##[Noël][1]
| Brouwerij Affligem | 9% | N/A |
The Belgium’s are truly maters at brewing and, in general, most of the Belgium beers I’ve tried have been really good. Affligem’s Noël, while a true Belgium in flavor, is nothing to write home about. It’s certainly no [St. Bernardus Christmas Ale][2], but good overall. Smells of good Belgium with hints of spices and caramel and medium brown in color. Careful pouring this, I ended up with a good three inches of cream colored head in one glass (and it takes forever to dissipate). While the taste is that of a decent Belgium strong ale, it didn’t stand out for me.
Worth a try, but don’t go out of your way to hunt this one down.
[1]: http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/196/2311/
[2]: http://www.randys.org/2008/11/13/holiday-beer-report-st-bernardus-christmas-ale/
I have a 12-15 year old bottle of this stuff. Came with a gold banding – looks like chicken wire – around the bottle. Is this ale OK to drink or is the bottle the only thing worth saving. I asked the abbey but never got a reply. Can anyone offer advice? Thanks, John