in Tennessee. The snow has melted and given way to chilly rain. So the time has come for my wife and I to polish off our now dwindled hoard of cold weather brews. We finished off our last bottle of Highland’s Cold Mountain Winter Ale last week.

But we aren’t alone in this spring cleaning effort. A lot of your local bottle shops are marking down winter beer for a quick sale. And I lucked on one recently, Corsendonk Christmas Ale. I had this one before some time ago, but I didn’t remember much about it.

I paid $7.99 for a 750 ml bottle here in Johnson City. That’s $2 off the regular price.

Smell: The aroma after popping the champagne style cork was a nice yeasty, bready smell with a bit of wine.

Corsendonk Christmas Ale poured into branded tulip glass. Copyright 2015 by Andrew Dunn

Sight: The pour was a deep mahogany with a thick cappuccino head.

Taste: It had a nice brown ale taste with a dash of sweetness and a pinch of bitter. There is, however, an oddly metallic taste that puts it off just a bit.

Alcohol: The alcohol clocked in at a strong 8.1 percent, but it wasn’t too heavy.

Overall: It is very drinkable. I wouldn’t put it at the top of the heap, but it is good.

Bottom Line: At $7.99 (on sale) for almost two beers in the bottle, it’s not a bad price on a premium beer. Some cheaper alternatives I can recommend would be New Belgium’s Abbey or Lagunitas’ Brown Shugga.