Corsendonk Christmas Ale - Brouwerij Corsendonk

rinhaak

Massachusetts

4.35/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

11 oz. bottle poured into a goblet.

Pour a very dark brown with hints of a deep ruby red. There is a thick head that lingers for the entire glass. The pour really draws you in.

The banana aromas are smelled immediately upon popping the top of the bottle. Buttery cloves, yeasts, and brown and raw sugars are also present.

The first thing I think of when I took a sip was: "spicy." Not chili-pepper spicy, but rather full of intense warming spices: allspice, cloves, cinnamon. There is a lot of molasses and cherry syrup flavors, as well as chocolate-dipped maraschino cherries. Tootsie roll flavors seem to congregate primarily at the front of the tongue, and the cinnamon and clove spiciness was mostly at the back of the tongue. The beer evolves and becomes considerably more complex as it sits in the glass; I recommend letting it sit a good 15 minutes before all the flavors come to the fore. It finishes with a full malty gingerbread flavor that warms your soul.

Overall a fantastic Christmas beer that rivals the best. Highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2011 02:22:38 | More by rinhaak

beerdrifter

Germany

4/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Picked this up at my favorite beer store in Belgium, Dranken Geers. Clear mahogany pour with two finger head and decent retention and lacing. Loads of malt in the nose with hints of brown bread, molasses, brown sugar, and a touch of dark fruit, with a bit of bubble gum and cloves emerging as it warms. The taste is much the same with prunes and sweet brown bread dominating. I'm also getting hints of toffee, tea, caramel and cloves. The mouthfeel is slightly syrupy, but incredibly smooth and drinkable for the ABV. A very impressive Christmas beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2011 18:58:57 | More by beerdrifter

philbe311

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev -5%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Sipping with one out of a petty nifty glass that came as part of the gift set...

A - A voluminous light-to-medium khaki colored airy froth sits atop and is comprised of lots of big chunky bubbles... Pretty impressive retention... The color is a medium-to-dark caramel brown... Fairly still with no noticeable carbonation... Gobs of gooey lacing clings to the sides of the glass...

S - Lots of malty goodness... Toffee... Figs... Dates... Sticky buns... Brown sugar... A very subtle but pleasant spiciness as well highlighted by notes of nutmeg and cinnamon... A bit subdued but yet rather complex... Very inviting and warming...

T - The malty goodness is even more pronounced on the palette... Bursting at the seems with brown sugar and toffee... Sweet desert breads... A mix of dark fruits... A subtle spice kick on the finish... Perhaps a touch of booze as well... Lots of flavors linger...

M - Medium to full bodied... Slightly viscous... A bit sticky... Lightly carbonated... Coats the mouth...

D - A highly enjoyable Belgian Strong Dark Ale and holiday seasonal... Lots of good things going on in nearly ever facets with good complexity and sophistication... A nice drink to unwind with after a long day... Perhaps this one is just a bit cloying which detracts slightly from on overall solid offering...

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2011 00:38:26 | More by philbe311

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

4.03/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle shared by jayhawk73. Thanks Jeff.

The beer is a chestnut brown hue with hints of sunburst orange. The head is a light tan color, leaving plenty of lacing on the goblet. The aroma offers yeast, malt, alcohol, brown sugar. The flavor is distinctly Belgian. A bit sweet, but balanced by a bready, yeast character. Spritzy carbonation and medium bodied. A solid beer. I would definitely have this again.

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2011 04:37:39 | More by Huhzubendah

jayhawk73

Maryland

4.4/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a dark amber/brown w/ an amazing two finger cocoa head. Very good lacing on the side of my snifter glass. Nose is cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar, and molasses. Very nice, although I'd like it to be a little stronger. Taste is very nice- toffee, bread, nutmeg, cinnamon and coriander, w/ a little brown sugar and molasses. Very complex in character- a step up from the nose. Feel is medium bodied w/ nice carbonation, as well as a nice aftertaste. Overall, this is a really solid brew. Probably my second favorite Christmas ale. Cheers.

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2011 04:13:47 | More by jayhawk73

RedBeerchetta

Massachusetts

3.83/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On tap at American Craft.

Not muc of a head, and I like head on Christmas beers.

Scent is great. Cinnamon, some citrus, biscuits. Nice, just lacking a little "breadiness" for my palate.

Taste is a bit thin, but still enjoyable. Caramel, sweet, holiday spices. Yum, but Christmas beers are my favorite and this isn't my favorite of those.

Serving type: on-tap

12-03-2011 00:22:06 | More by RedBeerchetta

musicforairports

New York

4.03/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On-tap at The Ruck in Troy from a 2010 keg the bar aged for a year. Served in a mini-snifter.

Dark brown in color, clear ruby hues in light. Small head and no lacing.

Smells of plums, raisins and green apples.

Flavor is fruity and smooth, a bit subdued. I'm guessing its mellowed out with the age. Plum and apple notes and a lot of raisin in the flavor. A bit nutty. Faint notes of coriander-like spice, but this is definitely not a winter warmer.

Medium mouthfeel, decently carbonated. Smooth but full, with the right carbonation at the right time--I like the mouthfeel a lot, but I'm always at a loss to describe this category.

Overall this is good for the style and a good beer. I'm curious to try one that hasn't been aged. I think I'm going to pick up a 2011 bottle and compare, and add it to this review.

Serving type: on-tap

11-27-2011 04:42:08 | More by musicforairports

Hoptometrist

Oregon

3.85/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Served from the bottle into a tulip glass. Tons of smoke came out when opening it, more than I have ever seen, started to gush slowly too, but I got it in the glass in time.

A- Poured a very dark opaque reddish brown color with a massive three or more finger head. Big foamy, fluffy head with lots of big bubbles left tons of chunky lace.

S- Lots of dark cherry, raisin, belgian yeast, and spices

T- Big raisin, lots of cherry, belgian yeast, clove, medicinal notes, and metallic finish

M- Syrupy but not overly so, sticky mouthfeel, nice warming feeling, alcohol presence is there, but not overpowering. Finish of the beer lingers, sits on the palate for a little while.

O- A nice belgian strong dark ale, lots of big fruit flavors and nice spice presence. Metallic finish on the beer brings this down some for me. Overall, a really nice beer to sip on a cold night.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2011 01:00:25 | More by Hoptometrist

mrfrancis

Kentucky

4.08/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Note: I'm reviewing this beer after cellaring the bottle for close to a year.

A: Pours a dark, hazy amber with a thick beige head that laces deep into the glass. Very nice.

S: Gentle aromas of spices, cream, chocolate, and funky Belgian yeast are present on the nose. I've had this beer fresh, and after nearly a year in the bottle, the smell is much less lively and spicy. It's still pretty nice though.

T: Opens sweet and malty with notes of heavy cream, coriander, milk chocolate, caramel, red apples, spiced pears, gingerbread, and perhaps some faint suggestions of cinnamon and clove, though I doubt this ale contains either spice. The finish is long and smooth with notes of chocolate, cream, and orchard fruits underscored by mellow alcohol.

M: Relatively full-bodied, thick, and sensuous. It feels great and is very smooth.

O: I still enjoy this beer just as much as I did the first time I tried it. This is a near prefect strong dark ale.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2011 17:54:10 | More by mrfrancis

Filosoof

Netherlands

4.05/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Great, great look. Dark brown with a sand coloured lasting top. The smell belongs to dark, cold winter nights. In summer I advise more freshness.

S: creamy, coffee/toffee;
T: round, quite sweet but not too, caramel, it could have some more spices or hop to make it really interesting;
M: mouthfull cream and CO2; round finish.
O: nice, welldone, but not the real top in this style.

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2011 16:35:39 | More by Filosoof

sfprint

Germany

4/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

exp 11/27/11

A: Single finger head, hazel nut body, w rootbeer foam colored head. Micro uniform rising carbonation. Significant lacing.
S: Sweet coffee liqeur, chocolate, spices (cinnamon/nutmeg) Pretty sweet. Artificial grape.
T: Coffe and bitter chocolate but not too bitter. There is a degree of sweet and syrupyness but it sits in the perfect place and is quite nice.
M: Light numbing, fairly soft
O: Very good, nice balance as well as variety of flavors. with that said, i don't love it but others will.

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2011 22:21:04 | More by sfprint

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

4.45/5  rDev +7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

My basement/cellar continues to unearth some gems (hopefully). This one as a Best By date of 18/09/08 but given its ABV, I should be all right.

From the bottle: "Dark Ale"; "Dark Ale refermented in bottle."

I got a finger of deep-tan head with good retention off of my very gentle pour. Color was a solid garnet with NE-quality clarity. Nose smelled of maple syrup, anise, milk chocolate, toffee and some mustiness. Mouthfeel was absolutely creamy and the taste was of Sugar Babies (caramel enrobed in milk chocolate) and it was MUCH more pleasant than my last encounter with those candies. I was still pre-teen, but I had had several cavities filled (and none since), but those candies ripped out the bottom two for the second time (!), the first time from Jujubes, another candy that I have not touched since. Finish was warm, not hot as the heat had had some time to die down, with a continued caramel/chocolate flavor and even some coffee on the extreme finish.

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2011 02:20:09 | More by woodychandler

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer poured out as a nice looking reddish brown color, the head was fluffy and tan in color. The lacing was a little sticky and hung around for a little while. The smell of the beer has a pretty typical Belgian aroma to it, It's yeasty, sweet and has a slight roasted aroma to it. The taste of the beer has a good sweet malt character to it that's balanced with a spicy aftertaste. The mouthfeel of the beer gives off a pretty good warming sensation as yu drink it. Overall I think it's a good Christmas brew, worth checking out.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2011 13:07:58 | More by Knapp85

CuttDeez

Virginia

4.38/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle poured into a snifter

A - A deep rustic brown body. Very big kahki light brown head that is both foamy and bubbly with lace.

S - Fruit and molassas. Great carmalized sugars and roasted sugar and good fruit profile. The beer also smells of spices of clove and cinnamon it is very easy to pick up in my opinion.

T & M & D - The taste starts out with a big malty sweet profile and tons of dark fruits - both of which meld together and work well. Then the spices and aromatics that were in the nose come through in the middle and end of the beer. The beer becomes earthen and oaky on the finish but only slightly with a little spice and malt as well. Medium boddied with slight carbination make this beer feel great.

O - Good Xmas beer and you can enjoy it any time as well. Thanks SB for hooking me up!

-Cheers

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2011 22:57:22 | More by CuttDeez

CelticAleMan

California

4.45/5  rDev +7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

From notes:

01/28/11

A - Brownish, but is dark ruby colored when held up to light. 2 finger head. Fine creamy tan foam with unbelievable lacing.

S - Dark fruits, figs, spices (clove, coriander, nutmeg, maybe a tiny bit of anise).

T - Sweet, spicy dark fruit. Molasses, candi sugar, mild spiciness (clove and coriander), caramel, and even a little chocolate in the finish.

M - Medium, creamy and well carbonated.

O - Awesome. I could drink these regularly, without a doubt. This has to be my favorite Christmas beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-10-2011 05:36:59 | More by CelticAleMan

headbucket

Ohio

4.08/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: A nice deep brown color. Nice, big head with a semi-aggresive pour. Lots of lacing left on the glass as the beer recedes. This beer has some of the nicest lacing and foam left on the side of a glass that I have ever seen on a beer. After my second pour(rather aggressive) from a 750ml bottle, there was a solid, thick, and wide layer of foam/lacing left all the way around the glass.

S: the weakest part of the beer for me. It isn't bad, just very tame. grains and yeast, a bit sweet.

T: Nice dark malts, a bit of brown sugar sweetness, belgian yeast flavors, and chocolate(chocolate malt?) over a bit of fruit-citrus but not a bright hoppy citrus, it is like a light orange flavor. the dark malt/chocolate and orange/citrus flavor linger.

M: silky smooth, nice and thick without being syrupy. it is very smooth and silky, goes down very nice.

O: A great beer, probably my favorite christmas beer. This beer and Troeg's Mad Elf are my favorite Xmas beer because they aren't heavily spiced with cinnamon and similar spices/flavors that a lot of american christmas beers have. The alcohol doesn't detract at all. It is slightly evident but doesn't detract at all. I like this beer a bit more as it had warmed up, and as I get closer to the bottom of the bottle. It is malty without being overly sweet and has a great hint of fruit(orange) in it. Will pick up a few more bottles for sure before they disappear from the store I got this bottle from. This is a christmas 2010 bottle.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2011 02:24:41 | More by headbucket

dtivp

West Virginia

4.13/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a medium dark brown with a large two finger brownish white head that slowly dissipated into nice collar with moderate lacing.

Aroma of yeast, sweet fruits and a hint of spice.

Taste followed the nose with a sugary sweet fruits, butterscotch, yeast and a touch of spice.

Mouthfeel was medium body with lots of carbonation, very smooth and syrupy. Nice warming, however, the alcohol is well masked.

This is a very nice Belgian Ale, look forward to enjoying again.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2011 02:15:37 | More by dtivp

BeerAdvocate

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Review from BeerAdvocate Magazine Issue #47 (Dec 2010):

From the massive display of head to the inviting brown darkness, this ale warms you just by looking at it. Coriander, cake batter and a peppery herbal spice from the alcohol and yeast infiltrate the nostrils. Smoothness borders on silky, and crispness pops off the full body. Fruitcake of the homemade variety, chocolate-covered oranges, bitterness from the coriander and hops, and hints of carob powder and charcoal make for a very complex brew. Top shelf all the way, a bottle of this is a real treat for the taste buds. By far one of the best winter seasonals on the market.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2011 23:19:46 | More by BeerAdvocate

Buggies

Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev -12.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I'm thinking I have an old bottle or something. Or possibly bot stored right. Or maybe this bad boy just needs to warm up a little. I don't know. I don't get the same big aromas or flavors that most reviewers get.

Pours a dark brown with nice thick head. The aroma is real muted. Smells of yeast and fruit, and a faint hint of spice.

The taste is about the same as the nose. Tastes as Belgium should. Yeast and fruit. A very slight spicy note. Slight caramel notes as well. Slightly sweet finish.

To be honest, this reminds me more of a plain jane dubbel or something. Though it is quite nice and tastes OK, I don't think it is worth the high scores like it has gotten.

But then again, maybe it's just the bottle I got?

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2011 22:14:39 | More by Buggies

bmwats

Louisiana

4/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 25 cl bottle, into my Corsendonk Christmas tulip.

A: Medium-dark brown. Pours about a 1 finger, foamy, brown-white head. Settles pretty slowly leaving a blanket of foam on the surface, and some nice beer-ring residue. A decent amount of spotty lacing remains as you drink this one down.

S: Malt grains, almonds, butterscotch, and a little spice.

T: Rich syrupy malt, a little peat, a little almond, a hint of something sweet (maybe some butterscotch), and a little coriander.

M: Hearty. Thick and syrupy feel. Sweet and malty in the front, pungent finish. But not overly dry, and the strong alcohol is nicely disguised.

D: This is a nice brew to savor. Nice flavor and body.

Atmosphere is nice. Appearance is a great brown tone, with a solid foamy head, and some really nice lacing. Nose has a nice grain and nut profile with some hints of sweet and spice. A thick syrupy body, and a really nice combo grain, sweet, and spice combination. Nothing really stands out. Well balanced. Overall, this is a really good quaff.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2011 07:24:55 | More by bmwats

DefenCorps

Oregon

3.9/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Best by 26 August 2012, picked up for 75cents a couple of weeks back. From notes.

Clear mahogany with a dense, khaki-colored head with excellent retention, this beer looks very good. There is no lacing, but patches of foam do stick to the side of my glass. The nose is great. Yeasty, this has a spicy, mildly fruity kick with raisins, prunes, molasses, brown sugar and a little bit of stale cinnamon. Sweetness is reserved, I also get a mild tobacco-like aroma. The yeast character is strong, lending a fairly hefty spice presence to the nose.
The palate opens spicy and fruity with a bit of burnt sugar and cola. Again, the prunes and molasses come through, but this isn't a sweet beer. Quite the opposite, this finishes quite dry. The mid-palate really carries the fruit, and coupled with the strong yeast character, it brings to mind an almost tropical fruit-like intensity. As it warms, the malt complexity does grow, getting a mild dark caramel character to go with the prunes and burnt sugar.Dry with an earthy, leathery malt character, the alcohol is very well hidden here. Spicy and yeasty on the finish, this beer is medium-light on the palate with a high level of carbonation, much higher than I care for, REALLY foaming up in my mouth. This does get distracting fairly quickly, and this is this beers only significant flaw. Solid stuff, I would not hesitate to drink this again.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2011 02:31:00 | More by DefenCorps

RDHerm

Connecticut

3.98/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a deep, reddish brown with brown highlights. Has a thick, cream colored head that thins out very quickly, leaving a thin head that last for the duration and has excellent lacing.

Has a sweet aroma. Strong notes of yeast and dark fruits, with hints of caramel and spice

Has a surprisingly strong sweet malt flavor that was not present in the aroma. Also has strong notes of dark fruit, with hints of spice, yeast, and a little bit of hop bitterness. The aftertaste is a bit sour, which is strange, but not unpleasant.

Medium body, with a high carbonation level. Very smooth, but just a bit too bubbly.

Great taste, OK feel, and an alcohol content that's not too high make this a beer you could sip all night.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2011 04:07:35 | More by RDHerm

CuriousMonk

Virginia

4.28/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from 750ml bottle into heavy chalice glass. Pours a transparent dark red with a real nice off-white head with very good retention. Excellent lacing. Very malty, spicey, and fruity aroma. Real nice malt flavor up front. Kind of a creamy, caramel, and fruit combination. Finishes rather spicey with a little clove that continues to linger in aftertaste. Hops are only very subtle. A touch of metal keeps this from being an even better beer. One of the better Christmas brews I've had.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2011 21:08:03 | More by CuriousMonk

nhindian

Pennsylvania

4.13/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

11.2oz bottle poured into a Fantome tulip.

A - A careful pour yields a dark brown beer with ruby-tinged highlights. Opaque but thankfully pretty clear from sediment. I can actually see quite a bit of carbonation on the sides of the glass and lots of bubbles stick to the sides. A 3-fingered head floats on top, lasting almost the entire beer, gradually shrinking. Lacing is pretty consistent and abundant.

S - I'm actually not sure what makes this a 'Christmas' version of Corsendonk, as I'm not getting much spices from the nose, and I'm not sure if there should be. There is a bit of spiciness I'd attribute to the yeast, but it could be some light spices added. Anyway, besides that, I get grapes, raisins, tobacco, a hint of leather, some banana. Some darker fruits and sugar. Typically Belgian.

T - The first thing I can pinpoint in the taste is a rum quality, like some rum covered cherries. This is only in flavor, however, as the alcohol is incredibly well-hidden. It's then sugary and sweet, fruity and leathery, and the malts add to a biscuity dryness. Finish is long, sweet, with a tinge of alcohol.

M - Mouthfeel is moderately heavy with medium carbonation. A bit of a spicy finish lends to it being a bit dry, but the sweetness lingers as well.

D - Drinkability is high. An incredibly easy drinking beer that has great flavor to it. Would've liked the aroma to be a bit more ... bold, and maybe something to distinguish itself as necessarily 'Christmas', but I really enjoyed this one.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2011 05:39:25 | More by nhindian

tempest

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this on tap at Crescent & Vine in Astoria. It reminded me of the St. Bernardus Christmas Ale, though this was a touch more drinkable. My only complaint was that the spice dominated the aroma. The flavor was more balanced with dark fruits, caramel, coriander and citrus notes.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2011 17:42:13 | More by tempest