X-Mas 2010 Beer Round-Up

Here it is--your Ferment Nation Christmas 2010 Beer Roundup!

Check out these three Christmas beers this Yuletide.  Make yours the merriest, yes the merriest, and the happiest, yes the happiest.  Drink Safely and don't forget to leave Santa a wee nip of something strong to take the edge off!

Corsendonk Christmas Ale:

This Belgian dark ale comes in a great gift pack (six beers and a glass) for the holiday season. It is very even-tempered as a dark ale and quite tasty. The aroma is just wonderful and complex with hints of dried fruits and some exotic spicing. [Read the Full Review]

Nøgne Ø / Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales / Stone Brewing Co.Special Holiday Ale:

Bearing gifts, they traverse afar... I'm not very familiar with Nøgne Øas a brewery but I'm about to become really interested in this brewery from Grimstad, Norway. This 2009 version of the special collaboration between Kjetil Jikiun and the other two wisemen (Ron Jeffries from Jolly Pumpkin and Mitch Steele from Stone) is worth its weight in rare herbs and glinting riches. This Special Holiday Alepours so dark reddish brown that it is almost black, topped with a generous foamy tan head. [Read the full review]

Anchor Holiday Ale 2009:

Eleven months I wait for this brew to hit the shelves. As soon as the pumpkin ales have all shown their fall finery in liquor stores around town I begin to peek around for the first winter brews. Anchor Brewing offers one of the most solid and stalwart lines of brews and the "Our Special Ale" stands out among these. Every year the recipe is different (and so is the tree pictured on the label) so it's a holiday surprise every time. [Read the full review]

Corsendonk Christmas Ale

Corsendonk Christmas Ale:

This Belgian dark ale comes in a great gift pack (six beers and a glass) for the holiday season. It is very even-tempered as a dark ale and quite tasty. The aroma is just wonderful and complex with hints of dried fruits and some exotic spicing.

The flavor is bold up front, and tangy with just a slight metallic zing to it. It seems that the flavors are then swallowed up by a yeasty base that provides what I think of as "false body". Actually maybe one could think of it as an exaggerated mouthfeel? I'm thinking that Unibroue emulates this style of Belgian brew which I find to be hit or miss in terms of really catching my attention.

Corsendonk Christmas Ale is very good but it isn't my favorite. I think that some of the flavors get lost in the yeasty base, though it is rich and flavorful and well-crafted. This beer is perfect for kicking off a holiday office party and maybe to accompany some imported crackers and a nutty cheese log.

Overall Corsendonk Christmas Ale is stuck in the middle: a little too rich for session drinking (see Gritty's, Rogue, Anchor) but not deep, down-to-the-bone complex enough to grab that "must-try" status, either (see Jolly Pumpkin, Nogne, Mikkeller). I give it high style points but not a ton of preference points. Trying for yourself is the only way to know, though. So pour it into a snazzy Corsendonk Christmas glass (and take it easy by the way ... its 8.5% abv) and get ready to send El Presidente a letter or an email or a text message. Your voice counts, so do your civic duty and review some beers. Send pictures, too.

Like other holiday brews: Tart and fruity with a dessert-like quality. Unlike other holiday brews: Holiday brews seem to be either bold or mellow, and this one isn't really either of those.

Corsendonk Christmas Ale:

Representation: .95
Accessibility: .925
Style: 1.0
Personal Preference: .89

Total Score: 3.765 Flags