Brasserie St Feuillien was originally known as Brasserie Friart, named after the family who started the brewery in 1873, and continued family operations through four generations.
In 2000, the brewery was renamed Brasserie St Feuillien. The name is a reference to the 7th Century Irish Monk Foylan or Foillan; and this evolved into Feuillien. His followers erected a chapel at the site of his murder, which later became the Abbaye St Feuillien.
So the St Feuillien beers are abbey ales, using the link to the religious name, without having any true religious association.
Enough history, and onto the beer. It is a Christmas beer of course, full of Christmas pudding aromas and flavours. Dark roasted malt, rich dark raisins, plums, hints of citrus and winter spices. There is enough bitterness to offset some of the sweetness, with a rich and decadent aftertaste.
A rich and boozy Christmas beer to 'add lustre' to your festive celebrations
The 2016 annual vintage Christmas beer from Brasserie Dubuisson
by Brouwerij Corsendonk (at Brasserie Du Bocq)
To help celebrate Christmas in July we have this festive treat from Corsendonk
by Brouwerij Corsendonk (at Brasserie Du Bocq)
The Christmas ale from this well-regarded abbey label
A wonderful winter seasonal offering from the Delirium label - one we look forward to each year
by Brasserie d'Achouffe (Brouwerij Duvel Moortgat)
The winter seasonal offering from the Chouffe Brewery - a dark beer brewed with thyme and bitter orange
A decidedly different and very interesting Kerstbier
The Struise Tsjeeses is their blond-amber Christmas seasonal beer, with this 2014 vintage being aged in Bourbon barrels
Tongerlo's Christmas beer is a little different to most of the Belgian Kerstbiers
Struise's winter seasonal offering - a 10% strong blond spiced ale
A dark seasonal offering, capturing all the rich flavours of the festive season.
A Christmas beer that is lighter, drier and hoppier than a standard winter seasonal
A Guten Free, Organic beer that sits somewhere between a tripel and farmhouse ale
Classically Belgian, this St Feuillien Brune is smooth, rich and tasty
A delicious, complex but light and dry Belgian Strong Blonde Ale from Brasserie St Feuillien
A bigBelgian Quad from one of Belgium's old family breweries - what's not to like!
A tasty, fairly traditional saison with lots of loverly earthy character and a little funk
An interesting farmhouse ale with seven different hops plus liquorice
A classic Belgian Tripel, often held out as an example of the style
