A European Christmas is something special, no matter how many you’ve been there for. The short days and cold winter nights signal the introduction of the Christmas markets in the town squares, full of beautiful ornaments for the Christmas tree, all manner of scarves and gloves and the waft of gluhwien as you browse the stall. And the special dark seasonal beers that you look forward to all year.
Even the big boys indulge in this tradition, which is why we have the Leffe Biere de Nöel.
Many of the Kerstbiers are big dark monsters of 10% plus, but Leffe bring their Christmas beer in at a very moderate 6.6%.
It pours a dark mahogany with aromas of plums, raisins, clove and nutmeg. And these attributes follow through in the flavour. A fairly sweet and dark fruity malt body, with a little bitterness and spicy to break things up.
This really is the introduction to Christmas beers, and kind of whets the appetite for something bigger and bolder. But a really pleasant beer to enjoy on a cold night when in need of a little warming.
A rich and boozy Christmas beer to 'add lustre' to your festive celebrations
The 2016 annual vintage Christmas beer from Brasserie Dubuisson
by Brouwerij Corsendonk (at Brasserie Du Bocq)
To help celebrate Christmas in July we have this festive treat from Corsendonk
by Brouwerij Corsendonk (at Brasserie Du Bocq)
The Christmas ale from this well-regarded abbey label
A wonderful winter seasonal offering from the Delirium label - one we look forward to each year
by Brasserie d'Achouffe (Brouwerij Duvel Moortgat)
The winter seasonal offering from the Chouffe Brewery - a dark beer brewed with thyme and bitter orange
A decidedly different and very interesting Kerstbier
A lovely spiced fruit cup of Christmas pudding in a 10% strong dark ale
The Struise Tsjeeses is their blond-amber Christmas seasonal beer, with this 2014 vintage being aged in Bourbon barrels
Tongerlo's Christmas beer is a little different to most of the Belgian Kerstbiers
Struise's winter seasonal offering - a 10% strong blond spiced ale
A dark seasonal offering, capturing all the rich flavours of the festive season.
A Christmas beer that is lighter, drier and hoppier than a standard winter seasonal
The biggest and best beer of the Leffe range - a 9% tripel style ale.
The newest beer in the Leffe range - a classy, tastier version of the iconic blond ale
A Belgian IPA using Mapuche hops grown exclusively for Leffe on the plains of Patagonia
Like a bigger, tastier (and classier) version of the classic Leffe Blond
