Serafijn Christmas Angel - Microbrouwerij Achilles

Beerenauslese

California

4.97/5  rDev +29.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Pours with a 2-finger head, dissipating to a fine lace. A cloudy translucent amber-brown. Smells of pineapple, brown sugar, and green hops. Tastes of sweet ripe pineapple, apple, and bananas and papayas and other tropical fruit, finishing with a buttery toffee and a slight coca-cola metalic taste. The mouthfeel is medium body. This is a very drinkable beer. Part of the Shelton Bros. giftpack of Xmas in Belgium beers--imported by hand, so the label says--I'd like to wake up XMAS morning and see CASES of this one under the tree. I want a slice of walnut banana cake to go with it, covered with a mango papaya fruit icing. This is a Belgian beer that showcases how the art of craft brewing in Belgium is so alive, brought to you by Microbrouwerij Achilles, in Itegem, Belgium. I just had a Piraat before tasting this one, and the fruit of the Serafijm is reverberating off of what makes the Piraat so delightful. This night, I am in love with the Christmas Angel.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2008 03:27:19 | More by Beerenauslese

Beerman3000

Connecticut

4.43/5  rDev +15.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Hazy, light amber color, with a moderately large, buff-colored head. Pleasant, caramellly malty nose, with hints of toffee and candy sugar. Slightly fizzy at first, but pouring a little harder on the second glass fixes that problem. Pleasant, caramelly, slightly sweet, but full flavor, with toffee tones and just a little bitter hops in the finish. Full, rich , but not as aged or complex as many Belgian ales are. Very drinkable and pleasant, however. A tad of nutty character, which is unusual for a Belgian Ale (comes off like a German Altbier). Pretty good, considering it was made in some Flemish musician's garage, but not as satisfying as most Belgian ales, and probably not worth the $12.99 I paid for it.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2009 01:56:47 | More by Beerman3000

DogFood11

California

4.38/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

750ml bottle capped. Nice Phhhttt when popped. Chill hazed Orange body with random medium sized carbonation. Off white head leaves some sliding spider web lace.

Oh boy, this has a large and sharp smell. Bubble gum up the yin yang. Big league chew meets rollo's. This is rather large in every aspect. The caramel doesn't come through much in the smell but is a huge factor in the finish and aftertaste. Very interesting brew. Pop rock like carbonation fizzes with each pull.

Notes: This is unique and to me tasty and well worth seeking out. Not as sweet as I may have made it sound as the carbonation zips it into place.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2008 06:05:01 | More by DogFood11

dahlen22

New Jersey

4.38/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Looks: Orange/yellow hue with good carbonation and head.

Aroma: Fruits, spices.

Taste: Complex brew here. Starts off smooth with hints of orange and honey. Then upon being taken down, it gets spicy and the spice and alcohol warmness linger around for a bit. Finishes with more fruits (oranges, pears), caramel, breadiness, and a bit of nuttyness.

Overall: I REALLY like this Christmas Ale from Belgium. Strong enough to keep you warm during winter, yet drinkability is high as is the ABV, and that is a great combo. Cheers!!

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2010 23:48:49 | More by dahlen22

adamette

Ohio

4.35/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

11.2 ounce bottle which is the third of 5 "Christmas in Belgium" beers that I will taste and rate. The package was $25 making each beer $5 on average. Purchased at Chuck's Fine Wines in Chagrin Falls. Poured into my Great Lakes Christmas Goblet.

A An opaque great looking brown orange body under a short lived 1 cm head.

S An orange/lemon citrus sweet smell of malt and almost no bitterness to the nose.

T That Belgian malt/yeast combination which is so very enticing. The finish is a bit thin but this is a nice tasting beer. I am finding it hard to believe that this is an 8% ABV beer since I cannot taste the alcohol at all. This is certainly a beer that will "sneak up you."

M Big in front but then, as mentioned, thins out in the last third of the taste and then on into the finish.

D Really good. Again, be careful because it is so enjoyable to drink the ABV can really catch you unawares.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2009 02:45:34 | More by adamette

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

4.33/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Clouded amber appearance, adequate off-white head.

Big aromatics, large, loud yeast, plenty of fruit, apples, pears, cherries, melon, somewhere between sweet and sour...just this side of funky, and entirely reminiscent of the that essence found in the best trappists. Love it!

Tastin'...fairly fizzy in the mouthfeel, a little too tingly on the tongue, but the fruit continues, the funky fresh feelintg in the flavor, and lingers in the finish. A spicy kick drives through the drink. Warm, slightly boozy, bready, plenty of malt and yeast, and everything I look for in a holiday ale.

Nice one!

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2007 10:37:50 | More by feloniousmonk

jdhilt

New Hampshire

4.28/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours five+ finger white head that fades very slowly, leaving some lace. Hazy amber color. Good carbonation and medium bodied. Grass and malt nose and flavor has malt, hints of honey - nice mellow sweetness. $3.99 for a 330ml bottle from Julio's Liquors Westborough, Ma.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2011 22:28:55 | More by jdhilt

JohnGalt1

Idaho

4.25/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

330 ml bottle given to me by my wonderful fiancee as a part of the Shelton Bros Christmas in Belgium mixer. Poured into my Kasteel tulip.

Nice but shortlasting 1" head.. over a hazy orange/amber brew... looks very pretty when held to a light.

Aroma is fruits.. cherries.. peaches.. mango and a zesty nose clearing navel orange and lemon... dry and yeasty funk for sure.

Pale malts and Belgian yeasts .. more citrus here... lite lemon zest.. prickly but fine bubble carbonation ... a little brown sugar and caramel with a distinctly tangerine and dry apple skin finish ... Belgian spiciness.. Lite/medium body given the ABV.. carbonation really pushes the flavors through the palate.

I can't thank Brenda enough for scoring these Belgians for me ... a very nice Christmas present that is just for me.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2007 08:22:41 | More by JohnGalt1

philipquarles

Louisiana

4.22/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours an opaque mahogany with a medium off-white head. The head dissispates to leave a foam film and little lacing.

Smells of sweet malt and candy sugar, along with banana and maybe a hint of cherry some slight alcohol. The taste is similar at first, but finishes on an odd note--kind of spicy and almost a bit tart. Some definite hop bitterness.

Really an odd beer that gets better with every sip. I'm going to have to try this one again.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2008 03:12:51 | More by philipquarles

Nick3

California

4.22/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Beer is a burnt orange color and pours 2 finger, off white head. No real lacing to speak of. Nose is floral hops and some citrus notes. Beer is extremely well balanced for the style which works great to mask the alcohol. Beer is rich in flavor, like a quad, but not nearly as complex. Medium bodied with ample carbonation and leaves a surprisingly mild malty finish. An enjoyable and rather unique beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2009 06:27:02 | More by Nick3

branko7

Illinois

4.22/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A lot of foamy head, before settling down to a golden brown color. Not very carbonated, which I like. A sweet, malty taste, but with some hop crispness at the end. 8% alcohol not very prominent. Not too complex, but very balanced, refreshing, and drinkable. Tasty.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2011 05:34:05 | More by branko7

Wildman

Ohio

4.13/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer poured a medium slightly clouded amber color and formed a nice light tan foamy head that coated the glass with lace as it subsided. A medium amount of carbonation is present. An aroma of malt, apples and spices. The flavor was of malt, candy, and caramel. The body was medium light and the finish rather sweet.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2008 04:24:04 | More by Wildman

Risser09

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

11.2 oz bottle poured into a snifter - 2007 bottling? - Cellar temp

Appearance: Pours a slightly hazy brown and orange color. Generous 1.5" head that is off white in color. Good retention. Sticky tentacles of lace cling to the glass.

Smell: Belgian spice & Belgian yeast. Malt sugars. Orange, pear, apple. Lightly spiced with cinnamon and pepper.

Taste: Distinctly malty, with different flavors than the nose would have you believe. Dense malty sugar, caramel, which is followed by a hop bite.

Mouthfeel: Quite creamy and incredibly smooth drinking. Medium bodied with slick, small, carbonation. Alcohol is only felt in the belly.

Drinkability: Great! Creamy and fulfilling. Moderately spiced. Alcohol is 8% but is not cloying. I liked this beer, and found it to be very well rounded. Worth a shot and I will be drinking it again.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2008 12:59:14 | More by Risser09

srandycarter

California

4.1/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Murky apple cider, near white puffy head, reduces to ring. Some cling lace.

S - Fresh, bready, deep malt. Sharp note from almost juicy fruit type fruit.

T - Taste goes with smell. Nice bread, good fruit and a slight sour tang at the end.

M - Medium body, tons of carb, nice balance.

D - Despite the ABV, pretty pleasant. Would have a few.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2010 05:18:04 | More by srandycarter

WVbeergeek

Ohio

4.1/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Small 11.2 oz bottle 330 ml bottle, whichever...this one pours a slightly hazed amber color with a fine white head forming thick even lacing patterns. Aroma has tart apples with a grassy earthiness going on with smooth flowing alcohol notes. A smooth hint of caramel in a well constructed easy drinking christmas amber ale, goes dow so esay. Very nice drinking Christmas ale goes down super smooth velvet texture, with even strong flowing carbonation almost effervescent texture going on. Great Christmas biere that I will revisit, when available what's funny is that I've never seen this one in my life.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2011 01:24:57 | More by WVbeergeek

spinrsx

Ontario (Canada)

4.1/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

11.2oz bottle from Bevmo La Quinta CA for 3.99$

Appearance - Hazy amber/copper colour with an average size fizzy off-white coloured head. There is an average amount of carbonation showing and there is some faint lacing. The head lasted for around 4 minutes before it was gone.

Smell - Herbal, corn, dark fruits, spices

Taste & Mouth - The beer has an above average amount of carbonation and I can taste candied sugar, grapes, and caramel/butterscotch. There is also a light amount of all-spice/clove spiciness and some coconut. It ends with a fruity sweet aftertaste and a bit of lingering spiciness/bitterness.

Overall - Really enjoyed this one. Great flavours that are well balanced yet potent. Doesn't necessarily strike me as a Christmas beer though.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2012 00:48:23 | More by spinrsx

bmwats

Louisiana

4.05/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from 33cl bottle into my Duvel sn-ulip.

A: Medium dark cloudy amber. Pours a 1 finger bubbly off-white head. Leaves a few bubbles on the surface. Some spider web lacing remains. Bubbly carbonation builds up around the fringes of the brew.

S: Roasted malt, nuts, grain, and chocolate.

T: Spicy, and a little sweet, grainy malt flavor. Strong alcohol taste. Malt is strong, fragrant, and robust. Nutty and woody.

M: Light, but really full. A little peat coats the palette. A little bitter and really dry finish.

D: Sip or drink.

Really nice atmosphere. Appearance is quite nice, especially for the style which is generally kind of non-descript. Nose is full and fragrant. Nice combination of flavor tones. Overall, this is a really good quaff.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2010 04:22:09 | More by bmwats

Irie

California

4.03/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Foggy apple color with floaty fermentation goodness. Smells like apple, malts, and a bit nutty. Low retention but great lacing.
Crisp mouthfeel with a very smooth finish. Great aftertaste with fantastic balance. I really like the sweet finish after the slightly hoppy twang. Easy to drink with a nice full body, while still being smooth and fairly light.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2008 02:01:23 | More by Irie

GClarkage

California

4/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

01/19/08- Purchased at Sun Devil Liquors in Mesa, AZ.

Presentation- 750ml bottle with no freshness info to be found. Poured into my La Chouffe tulip.

Appearance- Rust orange in color with a full one inch head upon pour. Settles at a good 1/4 inch through full consumption. Leaves light lace trails.

Smell- Very bready, but in a sweet way. Kinda like walking into a Cinnibon store. Sweet confectioniers sugar with a touch of sweet apple zest.

Taste- Very yeasty and bready in the flavor as well. Kinda like drinking a sugar coated pretzel. Odd, but interseting and good. Apple comes through in the taste as well, plus maybe a hint of figs and definite hops also.

Mouthfeel- A bit creamy with a high carbonation level in the beginning and a medium ratio towards the end. Good hoppy aftertaste as well.

Drinkability- The perfect "4" beer. A bit festive and definitely tasty.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2008 01:02:02 | More by GClarkage

RoyalT

Ohio

4/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance - This BSPA poured a beautiful, deep, rich orange in color with a wonderful white head that left a pool of foam on top of the liquid.

Smell - The fruits here are large and in charge. The orange, spiced with corriander, leads the way but the light banana and peach are clearly noticeable. There is a light herbal hoppiness to the mild liquid malts and all of these smells form a really nice bouquet.

Taste - The malt and hop tandum grow bigger at the taste. The fruits don't dominate at the tongue like they do at the nose but are still wonderfully balanced.

Mouthfeel - This is bigger than medium-bodied but not full. The carbonation, so important in Belgian ales, is spot on here.

Drinkability - This is my first tasting of the Achilles line and I was mildly impressed. It has a lot of good, big flavors but it's not so big that only an experienced Belgian drinker can appreciate it.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2008 04:11:32 | More by RoyalT

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

4/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had to grab a glass when I saw this on tap at Max's.

The beer pours the color of sweet ice tea with good head retention and lacing. Interestingly, I pick up some sweet ice tea on the nose, along with some orange citrus and considerable honey. The flavor profile replicates the nose in this moderately at most sweet beer. There is some light hoppy bitterness in the finish as well, which helps to counter and balance the sweetness in this beer. Mouthfeel is light to medium bodied, with a moderately long finish. Drinkability is pretty good, with the aloohol well integrated into the flavor profile.

Hmmmm.... while a solid beer, my recollection of the bottle I had was that it was superior to the draft version I'm trying now. Still a solid beer, but I confess I was expecting a bit more.

Serving type: on-tap

01-15-2011 18:32:14 | More by johnmichaelsen

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a fully clouded ruby hued orange. Nose is laden with sugar and also a nutty touch almost. Flavor is thick with sugar and funk. Spice edge on the back side. Nice and even and smooth. Level feel for both liquid and carbonation. A good one to drink.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2008 07:00:38 | More by RblWthACoz

rtepiak

Poland

3.98/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

pour is a cloudy amber with a slight off white head that doesn't have much... nose is a plum, pine tree and pine apple. the palate is that with an ale like consistency that makes it feel surprisingly not Belgian. although the yeast quality is there with a pollen honey note that doesn't over do it. the beer is a tad boozy and the nose has a distinct belgian sugar cane quality to it. as it sits it opens up like a triple almost. plum citrus becomes floral. there is subtle hay from munich malt... some clove... all in the lace of a honey comb. slight pepper finish with a mineral dryness although not outstanding.

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2010 09:13:55 | More by rtepiak

taigor

New York

3.98/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a small glass.

A - Poured clear light brown color with medium head that quickly dissipated leaving slight lacing around the glass.

S - Slightly grassy with hints of yeast and spices like nutmeg and pepper. Fruits like strawberries and bananas present as well.

T - Very sweet malts and yeast with fruits and hints of spices.

M - Medium bodied with average carbonation.

O - Very nice belgian pale ale but a little too sweet for my taste. Overall I would recommend it.

Serving type: on-tap

04-06-2011 19:47:33 | More by taigor

brewdlyhooked13

Ohio

3.95/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Appearance - pours a dark caramel, butterscotch color. Two fingers of dense, creamy light-tan foam. Just a few stray dots of lace as the head falls back, staying at a thick cover inside the tulip glass.

Aroma - fruity, apple and yeast, pretty exclusive at first. Allows a little Belgian character after a few minutes.

Taste - grainy with some Belgian candi sugar and light yeast charcter. Lots of boozy flavor, a little much, but blends in well for the most part. A little bite of hops on the swallow. The finish is a mild reprise of the Belgian yeast flavor.

Mouthfeel - fluffy, full-feeling and crisp. Very complementary.

Drinkability - the best of the Belgian beer gift set so far.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2009 16:00:34 | More by brewdlyhooked13