Chestnut/brown pour with a small, but stable slightly tanned head. Aromas of malt, candied oranges, marmalade, lemon, some wood. Flavour is orange, marmalade, malt, sweet bread, some smoky notes. Not overly boozy. It's quite enjoyable, but I somehow expected some more oomph. Thumbs up for being organic, too.

The organic version of Caracole’s classic winter ale, which I have not had for at least a dozen years or so; bottle at Huzaar in Ghent. Thick and rocky, pale yellow-beige, pillowy, slowly breaking head over a dark chestnut brown robe with mahogany hue, clear at first, misty further on. Aroma of dry raisins, brown bread, caramel, dried prunes, baked banana, a whiff of iron, coriander seed, clove, beech nuts, touch white pepper. Sweetish onset, brown-sugary but not cloying, clean and sleek with dried prune, candied fig and baked banana impressions over a deeper touch of blackberry-ish fruity sourishness which persists throughout; medium carb, rounded mouthfeel – pleasant, but actually rather slender for this kind of beer and this kind of strength. Caramelly, brown-bready maltiness with a nutty edge, developing a soft toasty bitterishness in the end as well as something very thinly metallic; hints of coriander and clove, the first added and the latter phenolic, keep it firmly in oldskool Belgian ale territory, while some leafy hops provide additional bitterness in the finish, aided by warming but non-offensive, brandy-like alcohol. Dried fruit sweetness in a non-sticky way lingers, very pleasantly so. I recall liking the original version quite a lot so many years ago, as a typically Walloon example of a Belgian style Christmas Scotch, feeling full, genuine, yeasty and well-measured; this one does essentially the same, but in a clearly more sleek and slender way, at least from what I remember when comparing with the original. Nice enough though, even on a sunny spring day.

Bottled. Brown colour, mediumsized beigeish brown head. Aroma is caramel, nutty, mild spicy and some wooden notes. Flavour holds the same elements as the aroma. Somewhat boozy. Feels surprisingly watery compared to the old version.

Bottled. A red-brown beer with a tan head. The aroma has notes of bread, caramel, and over ripe fruits. The flavor is sweet with notes of bread, over ripe fruits, caramel, and malt, leading to a bitter finish.

02/09/2018 @home - 33cl bottle from the brewery. Dark brown, small tanned head. Nose is dark malts, caramel, spice, taste is same. A lot less complex than the regular version, not more than a simple Abbey Dubbel.

(Bottle) Dark reddish brown colour with firm, beige head. Malty, roasted nose with caramel, chocolate, black rye bread, orange peel, coffee, dried fruit, spicy aromas of tamarind and some treacle. Malty, roasted taste with notes of chocolate, caramel, dried fruit, marzipan, orange peel, hazelnuts, black rye bread, spices and a sweetish finish with a mild bitterness and a touch of alcohol. More than medium body, with a slight sweetness. Soft and rounded mouthfeel for its strength. Well made, but feels like it’s lacking some of the complexity of the original version. Nice one.

F: average, brownish, not long lasting. C: dark brown to dark, non-transparent, a lot of yeasty debris in. A: cacao, chocolate, dark malt, dark dried fruits, candy, liquorice, vinous, yeasty, syrupy, banana. T: sour sweet together, dark cherries, plums, light bitterness, dried fruits, chocolate, cocoa, yeasty, biscuits, alcohol, iron, spicy, raisin, medium to full body, good carbonation, quite complex beer not bad at all, 0,33l bottle from Färm organic shop in Brussels.

How: Bottle.
Where: Systembolaget.
Appearance: Brown colour with a beige head.
Aroma: Spices, malt, caramel.
Body: Medium body and carbonation.
Flavour: Caramel, some liquorice, fruit, alcohol, yeast.