Kerstbier
Brouwerij Klein Duimpje

KerstbierKerstbier
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From:
Brouwerij Klein Duimpje
 
Netherlands
Style:
Belgian Dark Strong Ale
ABV:
8.5%
Score:
81
Avg:
3.4 | pDev: 18.53%
Reviews:
14
Ratings:
21
Status:
Active
Rated:
Dec 10, 2014
Added:
Feb 07, 2005
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  1
No description / notes.
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Ratings by jdhilt:
Photo of jdhilt
Reviewed by jdhilt from New Hampshire

4.1/5  rDev +20.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Pours a one finger very light tan head that fades slowly, leaving a good lace. Deep amber color, with a lot of floaties. Slight alcohol nose. Good carbonation and medium-heavy bodied. Flavor is sweet malty alcohol. Wicked pricey at $17.25 for a 750ml bottle from Tully's Beer & Wine Wells, Me.
Jan 10, 2010
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 2.25 by RBorsato from Virginia

Dec 10, 2014
 
Rated: 3.25 by jaydoc from Kansas

Dec 04, 2013
 
Rated: 3.25 by TeachChefs from Pennsylvania

Nov 09, 2013
 
Rated: 3.75 by smithj4 from New York

Jan 13, 2013
 
Rated: 1.5 by Hex92 from Virginia

Jan 02, 2013
 
Rated: 4.25 by t0rin0 from California

Oct 14, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by JAHMUR from Connecticut

Nov 20, 2011
Photo of mdcrouser
Reviewed by mdcrouser from Missouri

3.24/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Received as a Christmas present a month ago from my mother-in-law.

Muddy brown, with no head, little lacing.

Strong floral aromas up front, with bananas and some other dark fruits adding complexity.

Like bourbon to begin (was this aged in barrels?), with alcohol and light amounts of dark fruits at the fore. Vanilla, brown sugar, and woodiness too. Underneath lies something resembling the color - a bit of a murky mess.

Light carbonation, almost nonexistant. To the point that you wonder if something went wrong for it to be so mellow.

Almost flat when cold, but it really opens up as it comes to temperature - so much so that this is my third edit to this review. Still, not enough going on to make it very interesting.
Jan 31, 2011
Photo of JayS2629
Reviewed by JayS2629 from Alabama

4.19/5  rDev +23.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
A- Muddy dark cloudy brown. Looks like prune juice. Little bubbly head that disappears completely and quickly. No lace either.

S- Dark fruits, prunes, plums, apples, dark cherries, hints of chocolate and toffee, and belgian yeasts. Spices, nutmeg, cinnomon, and cloves.

T- Follows the nose. Fruity qualities of the dark fruits, chocolate notes and hints of toffee. A bit of a weak coffee at the end. Hints of a roasted quality. Cloves, nutmeg and cinnomon.

M- Medium bodied with a chalky, unfiltered feel. May just be my bottle, but it seems a little flat.

D- Nice balancing of flavors so that nothing is overpowering. Pleasant to drink. Wish mine had more carbonation.
Dec 24, 2010
Photo of metter98
Reviewed by metter98 from New York

3.82/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
A: The beer is cloudy brownish amber in color and poured with a thin head that quickly dissipated and left lacy patterns of bubbles covering the surface. A very slight amount of carbonation is visible.
S: There are strong aromas of fruits and holiday spices in the nose along with some hints of malty sweetness. Smells of apples, cherries and plums stand out in particular among the fruits while nutmeg stands out amount the spices.
T: The taste is very similar to the smell and is both fruity and has flavors of holiday spices along with some hints of caramel, malty sweetness and yeast.
M: It feels medium-bodied and slightly smooth on the palate with a light amount of carbonation. There are some hints of warming from the alcohol.
D: The beer is quite drinkable and its alcohol is well masked; it's a good one to sip during the holidays and enjoy the complexities of its smell and taste.
Dec 12, 2010
Photo of mwilbur
Reviewed by mwilbur from Minnesota

3.54/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Poured from 750 mL bottle into snifter. 2008 vintage.
A: Pours a murky light brown with almost no head. A bit uninspiring.
S: Nice warm Belgian spice, brown sugar, dark honey, and a nondiscript sweetly fruity (berry?) note floats through. A very nice turn.
T: Soft and mild caramel malt, muted belgian spice, some fruity (melon-like) esters, and a hint of wood. A bit toned down...my guess is this one's best days are in the past (has been aged 2 yrs).
M: A bit flat and bland here...lacking the usual depth of a belgian strong dark ale as well as the typical Christmas brew. Nothing offensive, but very average.
D: Decent drinkability, but for style this is just a smidge above average...so many better examples out there. A fairly easily drinkable 8.5%. Would be ok for a holiday party if the focus was more on enjoying conversation and less on the beer.
Dec 02, 2010
Photo of BEERchitect
Reviewed by BEERchitect from Kentucky

3.5/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
A solid Bock beer base with huge nutty notes and Christmas-ey complexity. Rich nutty (pecans, cashews and almonds) dominate the nose. Taste rounds out the nutty elements with sturdy malts of toast, bread crusts, light chocolate, and over caramelized toffee. Decorated with just enough nutmeg and allspice to gain a varying edge without over stating the spices. Hopped for balance only, this beer is definately malt focused. A great try from a beer and brewery that I am not yet familiar.
Dec 15, 2009
Photo of ccrida
Reviewed by ccrida from Oregon

3.85/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
750 ml bottle cellar about 8 months, poured into my large St. Feuillien goblet. Klein Duimpje Kersbier is a dark garnet with an off-white head leaving scattered lace.

Smell is sweet malt and alcohol, with a

Taste is rich malt, a sweet, almond like nuttiness, very madiera like, with an abrupt finish but then lingering malty aftertaste.

Mouthfeel is very creamy, medium body.

Drinkability is good, if you don't mind the sherry flavor, which I don't at all. Drinks much richer then the 7.5% cited on the label, a satisfying noel that won't prematurely end the festivities.
May 20, 2009
Photo of Kraken
Reviewed by Kraken from Maryland

3.4/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Reviewed from notes.

Poured from a corked and caged 750ml bottle into a Fin Du Monde Tulip glass. Firm pour yields a minimal head that fades very quickly. Lacing is fair. Coloration a deep and cloudy brown.

Nose- Caramel nuttiness, some dark fruit.

Palate- Dark and Brooding. Plenty of caramel sweet nuttiness. Some dark ripe fruits. Mildly cloying, nice hop finishing. Alcohol bite is present.

Mouthfeel- Dry, mildly cloying.

Drinkability- Ok
Jan 09, 2009
Photo of Gmann
Reviewed by Gmann from New York

3.25/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Out 750ml corked and caged bottle. Pours a musty chocolate brown color with a below average head for a Belgian. The brew dissipated into a very slight cap and left some lacing on the glass. The aroma is a bit faint, some malt and raisin sweetness. The taste is of brown sugar, lightly toasted malt, slight spice profile and hints of a dried dark fruit. Taste profile supports the ABV of a BDA not 8.5%. Not very fruity, no bold flavors. The feel is fairly light, dare I say watery, somewhat fizzy carbonation. Overall, sweet on the palate, some slight earthiness, astringent. A below average BSDA, no bold flavors. Though the ABV is hidden, there is no real flavor to support such a high ABV. Body is below what I expected. Not a bad beer by any means but not up to style.
Dec 20, 2008
Photo of ChainGangGuy
Reviewed by ChainGangGuy from Georgia

3.41/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Appearance: Pours a clear, mahogany-hued body with a small, off-white head.

Smell: Predominately fruity aroma smelling of black cherries and plums with a vague toasty maltiness and spice component in back.

Taste: A strong, estery fruitiness covers up what's left of a mild, dull malt character. Some mild bitterness, some earthy nutmeg spice. Sour yeastiness. Fruity, drying finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium-high carbonation.

Drinkability: This one's pretty fruity, folks, I gotta tell ya. Overall decent enough for a try.
Jun 13, 2008
Photo of Gueuzedude
Reviewed by Gueuzedude from Arizona

3.6/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Pours into my 25cl tulip glass with a frothy, amber tinged, initially fat-two-finger thick head. The beer is a deep amber color that shows a lightly hazy, orange-tinged, light amber color when held up to the light. The aroma has a nice fruitiness to it that is a mix of orange zest, berries, light cherry and a sweet plum note. There is a touch of spiciness here that reminds me of a mix of mace, clove and perhaps a touch of anise. There is a soft toasty grain note towards the finish that can be hard to find under the more dominant sweet aromatic notes. Overall the aroma is a mix of fruit and spices that definitely contribute a holiday mix of aromas.

Perhaps not as sweet as the aroma might have suggested, but there is enough sweetness, as well as a light tartness, to accentuate flavors of plums, currants, sweet cherries and red grapes. A spiciness comes in at the front of each sip (a mix of peppery carbonation, ginger and earthy spice notes) and it becomes a touch softer and more earthy towards the finish (coriander, earthy ginger and a slight spicy woodiness), but is noticeable throughout the flavor profile. A touch of warmth in the finish lets you know that this has some alcohol to it. The beer is fairly light, though not overly so for its strength; a medium heft provides a touch of palate coating softness, but is definitely not sticky.

This is quite fruity in both flavor and aroma, the fact that it is not overly sweet in the flavor helps to play up a soft, fruity acidity that keeps this a bit more interesting than it might be otherwise.
May 28, 2008
Photo of albern
Reviewed by albern from Massachusetts

3.3/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
A bit disappointing, but let's start first with the ABV. The bottle says 7.5%, not the 8.5% ABV that BA lists. The beer pours a dark amber, cloudy, with a nice part frothy, part soapy head. The retention is good and the lacing is equally good. The smell is caramel, roasted malts, and some spices, and strawberry. The taste is definitely sharp, overly spicey, and the alcohol too throaty for my tastes. The plus side is that there are the carmelized sugars, the bready malts, the roasted grains, the caramel, and the butterscotch notes. The problem is in the finish and this is where all the unpleasantness lies. The overly spicey, biting, unbalanced, and throaty alcohol character emerges and does not quit. The beer is pretty full bodied, decently carbonated, and sippable, but not all that drinkable. I paid 17.50 for this and it is simply not worth the expense.
Jan 12, 2008
Photo of Absumaster
Reviewed by Absumaster from Netherlands

2.77/5  rDev -18.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5
Pours a murky brown color with a very thin head with some big bubbles.

Smell is nice with fruit notes, some strawberry and a good portion of maltiness. Reminds me of some bockbeers.

Taste is slightly caramellic with a good malt bitter from the dark malts. Actually this is not enough caramel for a strong dark ale, but it is a winterbeer, so no offence. The bitterness is totally overdone. It does not match with the beerstyle, bitterness is pretty harsh and sharp. I think it is the wrong hop and too much of it. The body is medium and mouthfeel is somewhat sticky and because of the sharp bitterness not very pleasant.
Dec 22, 2006
Kerstbier from Brouwerij Klein Duimpje
Beer rating: 81 out of 100 with 21 ratings