Florival Hiver-Winter
Brouwerij De Smedt / Brouwerij Affligem

Florival Hiver-WinterFlorival Hiver-Winter
Beer Geek Stats
From:
Brouwerij De Smedt / Brouwerij Affligem
 
Belgium
Style:
Belgian Dark Strong Ale
ABV:
9%
Score:
Needs more ratings
Avg:
4.1 | pDev: 15.37%
Reviews:
5
Ratings:
5
Status:
Active
Rated:
Dec 30, 2008
Added:
Dec 18, 2004
Wants:
  2
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
View: More Beers
Recent ratings and reviews.
Photo of Absumaster
Reviewed by Absumaster from Netherlands

4.42/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
A dark brown red beer with a initial big head that fades into a creamy layer of foam after some minutes.

Smell is spicy with a strong honey smell and orangepeel and cardemom. Very holiday spirit-like.

Taste is malty and sweet with a candisugar twist. Also some dark fruit, like figs. The spices are abundant and very hard to determine which is which. My best guess is orange zest and cardemom and maybe a few other holiday spices. Mouthfeel is not as sticky and syrupy as expected and drinkability is good.
Dec 30, 2008
Photo of JDV
Reviewed by JDV from Texas

2.86/5  rDev -30.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Light floaties in an attractive orange colored pour with a big, big head. Dusty mild guaze like funk with grains in the nose. Grainy unique flavor with some sort of unique spice/herb that I can't place. Some fruity coriander hints too. Very unique...
Mar 15, 2008
Photo of ncbrewerbun
Reviewed by ncbrewerbun from North Carolina

4.2/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
I brought this beer back with me from our trip to Belgium in September and saved it to help kick off the holidays.

The beer poured an amber color with a fluffy white head that lasted nicely.

The aroma had slight caramel and toffee, but more of the dark fruits, mostly raisin. There is some alcohol spiciness.

Taste is complex with the caramel/toffee sweetness that was apparent in the aroma, raisin, and slight background hops to balance.

Medium mouthfeel with good carbonatioin.

Overall a complex and great tasting Belgian. Wish I would have taken two back. Dang new airline rules!
Nov 28, 2006
Photo of brewer27513
Reviewed by brewer27513 from North Carolina

4.53/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Aroma: Dark fruits - raisins, plum. Alcohol. No hops detected. Slight malt sweetness.

Appearence: Big off white head. brown/ruby in color.

Taste: Caramel sweetness, plum, raisin taste. Alcohol.

Mouthfeel: medium body. Effervescent.

Overall: Great tasting brew that has significant alcohol profile. I would drink it again if I could.
Nov 25, 2006
Photo of Paddez
Reviewed by Paddez from Belgium

4.47/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5
Picked this up at the Delhaize in Heverlee. It seems that the Florival beers are brewn by Affligem for the Delhaize chain. So it's only available in a limited amount of stores. (Including Delhaize, Denon & AD Delhaize)

Pours a thick, brown & murky brew with a medium sized, soapy head. The smell is sweet and spicy but not overwhelming and contains lots of stout-like aroma; mainly caramel.
The taste really blew me away, especially the first time: spicy, bold and complex with plummy fruits & black coffee. Caramel, hops. It's all there and it all comes together in a wonderful mix of sweetness and bitterness. The mouthfeel is nice; the beer is thick but is well carbonated and goes down smoothly.

The drinkabillity however is a bit hampered by its high ABV. This is definitely not a session brew but a once in a while sipper.

All in all an excellent beer. It's a pity this one is only available a limited time and in a limited amount of stores, because this is without a doubt the best supermarket brew I've ever had and it is, along with some other, more well known beers like the Chimay Grande Réserve and the Rochefort 8, one of the best beers in this style. Highly recommended!
Dec 18, 2004
Florival Hiver-Winter from Brouwerij De Smedt / Brouwerij Affligem
Beer rating: 4.1 out of 5 with 5 ratings