Here we have a winter seasonal from Brasserie Lupulus, who set up their brewery and tasting café in the town of Gouvy. It is in an area known as the Ardennes, one of the very few places in Belgium that is hilly, in the very south east of the country close to the borders of both Luxembourg and Germany.
Since 2004 they’ve been brewing their beers, at first just for the tavern next door, then later expanding the brewing facility to cater for growing domestic and international demand.
Although we have to wait for the colder months for this beer to surface, I’m not going to call it a Christmas beer. But that’s just my opinion, and many would happily label this as such.
Apparently the brewers throw in some cinnamon at the end of the boil, and torrefied barley is used to give the beer a thicker mouthfeel.
It is dark, and initially sweet with caramel malts, brown sugar and some dark dried fruits The flavours of the roasted malts creep in along with coffee, licorice and spices (the brewers throw in some cinnamon at the end of the boil) and it develops an earthy character. There is a semi-sweet, smooth finish with the torrefied barley aiding in creating the fuller mouthfeel of this beer.
by Brasserie de l'Abbaye des Rocs
A lovely Belgian strong dark ale, balancing sweetness and bitterness so well
by Brasserie de l'Abbaye des Rocs
A strong dark ale full of dark fruits, caramel malts and a gentle hop and yeast spiciness
by Brouwerij der Trappistenabdij de Achelse Kluis
A classic strong dark ale from one of Belgium's renowned Trappist Monastery breweries.
A Belgian Strong Dark Ale aged in both sherry and whiskey barrels
A strong dark winter beer which uses old whiskey barrels to impart an added dimension and depth of flavour
An intriguing dark ale, brewed with spices (ginger, coriander & cardamom)
A Belgian strong dark ale brewed with star anise and orange peel
The most well-known of the Golden Carolus beers is the 'Classic' - a beautifully balanced Belgian strong dark ale of 8.5% ABV
Gouden Carolus' Cuvee Van De Keizer Imperial Dark Ale infused with Het Anker's single malt whisky
A flavoursome strong dark ale, at the top of the abbey beer hierarchy
by Brouwerij Hoegaarden (AB-InBev)
The 'Forbidden Fruit' is a delicious balance of ripe fruits, sweet malts, earthy hops and gentle spicing
A tasty beer somewhere between a Belgian Dubbel style and a Belgian Strong Dark Ale
A Belgian Strong Dark Ale with the addition of caramel sugar and orange peel
by Brasserie d'Achouffe (Brouwerij Duvel Moortgat)
The lesser-known dark beer from Brasserie Achouffe
by Brasserie d'Achouffe (Brouwerij Duvel Moortgat)
The winter seasonal offering from the Chouffe brewery
The best features of a traditional strong ale, and the added earthiness of noble hops used in abundance
A solid malty backbone balanced by a good level of hop bitterness
The famous Old Fisherman's Ale from Struise is a spiced strong dark ale
The 2019 version of Pannepot aged in bourbon barrels
Struise's spiced strong dark ale Pannepot, matured in Bordeaux barriques for a full 4 years
Struise's famous spiced strong dark ale aged three years in wine and port barrels
A Belgian strong dark ale with smoked malt and grilled cherries
A strong dark Belgian ale created from 6 different malts, slightly spiced and with a little honey
