Jenlain Bière De Noël - Brasserie Duyck

emerge077

Illinois

4.13/5  rDev +18.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

After trying the Jenlain Blonde and pouring out half of it, I was skeptical of this at first. Fortunately I had the chance to try it at a tasting, and it was memorable enough to pick up later.

Pours a pleasing deep amber tone, that glows when backlit. Ample foam, that settles to a ring and skim later on.

Smells like orange candy and subtle malt.

Taste is balanced and even, orange candy kind of floats in and isn't too sweet or cloying. Nice malty backbone, even mouthfeel. A butterscotch/diacetyl taste rides through in the aftertaste. A bitter/metal note is the only element out of place, otherwise it's a great seasonal quaffer.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2006 04:19:58 | More by emerge077

BGsWo22

New York

2/5  rDev -42.7%

03-21-2013 00:03:40 | More by BGsWo22

spycow

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev +0.3%

03-11-2013 05:11:49 | More by spycow

StonedTrippin

Colorado

3.68/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

on tap at j. ryans downtown syracuse. the pour is clear amber to cranberry juice in color, with the red hues really glowing. there is only a finger or two of lacey tan head, but it fades out in a few minutes. the nose is really remarkable, entirely unfamiliar. i smell some purple grape juice or must, the essence of fresh cherries, but nothiing sweet at all. theres also a rich caramel malt sweetness and something curious with the yeast as well, mildly but uniquely spiced. the flavors are really fruity up front, again with what seems to be grape being the most obvious. some spice in there as well, it isnt clove or allspice, but has a peculiarly holiday vibe to it. i appreciate this beers strange but comforting flavor profile, much apart from anything ive ever tasted. mouthfeel is a little odd for me. i would like either more body or more bubbles in this beer. without the body, it feels thin and watery, and without the bubbles, it lacks the pep needed to make a thinner beer feel good going down. that is definitely the weakness here. overall though i am so glad i got one of these, because while it is certainly a christmas beer, there is something unlike any other christmas beer about it, and that originality really makes its something to behold.

Serving type: on-tap

12-18-2012 17:33:48 | More by StonedTrippin

JohnK17

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev +7.4%

12-11-2012 20:46:57 | More by JohnK17

t0rin0

California

3.75/5  rDev +7.4%

09-23-2012 15:34:39 | More by t0rin0

womencantsail

California

3.58/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

The pour is amber in color with a tall off-white head. Sweet caramel and toffee with a little bit of sugar. Lots of dark fruits on the nose, too. There is a touch of spice and maybe some apples. The flavor is fairly sweet. Mostly sugar with some caramel. A decent amount of dark fruits, especially raisins and plums. Not bad at all.

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2012 17:35:23 | More by womencantsail

OriolesFan1008

Maryland

3/5  rDev -14%

06-05-2012 19:52:15 | More by OriolesFan1008

ianjsullivan

Maryland

3.55/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

ST: 750ml poured into a chalice.

A: Reddish brown with a thick half-a-finger white fluffy head.

S: Malt, sour fruit, and dry earth.

T: Sour fruit, a touch of bread, with some earthy wine like flavors.

M: Medium and very smooth.

O: Pleasant to drink, but it does not knock my socks off.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2012 02:18:02 | More by ianjsullivan

spdyfire83

Ireland

2.42/5  rDev -30.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

156th Review
Bottle to snifter

From notes. Enjoyed with some local beer geeks in Denver way back when. Thanks Bryan for this treat! I didn't get the vintage, but it was definitely a few years old from what I recall of the pre-pour/"presentation" discussion.

A: Medium brown. 0.75 (dull khaki) fingernail head on gentle pour.

S: Black berry and currants with pronounced spice profile (nutmeg, cinnamon, all-spice) and hint of malt.

T: Quite boring here - just dried berries with a pronounced all-spice flavor. Not much else. Dull, but a bit sweet.

M: Medium bodied with soft carbonation.

O: Too me there was a lot missing here, but maybe that's what they were going for. Not sure, but can't say I'd come back to this again. Another possibility is that it might just need to be enjoyed fresh.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2012 18:48:35 | More by spdyfire83

Meerkey

Virginia

3.3/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: Lots of foamy head. Clear, lots of bubbles. Reddish amber. Pretty decent lacing.

S: Oh man. So terrible. Must be skunked. Some hops and spices.

T: Pretty tasty. Lots of malts and some sugary fruits.

M: Pretty thin. Not exceptional. Just a little carbonation.

O: It's alright. Pretty drinkable, not exceptional. Might as well try it if you find one.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2012 03:11:22 | More by Meerkey

AgentMunky

Alabama

3.53/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 750mL bottle into a cervoise glass. Stamped L1257 07:15. I am assuming this is the Christmas 2011 vintage, though I have no real reason to think so. The bottle uncorks easily with a satisfying pop.

A: Gorgeous! Two fingers of firm head with good retention. A clear, red-amber colour with lots of bubbles within. Scattered lacing.

S: Smells quite skunky (and yes, it's in a green bottle). Spicy, earthy, grassy hops are not unpleasant.

T: Tasty! A heavy malt base is full of fruit and caramelised sugar. Bright and lightly sweet, with a European hop character striving for balance.

M: It's acceptable, if not exceptional. Bready-fruity malts and slight carbonation. Average mouthfeel.

O: Overall, an enjoyable, drinkable, pleasant (if mediocre) beer. The sticker price is the kicker -- $3.99 for this bottle is a steal. Highly recommended if you can find it for a comparable price (I got mine at a Total Wine & More). I might buy another one next season.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2012 02:36:21 | More by AgentMunky

Nerudamann

Arizona

3.85/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a bottle into an oversized wine glass.

Look – ruby-colored body with about a finger’s worth of khaki-colored foam that dissipates quickly.

Smell – it does indeed seem to be brewed with any additions. It gives a somewhat dry aroma. Interesting smell.

Taste – Immediately an interesting taste as well, but one that I can’t quite pin down. It doesn’t have this kind of texture, but it almost tastes like an animal oil (what actually comes to mind is duck for some reason). Not quite as dry as the aroma, but bitter in the late middle/finish.

Mouthfeel – it’s pretty well balanced, but leans just a little more toward the watery side.

Overall – very interesting brew, more intriguing than I thought it would be. Not a bad taste either.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2012 19:42:18 | More by Nerudamann

theopholis

California

3.15/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Appearance: Pours with a crustal clear, dark amber color. Very little head retention or lacing.

Smell: Interesting honey sweet, with a very interesting malt sweetness, with a bit of honey. Quite subdued.

Taste: Very roasty. The taste follows through on the sweetness with a remarkable malt presence; a bit of the sting from the bitterness of hops. A fair amount of spiciness. Has a Biere-de-garde feel to it.

Overall: Not great. Not awful. Worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2012 04:22:39 | More by theopholis

corby112

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev +14%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Draft at the Farmers' Cabinet in Philadelphia.

Pours a dark golden amber color with a two finger frothy white head that slowly settles into a lasting ring.  The glass is left coated with soapy lacing.

Slightly spicy aroma with a nice balance of dark fruit and biscuity malt.  Hints of pepper and cinnamon along with some cherry and dark berries followed by biscuity caramel malt.

Fuller bodied than expected with a nice balance of zesty spice, funky yeast, earthy hops, dark fruit and sweet malt.  A touch of bitterness up front followed by peppery spice that lingers over a slight medicinal character into a dry finish.  Hints of dark cherry with a nice malt backbone coutering the fruit/sweetness.  Hints of caramel malt and biscuit toward the finish.  Complex and much more flavorful than expected.

Serving type: on-tap

12-25-2011 05:02:32 | More by corby112

Zraly

Virginia

3.2/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a tulip glass. Pretty off-white head atop of a clear amber brew. Bubbles are pretty in the glass.

Metallic powder and yeast upfront -- a bit weird. However, the malt is nicely sweet and mellow. Carbonation is lush enough to make this dry and light on the palate. Subtle spice in the finish and a bit phenolic as it warms. I find the alcohol to be mild. In sum, although it has a light metallic taste, this semi-funky Biere de Garde drinks decently.

A nice salad beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2011 23:26:32 | More by Zraly

ROGUE16

Delaware

3/5  rDev -14%

12-07-2011 12:30:03 | More by ROGUE16

nmann08

Maryland

3/5  rDev -14%

11-15-2011 21:52:44 | More by nmann08

BlackHaddock

United Kingdom (England)

2.68/5  rDev -23.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Obtained from a huge French Hypermarket in Calais in Dec 2010, this brown 25cl bottle was one of many in a multi-pack.

Best before 25 Nov 2011, this last bottle of the pack was opened and reviewed during one of my 'random beer tasting evenings' in April 2011.

Poured into a La Chouffe stemmed tulip shaped goblet: clear toffee apple red body, with an off-white head on top. A great pity that the head goes completely before you get a real chance to appreciate it.

I found hints of malts and cloves in the nose, so fairly Christmassy.

The taste was of sweet malts which faded quickly to a nasty metallic feel, this dried the mouth out and combind with the thin, weak body depth left me very disappointed.

Years ago I thought the Jenlain (Duyck) beers were the best in France, either I've changed my taste, or they've changed their beers!

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2011 19:28:51 | More by BlackHaddock

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

2.05/5  rDev -41.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

750ml bottle - $4.54 at Total Wine & More in Kennesaw, Georgia.

Appearance: Pours out a clear, darkened orange body with a bubbly, off-white head that's soon settled out.

Smell: Simple syrup and cheap bottom-shelf alcohol coating some fruits, including some dried citrus accents. Might be more to it, but I'm not sticking around longer to find out, as, instead of failing to even pull me in, it's a beer that pushes you away with its shortcomings.

Taste: Toasty malts, a bit of basic caramel, and some simple, unrefined sweetness. Then, a sip of coarse, well-level alcohol quickly scuttles the taste after the dreadful opening. Light cherries, but, with the booze, it yields a hint of cough syrup medicine. Growing dried bitter orange peel midway and into the sizzlingly crisp finish and beyond.

Mouthfeel: Medium-light body, with some sugary stickiness to it. Moderate level of crisp carbonation.

Overall: Each sip was a bit worse than the last. Frankly, I was quite glad to be done with it and, no, I didn't get through the entire bottle. Nothing resembling a quality Bière de Garde here at all.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2011 00:15:16 | More by ChainGangGuy

UCLABrewN84

California

3.78/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Picked this up for a whopping $1.99 on clearance at Total Wine.

Pours a murky semi-opaque dark iced tea color with a tiny 1/2 tan head that fades to an oily film on the top of the beer. A few stands of random lace on the drink down. Smells of muted caramel, malt, and some citrus juices. Taste is of caramels, biscuity malt, and some light grapefruit flavors on the finish. There is no bitterness whatsoever with this beer. Very light but lively carbonation. Somewhat sticky and coating in the mouth. Overall, a good holiday offering that is still very tasty months after its release.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2011 03:54:17 | More by UCLABrewN84

Georgiabeer

Georgia

3.78/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Interesting beer. Not what I'd usually consider a Christmas beer, I'd actually prefer something like this in the summer, with its zingy citron and lemon notes married to a bit of brown sugar and bitter orange. Whenever, I'd enjoy this. It pours an orangey amber with a fairly short head that fades to a thin cap. The aroma is pure orange juice with a bit of spice at the end. The taste reminds me of an English lemon barley water. A bit soupy with grain, but in a light sort of way and with a nice citrus overlay that is quite refreshing. It starts out lemony, but as it opens up it tastes more of tangerine and orange with hint of spice. Quite nice. Perhaps a tad too light and seltzery in the mouthfeel, but ovarall this is a nice refresher- but not what I'd be looking for in a winter brew.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2011 22:43:23 | More by Georgiabeer

JBIII

Georgia

3.58/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

notes od candied sugar, victory malt and complex hop finish. Subtle residual caramel flavoring and impressive belgian lacing. Beer appears to be dry hopped with multiple hops. Light and creamy on the toungue with a distinct after taste. Definitely worth a try, but not worth seeking out

Serving type: on-tap

01-16-2011 23:44:00 | More by JBIII

mdfb79

New York

2.68/5  rDev -23.2%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

From 01/02/11 notes. Had at a local DC tasting.

a - Pours a clearish amber mahogany color with one inch of white head and light carbonation evident.

s - Smells of wheat, bready malts, bicuit, and metal.

t - Tastes same as the nose, bready, biscuit, dough, and slight metal. Not great.

m - Light body and moderate carbonation.

d - A below average beer with a slight metal smell and taste. Wouldn't seek out again.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2011 01:06:00 | More by mdfb79

scootny

New York

3.65/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A lighter, bubblier Christmas ale. Brilliantly clear ruddy copper with an off white head that disappears with little traces on the glass. Smell is quite different. Ginger and citrus with a sweet light caramel and a bit of malt. Taste is sweet and orangey. Spiced chai tea with ginger and sugary sweet malt. Light, well carbonated feel is crisp on the tongue. As it warms the the sugary caramel mellows and blends into the malt structure. Dry clean finish. Hops are subdued to say the least. Refreshing and quite drinkable. Like a sweet lager. Not in the usual holiday mold but then again it is French. Vive le difference!

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2010 00:26:40 | More by scootny