Scaldis Noël
Brasserie Dubuisson Frères sprl

Scaldis NoëlScaldis Noël
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From:
Brasserie Dubuisson Frères sprl
 
Belgium
Style:
Belgian Dark Strong Ale
Ranked #51
ABV:
12%
Score:
90
Ranked #8,286
Avg:
4.05 | pDev: 11.85%
Reviews:
509
Ratings:
989
Status:
Active
Rated:
Feb 04, 2024
Added:
Dec 08, 2001
Wants:
  57
Gots:
  117
Also known as Bush De Noël

The Scaldis Noël derives much of its rounded character from the use of roast caramel malts. The hops are carefully balanced with these, added in just the right proportions to develops its subtle hop aroma. There is also a robust fruity character, with the overall taste pleasingly consistent.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Aiptasia:
Photo of Aiptasia
Reviewed by Aiptasia from Florida

4.12/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Sampled from a little 9 oz. bottle that I stumbled upon at grassroots in Jacksonville.

A: Pours a deep rich red garnet brown into my pint glass. Just hints at a frothy head with no lacing to speak of.

S: Complex notes of deep estery fruits (plum, apricot, mango) on the nose. Not much hops presence, but smells like juicy fruit bubble gum all around the room.

T: Tastes like a typical Belgian Specialty Ale this time of year, with a sharp tang from the fruits on the tongue. The middle shows more depth and even some residual diacetyl butterscotch or rum notes. Alcohol is well masked. No overpowering hops bitterness. Typical of the style, there's just enough hops to balance the brew, probably used noble hops along the lines of Saaz or Halletauer.

M: Drinks easily and quickly. Di Di (vietnamese for little) carbonation and smooth/slick going down.

O: This beer is just about everything I like in a winter Belgian Specialty Ale. I'd love drinking it any time of year, but watch out. It's strong and will git ya drunk.
Dec 08, 2011
More User Ratings:
Photo of BJB13
Reviewed by BJB13 from Maryland

4.16/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
750 ml bottle poured into a snulip.

A lively pour, hazy mahogany with two fingers of off-white head. The creamy head is lasting but slick and only leaves bits of lace. The strong nose opens with bready and caramel malt, dark fruit and alcohol aromas. I’m getting baking spice and ginger snap-like notes from the second pour. Alcohol flavor is prevalent but not unpleasant; rich caramel malt, dark fruit and Belgian yeast flavor, both spicy and fruity, help round it out. The medium-full body is creamy and effervescent with moderate carbonation at the beginning of the bottle. It finishes rather warm. Nice beer to spend a cold afternoon sipping.
Feb 04, 2024
Photo of Cm55
Reviewed by Cm55

4.22/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Bottle, in a goblet glass
L-hazy opaque but brown with mild essentially white head
S-bright and sharp. Stonefruit and a hint of leather
T-Belgian yeast, bready malts, a bit of cocoa but otherwise not much in the way of spices, well hidden alcohol still shines through at the end
F-heavy bodied but pleasantly so.
O-I love the brewery and this is a great beer if you’re in the mood for the style, but ultimately there are no standout components and the pieces don’t come together
Jan 29, 2024
 
Rated: 4.1 by Ox8840bo from Illinois

Dec 28, 2023
 
Rated: 3.94 by tbeer40 from New Jersey

Dec 26, 2023
 
Rated: 4.17 by tpauer from New Hampshire

Dec 25, 2023
 
Rated: 4.11 by Jakepitbull from New York

Dec 21, 2023
Photo of MonDak_Joe1953
Reviewed by MonDak_Joe1953 from Minnesota

4.08/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
750 bottle. Corked and caged. Label is marked for 'LOT: 4 38 2-11'.
Deep amber colored body. Two fingers of light tan head, which persists as a thick cap. Just a couple of lacing spots.
Aroma is boozy caramel and toffee malts, with fruit - apple, pear, and a touch of banana. Some prune and raisin.
Taste is sweet, from both caramel/toffee/molasses malts and fruity esters - prune, raisin, apple, and pear. Higher ABV% is evident throughout. Subtle spices such as allspice and nutmeg. Aftertaste is similar to a holiday fruitcake.
More than medium mouth feel. Gets close to sticky sweet. Very warming from the throat to the stomach. Very good carbonation.
Long lasting impressive head from being refermented in the bottle. Overall sweet and festive-like for the holidays. Best for sipping, as it gets slightly cloying.
Dec 08, 2023
 
Rated: 4 by Hellpop65 from Kansas

Apr 01, 2023
 
Rated: 3.91 by HarlotBronte from District of Columbia

Feb 17, 2023
Photo of jlindros
Reviewed by jlindros from Massachusetts

4.04/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Pours a frothy creamy 1 finger off-white head with good retention, sticky lacing, mostly clear auburn to deep copper color

Nose sweet candy malt, Belgian malts with toffee, molasses, candi sugar, fruity esters, candied apple, cake icing on pears, mild holiday spices, mild sweet toasty amber malt

Taste again sweet, raisin fig date fruits up front with some holiday spices, fairly fruity in general, sweet malts, toasted sweet reddish malt, a touch of caramel, toffee, molasses, candi sugar, icing on dried pears and apples, sweetened raisins, hint of perfumey alcohol, brown sugar late , finish dries a bit with a flash of more alcohol, a little bitterness, more holiday spices

Mouth is med to a bit fuller bod, mild warming alcohol, med to lighter big bubble foamy carb

Overall not bad, typical Belgian Xmas beer
Jan 28, 2023
 
Rated: 4.77 by RamonaBeer from California

Jan 03, 2023
Photo of harrypowers
Reviewed by harrypowers from Massachusetts

4.35/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Pours a clear dark reddish brown with a 1-2F tan head and light lacing.

Smells of yeast, dark fruit and alcohol.

Tastes of toasted malt, yeast, caramel, raisins, cherries and cloves with a mildly bitter, peppery and very boozy warm finish.

Medium body with light carbonation. Slightly lush and syrupy mouthfeel.

This brew is one very strong, tasty, complex and not overly cloy sipper. Best served around 50f.
Dec 29, 2022
 
Rated: 4.21 by Sellen from Connecticut

Dec 25, 2022
Photo of Antg8989
Reviewed by Antg8989 from New Jersey

4.25/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
It's good. Not my favorite Christmas ale, but one of the better ones for sure. Not overly spiced, just a solid dark ale with a little bit of warmth to it.
Dec 16, 2022
Photo of Braunmeister_1943
Reviewed by Braunmeister_1943 from Pennsylvania

3.94/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
On tap at a friend’s Christmas party. Served a little too cold for my liking, but very good. Deceptively dangerous, though! It does not taste nor drink like a 12% beer!
Dec 13, 2022
Photo of Ozzylizard
Reviewed by Ozzylizard from Pennsylvania

3.21/5  rDev -20.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
Scaldis Noel from Brasserie Dubuisson. 25.4 oz Cork’n’cage bottle purchased from Shangy’s (18/9/21), Emmaus, PA. $18.54 (including tax) ($0.73/oz). Imported by Wetten Importers. Stored at room temperature in store and at 40 degrees after purchase. Reviewed 27/02/22. Note that I use DD/MM/YY protocol.
Stamped on neck band “16/07/2021”. Served at 54.6 degrees in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter. Final temperature 59.1 degrees. Consumed seven months past out date.
Appearance – 3.
First pour – Medium Amber (SRM 12), hazy. Cork “Pop!” followed by foam overflow. This is why I open ALL containers over the kitchen sink.
Body – Medium Amber (SRM 12), opaque. Much precipitate is visible, motion-controlled by the effervescence, rising and falling like some ride at a county fair. When rear-lite, fulvous, and translucent.
Head – Huge (Maximum (couldn’t measure – too busy dealing with overflow) cm, aggressive center pour), almond, stabilizing at a one cm crown fed by aggressive carbonation and a nearly complete cap of varying thickness. Both crown and cap last for some time before finally shrinking.
Lacing – None.
Aroma – 3.25 – Caramel malt. No hops, no yeast, no alcohol.
Flavor – 3.25 – Caramel malt and moderately sweet, no hops, no yeast. No obvious ethanol (12 % ABV, as marked on container) taste or aroma, but a solid gastric warming occurs and slowly builds. Ends with a slight metallic bite. No dimethylsulfide or diacetyl.
Palate – 3 – Medium, lightly syrupy, soft carbonation.
Final impression and summation: 3.25 Looks like nearly hardened apple cider. Some alcohol finally appears on the exhale. Flavor seems very one-dimensional – just caramel malt. One and done.
Feb 27, 2022
Photo of JackRWatkins
Reviewed by JackRWatkins from Georgia

3.86/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75
A: Pours up a hazy but well enough attenuated deep amber with a frothy, beige, three-finger head that dissipates rather quickly, leaving no initial lacing behind, though this does change with a swirl of the glass.

S: I am immediately greeted with strong notes of banana along with a general, yeasty spiciness with touches of cinnamon and some almost roasty notes that come off almost savory, there are some undercurrents of something like a cherry reduction, but it is subtle. There are also some understated notes of chocolate here.

T: The first thing that leaves a strong impression here is the warm, caramel forward finish, followed by a savory bitterness. Working backwards, there is a definite savory, slightly roasty, somewhat fruity and even a bit nutty character that comes in just before the caramel finish. The phenolic banana note is present in subdued form. The alcohol is fairly evident here, but it is warming and pleasant. as a specter hovering over the whole experience, never quite dominating but never quite vanishing either.

M: The carbonation is evident but not overbearing, a sensation of sharpness that moves at such a tight syncopation as to be smooth in its sharpness. The body feels on the heavier end of medium. It finishes with a pleasantly dry sting on the tongue.


O: I don’t think I have found a new favorite holiday beer in Scaldis Noël, but it was anenjoyable experience nonetheless. In the realm of BSDAs it is, though of a kind, a bit different, and that is much appreciated. The savory quality that this beer brings is very hit-or-miss for me and in this scenario, it was a miss. Make no mistake, it’s not a beer ruiner by any means, but I can’t tell you that I loved it. Also, the absence of a clove note in the presence of the phenolic banana note was felt, and while I’m also particular about when I want a phenolic experience, I didn’t mind it here but wanted to get clove for balance. This is a beer that is easy to recommend for veterans of the style, but I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone new to Belgian Beer.
Feb 16, 2022
 
Rated: 4 by KT3418 from Colorado

Feb 14, 2022
Photo of Dentist666
Rated by Dentist666 from Russian Federation

4/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Under name Bush De Noel, the same 12% ABV.
Feb 08, 2022
Scaldis Noël from Brasserie Dubuisson Frères sprl
Beer rating: 90 out of 100 with 989 ratings