12 Beers of Christmas: Christmas in Belgium

Vrolijk Kerstfeest!

This time of year is magical, isn't it? Where we gather together, enjoy a lovely Kerststronk with our family, put our shoes by the fireplace, waiting for Zwarte Piet to leave candies and goodies there after we go to bed...

Wait, what?

Now I'm uncomfortable.

That's right. In Belgium (and many other parts of Europe) Santa (Sinterklaas) is assisted by a dude in blackface. It's as controversial as you'd hope it would be, by the way.

But aside from the aforementioned inane tradition, Belgium is  a country that takes its Christmastime very seriously, and its beer, as ever, is a fine showcase of that. Heavy handed with the spices to begin with, Christmas allows many brewers to really embrace the season with all of spices of an entire bakery.

Of course, not all breweries take the potpourri approach; others simply do stronger versions of their other year-round offerings. Here are four of some of the season's offerings (including one local homage).

Christmas Ale
Corsendonk and Brasserie du Bocq
Purnode, Belgium
8.1% ABV, 22 oz Bottle

A classic favorite of mine, Corsendonk's Christmas offering is probably the first "very" Belgian Christmas beer I had ever experienced, and as such has become something of a Holiday tradition. Available in large format bottles as well as smaller 4-packs, this beer should actually be reasonable to track down. But should you?

Certainly! Especially if you fancy yourself a red wine drinker - a lot of similar flavors are at play here. Dark fruits in particular - plum and cherry mix with a chocolate quality to compose a rich, silky brew that does evoke the season, but not from its spice profile; think more wassail, less snickerdoodle. There's also a slight tart quality that comes along with the cherry flavor. A solid and wonderful representation of Belgian Christmas beer, but as far as favorites so, it may have lost its crown to:


Noel Christmas Ale
Affligem Brewing
Opwijk, Belgium
9%, 22 oz Bottle

Affligem brewery was scooped up by Heineken, but has largely retained its robust abbey-style profile. And this beer could very well be the crown jewel of its lineup; it's that spectacular.

The soul of Belgium resonates in every facet of this beer, from yeast to malt to spicing. Fruity and caramel notes abound, like one of those candies you actually like picking in those huge boxes of chocolates. The spicing - vanilla and cinnamon - is great, but not obnoxiously festive. To continue the desert theme, I did get a creme brulee vibe - even the smooth texture, which is one of my favorite aspects of this beer. Elegant, warming, and delicious, this is probably my favorite beer I've had this season.

Thanks Colburn!

Christmas Ale
St. Bernardus Christmas Ale 
Watou, Belgium
10% ABV, 22 oz Bottle

Christmas redemption! 2 years ago when I did this feature, St. Bernardus had a spot on the list and, sadly, didn't fair well. It's (unintentional) banana candy flavors meant that somewhere along its quest to get to me, the beer was allowed to become too warm. And tasted like it could have cost a quarter and came in a tiny plastic capsule in a grocery store. Not the case this year.

This offering is the least innately "sweet" of the four, being kept in check with a robust, roasty bitterness in addition to distinct amount of tartness. We're in Flanders Red or Brown territory - markedly more tart, but not approaching the levels of a wild ale, but certainly nodding toward it. What it lacks, though, is anything distinctly Christmas- it lacks anything that would establish itself as a Christmas beer, which is a shame. A solid beer in its own right, but if you're looking for something that's the equivalent of drinking a fully decorated Christmas Tree, then you're better off trying one of the other options. But there is a chubby monk wearing a Santa hat on the label, so that's something.

7 Swans-a-Swimming
Belgian-style Quad
Placentia, California
11%, 22 oz Bottle

Heading back home, 7 Swan-a-Swimming counts because it calls itself a Belgian-inspired beer.

And therefore, by the very strict nature of this blog, it fits the criteria!

As you can probably discern, 7 Swans-a-Swimming is the latest in a series of beers that draw inspiration from that eternal (in terms of status of perceived length) Christmas song. Two years ago's 5 Golden Rings is certainly one of my favorite Christmas beers ever. Last year's 6 Geese-a-Laying was a somewhat interesting beer that made clever use of gooseberries. This year's is...a Belgian Quad.

That's it. Making use of swans in beer is pretty difficult, I grant you, but there's something a touch disappointing about being "merely" a quad. Sure, quads are somewhat uncommon - they're more or less Belgian tanks with big sweetness and formidable ABVs, a modern style created by La Trappe in 1990. And that's what Swans is - the label tells you so. I'm a Belgian-style Quad. Which is fine.  But to eschew anything remotely Christmasy is sort of a bummer. Give me a quad with vanilla and cinnamon. Give me a quad with pine-centric hop profile. Give me something. It lacks a special oomph that makes it worthwhile. Get Alesmith's Decadence (should be available now, too, actually) or the aforementioned La Trappe. Swans is good, sure, but a missed opportunity.

8 Maids-a-Milking better be a milk stout. It's a no brainer.


Phew, 3 of 4 done. Stay tuned for The final chapter - small format local bottles! Specific enough for you? Let's find out!

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12 Beers of Christmas 2014: Part I - Gingerbread Stouts

It truly is the season of miracles.

Maybe I exaggerate a bit- there's nothing miraculous about a dude returning to a blog after being away for (garbled noise that sounds vaguely like a unit of time), but it's a pretty big step for me. Life interrupted a bit, with some of the wind being taken out of my beer-soaked sails in favor of a "big boy" job. But none of that is particularly interesting...there's beer to drink.

I hope you've been ok without me - craft beer is a big scary world. I like to think you've missed me terribly, that without my concise wit and brew guidance, you've been in a constant state of panic, standing in the beer aisle with streams of terrified tears rolling down your cheeks as you throw oddly named six-packs into your cart and pray to the goddess Ninkasi that maybe, just maybe, you got something halfway decent.

No, actually - what I really hope is that you've been quite ok on your own, that you've upped your craft beer game and make grown up decisions that aren't swayed by ads featuring golden retriever puppies (I know they're convincing, but stay strong! I believe in you!). Craft beer is becoming the main source of beer goodness, and my little (fascinating, well-articulated and joyous) blog has little to do with it.

But, onto the crux of the matter! It's Christmastime again! And that means we have access to a whole new slew of both weird and wonderful libations for us to enjoy until we can't feel that nagging cold anymore (or, you know, live in Southern California like I do and wistfully wait for just one night I could wear that damn sweater I bought back in July). It's one of my favorite times of the year, and that the whole beer industry embraces it so readily means I'm one festive happy dude with a great beer buzz.

The season comes chock full of flavor staples and beer varietals that no other time of the year even hint at, including playful examples like the Gingerbread Stout. 

The stout is a wintery staple of its own accord, with roasty flavors that practically beg to be drank by fireside. Their willingness and eagerness to be kicked up a few notches in the ABV territory further invite winter friendliness, as the slight warmth of alcohol is never unwelcome on chilly nights. Add their fondness of winter spices and you have a style ripe for season.

So put down your Session IPAs - we're getting hearty and spicy.

Back Home Gingerbread Stout
Golden Road Brewing Company
Los Angeles, CA
4 Pack Cans, 8.5% ABV

A west coast darling that has skyrocketed into prominence in a very short timeframe, Golden Road brewing offers a lineup of beers (that is, in true Cali-style, IPA heavy) in summer-friendly tallboy can 4 packs. Several of their beers, especially the delightfully named Might as Well IPL, have become casual favorites of mine and showed up at many-a-barbecue this past summer.

But, the winter has arrived and Golden Road brewery has shown it isn't afraid to pull on a pair of mittens and be fricking adorable with their Back Home Gingerbread Stout. Between its packaging - an inviting maroon box that looks like a little wrapped present, with cans with golden titling and little silver icons of the season - and whimsical flavors, Golden Road has shown that it takes just fine to the season, even if it longs for the beach.

And it fits right in - Back Home is a solid stout in its own right, with some festive additions and a sturdy ABV. The beer is immediately likable, a playful take on the tried-and-true Irish Stout. Ginger is, thankfully, the key player here, arriving first and foremost but not overstaying its welcome. More dessert sweet than overly spicy, the robust roasty-warm flavors of the chocolate take over at the end. In other words, it's a whole cookie platter in a glass.

You probably won't want more than one - the flavors do become a bit heavy by the end of your glass (not to mention the alcohol content), but it's one of the more playful beers, Christmas or otherwise, that I've had in awhile, and I certainly believe it's a success.

A (not-so) small caveat: this guy is pretty local- it was big beer news when they expanded into San Francisco, let alone the rest of the county. So while this beer might not be part of your Christmas this year, please keep tabs on this brewery; it almost certainly will be in upcoming years.

Merry Maker Gingerbread Stout
Sam Adams
Boston, MA
1 Pint, 6 Fl Oz. Bottle, 9.0% ABV

I've become a beer snob. It's not my fault, it comes with the territory when you call beer a hobby. As such - and it pains me to say it - Sam Adam's offerings don't typically do it for me anymore. Celebrated as they should be for creating a world in which craft beer isn't a ludicrous proposition, I have nevertheless found their offerings, especially seasonal ones, underwhelming, registering as little more than slight alterations on the typical Boston recipe.

Their single bottle offerings do admittedly tend to be more inspired, and one such example, the Merry Maker Gingerbread Stout, does a fine job proving it.

Compared to Golden Road, this one is a bit more straightforward, being a stout first and something gingery later- the flavors are a bit more reserved, even timid. The sweetness of the beer is more forthcoming, perhaps owing to that extra .5% ABV (which it hides very well).

Nevertheless, I do believe that Back Home benefits from it's more aggressive flavors - more spice, more roast, more bitter all mean more interesting.  Merry Maker, with its blanket sweetness, is more friendly, perhaps, but I found myself missing the layers. A bitter bite does accumulate as you go, but I never got that fun cookie vibe.

 If you're lucky enough to have access to Back home, I invite you to go for it. If not, this is one is more readily available, and is hardly bad. There's just better stuff out there.

Merry Christmas Beer Season everyone! Check back soon for the next entry.


(It's good to be back)

Love,
Ben Likes Beer Follow @Ben_Likes_Beer