The Belgian brewery Corsendonk from Oud-Turnhout releases its fine Christmas ale every year just in time for Advent. To sweeten the uncomfortable winter time for their friends, the Belgians brew a full-bodied, strong beer that is full of Christmas flavors and spices. The dark Belgian Strong Ale is available in the traditional 0.33l bottle and in the festive variation in 0.75l bottles, which are closed with a real cork. The holiday version is an elegant gift and the perfect alternative to champagne on Christmas Eve.
The Christmas Ale from Corsendonk flows into the glass in a deep brown caramel tone and shows ruby red reflections when the light hits it. A wintery potpourri of different scents rises from the fine, hazelnut-brown foam: in the nose, dried figs, spicy rum, cloves, cinnamon, fruity plums and delicious sherry combine to form a tempting mixture. The initial taste reveals a voluminous beer with 8.5% alcohol content, which warms from the palate right down to the stomach. The festive aromas of rum-pickled raisins, melt-in-the-mouth chocolate, caramelized walnuts and buttery toffee present themselves on the tongue. A hint of black pepper adds a nice fire to the wintery composition, a touch of citrus gives the beer a wonderful lightness and evokes associations with homemade stollen with delicious lemon peel.
This exquisite Christmas beer is the perfect addition to the festive table and also tastes excellent with home-baked cookies.
This is how winter can come!
Water, barley malt, hops, yeast