Jenlain Bière De Noël
Brasserie Duyck

Jenlain Bière De NoëlJenlain Bière De Noël
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From:
Brasserie Duyck
 
France
Style:
Bière de Garde
ABV:
6.8%
Score:
81
Avg:
3.52 | pDev: 16.76%
Reviews:
71
Ratings:
88
Status:
Active
Rated:
Jul 05, 2016
Added:
Apr 27, 2004
Wants:
  4
Gots:
  2
No description / notes.
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Ratings by Sammy:
Photo of Sammy
Reviewed by Sammy from Canada (ON)

3.77/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
just a very good balanced taste profile beverage that worked for my friend and I for supper. Orange taste was apparent and not over the top. A nice biere de garde, moderated spicey taste overall , some citrus, not too bitter nor sweet perhaps it was aged some.
Jun 25, 2006
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.47 by Shanex from France

Jul 05, 2016
Photo of woodychandler
Reviewed by woodychandler from Pennsylvania

4.79/5  rDev +36.1%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
C'est La Nouvelle Bière d'Hiver Dimanche et je suis dans ma tasses! I bought this 330-ml./11.2-fl oz. bottle over at Hunger 'n' Thirst a while back, but today is the day.

From the bottle: "Brassee a Jenlain"; "Brasseurs Depuis 1922"; "Brasseurs Depuis Quatre Generations Duyck"; "Brasserie Duyck"; "Each year, to celebrate the holiday season, Brasserie Duyck brews a single batch of this very special ale as a gift to its loyal customers. Slightly different than the classic Ambree, Jenlain Noël is produced with three French barley malts and three varieties of the most aromatic malts from Alsace."; "This fine, unpasteurized ale has a rich, amber glow, a classic head, and a delicious floral nose, with suggestions of caramel and citrus fruit in the palate, but unlike many holiday ales, Jenlain Noel is brewed without the addition of any flavorings or spices. Enjoy and best wishes for the holidays!"

No spices?!? Sans epices? Tres bien! If you have been following today's reviews, you may have realized that my palate is beginning to flag after all of the spiced holiday ales. This is a welcome relief.

I Pop!ped the cap & performed one of the gentlest pours of my recent memory. Once in the glass, a swirl raised a ginger of foamy, light-tan head with decent retention. Color was Coppery-Brown (SRM = > 17, < 22) with filament brightness. Nose smelled like a Christmas cookie! Anise, molasses and dark bread all were present. Mmmmm. I loved being a pastry chef-in-training as a high school student & this was reminiscent of the holidays. Mouthfeel was full, thick & dense, like a hunk of dough on my tongue. Swoon! The taste was very doughy, initially, but then a sweet, dried fruit taste began to kick in, followed by a light smokiness. I felt like putting this in a greased pan and throwing it in the oven to bake! It was like a loaf of Christmas bread in liquid form. I almost fell to my knees in thanks for a reprieve from the onslaught of spiced ales today. This just made me happy. Finish was semi-sweet, very bready, slightly fruity and absolutely yummy. The fact that it can be enjoyed in a 330-ml. bottle makes it all the more attractive.
Feb 21, 2016
Photo of tone77
Reviewed by tone77 from Pennsylvania

3.74/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Poured from a brown 11.2 oz. bottle. Has a ice tea color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is of dark fruits, malts. Taste is malts, dark fruits, a touch of spice, some sweetness. As it warms, a bit of wine like grapes. Feels medium bodied in the mouth and overall a unique beer worth trying.
Jun 26, 2015
 
Rated: 3.5 by oriolesfan4 from Maryland

Jun 28, 2014
 
Rated: 3.25 by EGreen from Texas

Jun 18, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by afsdan from Colorado

May 22, 2014
Photo of metter98
Reviewed by metter98 from New York

3.48/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
A: The beer is crystal clear reddish amber in color and has a moderate amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a half finger high beige head that gradually died down, leaving a thin layer of bubbles on the surface and a collar around the edge of the glass.
S: Faint aromas of dark fruits are present in the nose along with notes of earthly yeast and hints of sweet malts.
T: The taste is similar to the smell, but has stronger flavors of dark fruits along with notes of earthy yeast and sweet malts. Among the fruity flavors, plums seem to stand out in particular.
M: It feels medium-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation. As the beer warms up, some smoothness is noticeable.
O: This is an interesting Bière de Garde and seems to share some properties that you would expect from a Belgian Strong Dark Ale (except for the higher alcohol content).
Jan 04, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by morebeergood from Massachusetts

Nov 27, 2013
 
Rated: 3.5 by RBorsato from Virginia

Oct 22, 2013
 
Rated: 3.25 by JAHMUR from Connecticut

Sep 02, 2013
 
Rated: 3.5 by Hopheadjeffery from Illinois

Aug 04, 2013
 
Rated: 4 by mrfrancis from Kentucky

Jun 19, 2013
 
Rated: 4 by kvnstfrd from Missouri

May 23, 2013
 
Rated: 2 by BGsWo22 from Texas

Mar 21, 2013
 
Rated: 3.5 by spycow from Illinois

Mar 11, 2013
Photo of StonedTrippin
Reviewed by StonedTrippin from Colorado

3.7/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4
on tap at j. ryans downtown syracuse. the pour is clear amber to cranberry juice in color, with the red hues really glowing. there is only a finger or two of lacey tan head, but it fades out in a few minutes. the nose is really remarkable, entirely unfamiliar. i smell some purple grape juice or must, the essence of fresh cherries, but nothiing sweet at all. theres also a rich caramel malt sweetness and something curious with the yeast as well, mildly but uniquely spiced. the flavors are really fruity up front, again with what seems to be grape being the most obvious. some spice in there as well, it isnt clove or allspice, but has a peculiarly holiday vibe to it. i appreciate this beers strange but comforting flavor profile, much apart from anything ive ever tasted. mouthfeel is a little odd for me. i would like either more body or more bubbles in this beer. without the body, it feels thin and watery, and without the bubbles, it lacks the pep needed to make a thinner beer feel good going down. that is definitely the weakness here. overall though i am so glad i got one of these, because while it is certainly a christmas beer, there is something unlike any other christmas beer about it, and that originality really makes its something to behold.
Dec 18, 2012
 
Rated: 3.75 by JohnK17 from Pennsylvania

Dec 11, 2012
 
Rated: 3.75 by t0rin0 from California

Sep 23, 2012
Photo of brokensail
Reviewed by brokensail from California

3.58/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
The pour is amber in color with a tall off-white head. Sweet caramel and toffee with a little bit of sugar. Lots of dark fruits on the nose, too. There is a touch of spice and maybe some apples. The flavor is fairly sweet. Mostly sugar with some caramel. A decent amount of dark fruits, especially raisins and plums. Not bad at all.
Jul 17, 2012
Jenlain Bière De Noël from Brasserie Duyck
Beer rating: 81 out of 100 with 88 ratings