This is a little beauty, with only 250ml in the bottle it pours a mid-mahogany brown with a beige frothy head that only disperses a little to leave a good layer of tight creamy foam.
Wow the aroma is Christmas cake in a glass: malt, dark fruits, caramel, a sprinkling of sugar and a hint of spice. Grimbergen should recreate this smell in a scented candle as it really is a delicious Christmas brew (which is the translation of Brassin de Noël). I could sniff this for hours but I couldn't wait to find out what it tasted like.
Oh hallelujah! This is perfection in a glass: dark fruits, sweet malts, a hint of liquorice and spice are combined perfectly to produce an outstanding, intensely malty ale. It has quite a complex aftertaste, what starts as slightly sour and hoppy evolves into more of a spicy and mixed peel bitterness. It is perfectly carbonated and full bodied and appears to lovingly caress the tongue with every mouthful.
What a little gem! It might be in a small bottle but it's definitely a case of quality over quantity as Grimbergen Brassin de Noël scored full marks in every category: appearance, aroma, flavour, mouthfeel and overall. It's far too nice to keep just for Christmas so Ale Be Seeing You whenever I can get my hands on you, Brassin de Noël, and I'll definitely be looking out for the 330ml and the heavenly 750ml bottles.
Brewed by Grimbergen Abbey Brewery, Belgium
6.5% ABVMy rating:
My Untappd score: 5/5
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