Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5
Brown colour, huge head. Fruity aroma with notes of black currant. Malty and sweet flavour with warming alcohol.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8
Appearance is reddish brown with a good amount of off white head. Has some shimmering cloudiness. Smells like sweet alcohol and figs, maybe some brown sugar in there and the yeast mixes in to the aroma, drying it out somewhat. Taste is surprisingly dry yet has some rich undertones. Like dry maple syrup, and molasses, even some woodiness in here. Perhaps a bit too dry. There is some big alcohol-fig/raisin taste towards the begining/middle, and the body is medium. Dosent thin out as much as leffe brun, so that was nice, though I find myself wanting just a touch more sweet malt. This beer is very delicately balanced and must be served at the right temperature (60-62 degreeish), to fully appreciate the complexity. This is very different from chimay red, and it is pleasant to try something different.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8
Light yellow/somewhat cloudy, with some honey/golden tinges. Smells like a mix of hops and yeast, though more citrus hoppiness than yeast. Begins very dry, like biting into a not yet ripe green apple. Some body comes through and there is a understated hop character with some floral tones. I thought it finished medium full and did not thin out. There was the typical yeasty taste left on the palate and some sour notes to go with it. Drawbacks are a tad bit of astringency and maybe a bit too much carbonation, though this is a great tripel, no hint of alcohol.
Clarkvv (16523) reviewed Christmas Ale from Brouwerij Corsendonk 22 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7
I am not sure if it is fair to rate this, because I had it on tap, and it must have gone bad, or they mixed it with water or something. There was little to no beer taste. Didnt finish it. It was like watered down French herbal liqueur(the name escapes me right now) way too much black licorice and no body trying to compensate for the high alcohol content Horribly disappointing. This was the 2002. I will have to try this again elsewhere and hopefully it will just turn out as a case of a bad barrel. RERATE. Ok, bought a bottle of the exact vintage I sampled in rating above (2002). Wow, much better. Rather watery for a belgian strong, I still must say, but not obviously a good bottle. Spicy, cinnamon, caramel, clove, some nice oak-like alcohol flavors. Low carbonation after it breathes a bit. Somewhat tart and acidic throughout.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8
Great looking, dark with a nice thick head. A little hint of citrus or zing is a better description when sipping it. Cant taste the alcohol at all.
Ah, how young and innocent I was. Lets see if things have changed.
12 oz bottle, best before 14/10/06, been sitting on this one for a bit waiting to rerate. Let this bottle warm for 30 minutes. Poured into a Corendonk slimmed tulip glass (not the one in the pic). Pours with a very large head, thats sitting for a while. Color is murky brown with a ruby-copper translucence. Cannot see through the beer and have to catch the light just right to see into it. Once that happens one can make out a lot of bubbles just going crazy inside. Aroma is strong, malty with a Belgian sweetness. Digging deeper I feel an effervescent, lively character. Just shoots through the nostrils. Mouthfeel is a perfect combo of carbination and medium body. Leaves a sweet belgian aftertaste. No hint of alcohol throughout. The taste is what I have come to seek from Dubbels. Nothing over the top. A strong malt presence but well balanced with a the sweetness. I get a slight hint of chocolate. It is a beautiful beer and still damn good.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8
One of the best Belgian pale ales. Nice golden color with a great looking head, second to only Duvel’s foamy top. Slight bitterness in the aftertaste. Smooth like a newborns bottom. RE-RATE (May 7, 2006): used to be one of my top beers to drink. Still enjoy this but not as terrific as I once thought it was. A little to lively for me. But still a fine brew.
I keep wanting to e-rate this on May, what a weird coincidence. So what I really love about this beer is the perfect use of banana esters in a lively yet easy drinking and full bodied Triple-like beer. There is just enough Belgian sweetness, banana esters and lively carbonation to offset each other.
Dogbrick (24210) reviewed Christmas Ale from Brouwerij Corsendonk 22 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 9
Thanks to Darkover for the trade. 'Tisn't really the season but this beer would hit the spot no matter what time of year. Pours a dark reddish-brown color with a medium thick creamy beige head. Very little lacing. Aroma is well-spiced. Nice rich texture, with flavors of caramel, malt, alcohol, spices (pepper) and a little fruit. The finish is warm and earthy and just a little bitter. Overall this is a well-balanced yet complex seasonal that I will look for over the holidays.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5
I looked for this on "www.ratewine.com"...but it wasn't there! What is this apple cider/port doing on ratebeer.com? J/k. Anyways, this beer is a bit apple-cider like for me, even down to the sediment in the bottom of the glass. Cidery, porty, and dry flavor. I liked the beverage, but this Corsendonk is guilty of stretching the definition of "beer."
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5
KA-POP! I think the cork put a dent in my ceiling. This has and cloudy, rusty appearance, with a nice head of medium-sized white bubbles. Fruity, yeasty, sweet aroma. The flavor is tart up front, but mellows into a slight malty sweetness, with notes of raisins, plums, and perhaps cherries. There is a slight, port-like character to it as well. This is like a cross between Westy 8 and Trois Pistoles, but with a little less maltiness and a lot more TANG!
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 7.5
Rerate from bottle bought in a LIDL in Germany, never would have believed that in 2003... Hazy golden, huge lacing foamy head. Fresh citric and earthy grassy hop aroma with a bit underlying funk. Medium light sparkly, light flat chalky mouthfeel. Hay and cake malt, somewhat light, orangepeel, sukat, frosting - clean flavors, lack a bit toothiness, a bit like trying to get a satisfying bite out of a Pannetone. Nevertheless fresh and very pleasant to drink, glad it held up over the ages. Old rating: 7 5 8 4 15 Flowery belgian ale aroma. Beautiful golden and big head. Fullbodied and fruity. A bit vineous and yeasty. Leaves with the sense of a job well done.