Superior Winter
De Achelse Kluis in Hamont-Achel, Limburg, Belgium 🇧🇪
Belgian Style - Strong Ale Special|
Score
7.17
|
|
Limited edition - A perfectly balanced flavor with subtle notes of cinnamon and ginger. Excellent with winter stews or creamy cheeses.
Sign up to add a tick or review
7.1/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 7
Overall 7
0.75 l bottle from 'Mr. Hop', best before October 2025, cellared for almost a year. Almost clear, very dark ruby with a large, foamy, almost stable, light beige head. Sweetish-malty, gently yeasty-spicy and slightly fruity aroma of caramel, raisins, cocoa and some clove. Quite sweet, malty, moderately bitter, rather spicy, quite yeasty, a little roasty and a bit fruity taste of caramel, cocoa, coconut, licorice root, anise, cinnamon and some raisins, followed by a medium long, moderately bitter finish. Medium to full body, quite effervescent mouthfeel, average to lively carbonation. Solid Belgian dark ale, quite spicy but still balanced, fits definitely well into the pre-Christmas season.
Tried
from Bottle
from Mr. Hop (webshop)
on 07 Dec 2025
at 18:56
8.4/10
Tried
from Bottle
on 31 Oct 2025
at 19:44
8/10
Tried
from Bottle
on 10 Oct 2025
at 22:19
6.9/10
—
Appearance 7
Aroma 7.5
Flavor 6.5
Texture 7
Overall 6.5
Bottle shared by Joen. Brownish color, reddish hue. Full sized a bit bubbly white to off-white head. Aroma is malts, distant sweet red fruit notes, moderate herbal and spice notes. Flavor is malts, sweetish, leaves lightly, lighty herbal malty. Soft malty bitterness. Not bad.
Tried
on 24 Sep 2025
at 19:31
7.5/10
—
Appearance 7
Aroma 7.5
Flavor 8
Texture 7
Overall 7.5
Bottle shared. Bit hazy dark brown with fluffy head. Lots of spices, caramel, bread crust, grassy hops, light earthy, dry unripe fruits. Over medium sweet but also a solid bitter finish. Over medium bodied. Not bad!
Tried
from Bottle
on 06 Feb 2025
at 19:39
7/10
Tijdens de jaarlijkse Devoxx trip meegenomen uit Meer (BE), wat kruidig, zacht, moet wel opwarmen
Tried
from Bottle
on 26 Oct 2024
at 19:53
6.8/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
On tap at the Brugge Beer Festival 2024, Brugge, Belgium. A dark ruby brown coloured pour with a decent off white head on top. Sweet, malty, dark fruit, caramel, cinnamon taste and aroma. Pretty damn sweet but it is fine.
Tried
from Draft
on 19 Sep 2024
at 09:18
7.9/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
75cl bottle from the De Achelse Kluis bottle shop. F: medium, tan, good retention. C: brown with coppery hue against the light. A: banana, ginger, apples, spicy, cinnamon, nutty, bit honey, leaves. T: full malty base, banana, red apples peels, nutty, spicy, leaves, caramel, honey, nice balanced bitterness, medium carbonation, nice winter ale, enjoyed yet I am bit sad that is not Trappist beer any more.
Tried
from Bottle
on 18 Feb 2024
at 19:39
6.6/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
Bottle, 75cl. Color: Clear ruby, beige head. Aroma: Malty, raisins, spicy. Taste: Malty, dark malt, raisins, some dark dried fruit, spicy clove and cinamon notes. Hoppy hints at the background. Medium body, just below average carbonation. Quite thin and a little disappointing, I expected more from this Achel special.
Tried
from Bottle
on 02 Feb 2024
at 20:23
6.5/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
Kerstbier Festival. Hazy dark orange brown beer with a beige head. Aroma of dark spicy malt, herbs. Taste of herbal and spicy dark malt, cardamon.
Tried
on 23 Dec 2023
at 10:28