Sainte Colombe Bière D'Hiver
Brasserie Sainte-Colombe

 

75cl bottle, best by Dec 09 notched on label. Poured into goblet.

Dark red to light brown color liquid, one finger light tan head settles to a light skim, with some lacing, after a minute.

Complex aroma of wood and spices.

There is a real depth of flavor, lots of different spices notes and malts working in balance. Rich malty flavors build in the mouth; light toastiness, some caramel, rich breadyness. Hints of spices that are impossible for me to put my finger on. There is some earthy cellar character to the taste, like a good whiskey.

Full mouthfeel, light carbonation is fine. Very drinkable. Alcohol not perceivable, no spices out of control.

A gorgeous beer.

Pours a barely red hued brown. Nose is nuts interestingly so. Sugared fruits are there as well. After a few pulls, I want to say the nose smells like a Flanders ale. Flavor is: wow. Man that is interesting. And I like it. I like it a lot. Wood tones are there. A mature sweet tone as well. I want to say nuts are the backbone as well. Very interesting. A bit earthy really. Feel has a slightly full carbonation, but it's pretty smooth. I like this beer. Unique (from my American perspective) and bringing a lot of interesting character to make it well worth trying.

Beer bottle (33 cl.), tasted in 2004.

Appearance: amber red color, with dense foamy head.
Smell : very aromatic (fruity) nose.
Taste and mouthfeel : sweet malty, slightly spicy and notes of honey.
Drinkability : a good amber beer in the style Belgian dark ale.