Angelo Peretti
It's Christmas, and as we know, we are all better people: it's not true, but sometimes it's nice illusion.
It's Christmas, and the mailbox, and email box overflowing with good wishes. It usually also affects the newspapers, even those online quest'InternetGourmet as you have the patience to read (and has been read 250 thousand times: I am very happy), to wish the readers. It is, and most willingly wishes!
It's Christmas, and the magazine of food and wine we offer advice regarding recipes and wine pairings and delicious and varied, including gourmet gifts. So even on this issue I see to be aligned. So here we are with the piece Christmas in the subject. But I do not speak nor food, nor wine: beer is the star this time. Or rather, I'm the Christmas beer. Better yet, the Christmas of Belgium, which I love.
Since, however, are a bit 'of race and even a little' lazy, the central part of this intervention take it verbatim from a piece I wrote a couple of weeks ago for the Taste page of the newspaper L'Arena (good Morello Pecchioli Christmas, my boss, who takes care of the page). And then, finally, I put the tasting notes of the six keys to the Tavern bière de Noël Kus in the tasting that we have prepared a few days ago: The dinner was made with roasted pork shank, gorgonzola cheese with honey chestnut, chocolate cake. Wow!
In short: here we are. You say: 'beer', and think of the frothy drink alcohol moderately yellow-gold that serves pizza. They say instead: "Christmas Beer" and maybe do a little 'hard to understand what it is. Yet these are precisely the day of bière de Noël, masterpieces of Belgian beer. It has been in recent days, one after the other, smaller craft brewers of Belgium have released their Christmas beers.
limited production, rare, intriguing. Who have nothing, absolutely nothing to do with blondes swallow profusely from the jug.
are dark: the color ranges from amber to dark brown. Alcohol have a lot ', from 8 to 13 degrees, not jokes. Forbidden to drink it frozen: fresh, at most, around 14 degrees in temperature, but if they go to 18 no problem, as if they were important red wines. And like a good red wine are typically in bottles of 0.75, it is in the ball for three quarters to better develop their characters sensational aroma. The label, the classic themes of the period: snow, decorated trees, starry nights, angels, monks, the ubiquitous Santa Claus, squirrels, gnomes. Often even the decoration is printed directly on the ball. Among the Christmas myth Belgian beers are the St. Feuillien Noël, the Christmas Ale St. Bernardus, the Noël des Rocs the Abbey, the Chouffe N'Ice, the Binchois de Noel, the alcolicissima Bush de Noel. There are beers that they are even able to aging well: a few years ago did not hurt. You can savor a sip. They're wonderfully with the kitchen in winter. But they are also ideal for after dinner: a glass more than enough to spend an hour chatting with friends, taking a little 'relaxation by the fireplace.
The taste is very unique and enchanting. And is influenced by top secret recipes of master brewers. Meanwhile, to make the Christmas beer using carefully selected malts. And then the call is flavor: some uses cinnamon, nutmeg, coriander, juniper, sometimes honey, and even fruits, orange peel, in particular. It's rumored there are sometimes cutting through spirits. Of course giving rise to a complex sensory respectable. Meanwhile, have a pleasant bitter aftertaste reminiscent of licorice, but also a vein of sweetness that recalls the chestnut honey and caramel. Then, the spicing. And the notes of dried fruit: hazelnut, walnut above. And vague memories of berry ripening. It is a soft and creamy foam. Fascinating. Now
cards of the six beers I mentioned above. I give each of the index of average found in the tasting pleasure: you were sixteen, and the vote could go from zero to ten, including the halfway point. Then there's my usual opinion Faccini, one to three. Then again the wholesale price of bottled by 0.75 (this is the right format).
Abbaye des Rocs Spéciale Noël The nose of crusty bread are heated in the oven and a light vein of anise. The mouth is wide, winding, bittersweet: malt, licorice, subtle memory of dates, roasted hazelnuts. Epper also chlorophyll, eucalyptus. And chestnuts, too. And chestnuts in brandy, mostly. And there's length. Today it seems a little 'girl and decomposed, but in my view, could give away the surprises. Make it a bit 'aged in the bottle. He has 9 degrees of alcohol.
Index pleasantness average: 7.067
A little face :-)
Wholesale Price: 5.14 €.
Spéciale Noël The Binchois Nose agricultural rum, veins of candied cherry, dried orange peel and sweet spices. And as time passes, the bouquet becomes more and more incredibly fascinating out gradually amaretto liqueur with citrus fruit, the rose oil. Then comes flowers, roses, still, above all, and then a little 'of cyclamen. Then again, overbearing, tea with lemon, bergamot. Unbelievable. And there mouth elegant, with hoppy notes, but especially fruit, fruit, fruit: berries juicy, overripe apricot, candied papaya, figs dry. Persuasive. Intriguing. 9 degrees.
Index of pleasantness average: 8.033
Three Faccini happy :-) :-) :-)
Wholesale Price: 4.89 €
Cuvée de Noël St. Feuillien Nose coffee and chocolate, light licorice streak , burnt crust of bread. Light hints of graphite. The mouth is powerful, strong. Malt and licorice: a lot of both. Nice length, but does not allow anything on the side of matchmaking. The finish is all about the bitter mood. Beer male. 9 degrees.
Index of pleasantness average: 6.900
A little face :-)
Wholesale Price € 5.67
N'Ice Chouffe Another beer as to refine in the bottle, this is a classic, but it needs to be done. Today, the nose has traces of denatured alcohol, however, with veins of date, fig, fine and markets. The mouth is in tune. It has tension, density, power. I vaguely recall, in the sweet, balsamic vinegar. Unctuous, almost. A strong beer, very tonic acid side. 10 degrees.
Index of pleasantness average 7.833
Two Faccini happy :-) :-)
Wholesale Price € 6.17
St. Bernardus Christmas Ale Oh, oh, oh! Would you say Santa Claus. Great beer, great beer. Nose charm, Oloroso sherry from Palo Cortado. Memoirs of antique furniture, and besides the crust of toast, nutty, bitter almond. The almond leaves in the mouth at first, but soon balanced by a vein of bittersweet caramel and chestnut honey. Impressive persistence: emerge gradually and increasingly strong seductive and rich memories of dried fruit and then peach pit. Fascinating. 10 degrees.
Index of pleasantness average 8.400
Three Faccini happy :-) :-) :-)
Wholesale Price € 5.96.
Bush Noël Premium Brasserie Dubuisson Freres The Bush, the battleship of Belgian Christmas beer. Impressive nose in his notes of rum, Armagnac. And then sherry. And then the old wooden barrels for years and years. And even winey notes. Alcohol is obvious, but important are the notes of candied citrus, nuts, fruits of ancient woodland sumaturi, persimmon maturissimi pur'essi. The mouth is creamy and thick, molasses and even hugging and even vanilla. Caramel and brown sugar and wildflower honey and date to the natural and Jamaican rum. Powerful. But if they did not tell me that smell is a beer, I would say that is a sweet, noble and aged, with aristocratic veins oxidative dates from refining. 13 degrees.
Index of pleasantness average 8.033
Three Faccini happy :-) :-) :-)
8.52 Wholesale Price
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