Noël Des Géants - Brasserie Des Géants

acevenom

Louisiana

4.11/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a brandy snifter. The beer pours dark hazy copper with a finger and a half length off-white head. There are bubbles visible rising along the side of the glass. There are malty aromas as well as some scent of toffee, fruit, and some spice. The fruity aroma is akin to plum and fig. The spice notes are mostly coriander. The flavors are of bready pilsner malt with a stronger spice note in the flavor than in the nose. The coriander comes out, but I also get some hints of pepper, orange peel, and anise that other reviewers picked out. The sweetness is pretty balanced out with the abundant spice bouquet in this beer. The fruity notes come out a little stronger as the beer warms. The body is medium with moderate carbonation. The finish is slightly dry and the alcohol provides a nice warming quality. Not much of the aftertaste lingers in this beer, allowing a stronger drinkability for this beer. This is a very good beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2013 01:19:50 | More by acevenom

UCLABrewN84

California

3.65/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottle I brought to share at drewone's place.

Pours a murky honey orange with a foamy bone colored head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Small streaks of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, grain, honey, yeast, spices, and alcohol. Taste is much the same with a fruity flavor on the finish. There is a mild amount of spice bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer but I think it smells better than it tastes.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2013 01:43:02 | More by UCLABrewN84

WanderingFool

Massachusetts

4.43/5  rDev +17.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Noël Des Géants (poured into a snifter) is hazy amber with a small, creamy white head on top. Once the foam is gone a few spots of lace cling to the glass.

The aroma is fruity with a touch of spice. Raisins and dates are blended with orange peel and rye bread. Almost reminds me of a fruit cake.

Each sip of this medium bodied beer is soft and smooth on the palate with mild carbonation. The flavor is sweet with fruity notes of raisin and plum along with a bready malt sweetness. The spices don't seem as strong as the aroma, but orange peel and pepper are present. It finishes sweet with lingering spices when gone.

This is a great Christmas beer. Lots of sweet fruity flavor with a touch of spice. Quite drinkable, but better to sip and savor.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2012 22:43:32 | More by WanderingFool

mttaylor1066

Connecticut

4.43/5  rDev +17.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Add this to your Christmas ale rotation, a not-too-heavy spiced ale that creates a holiday for your mouth.

Pours a quiet, dark cider color. Minimal head (I'm a side-of-the-glass man myself) that persists and forms little colonies of bubbles.

The aroma is complex, spicy and malty with a whiff of yeast. This is a beer to enjoy before it hits the lips!

Tastes of dark wine, ripe raisin, Belgian yeast and toasted ginger. All this in an ale! You can feel the alcohol heat...on n cold winter's night that ain't so bad.

There's a lot of carbonation to make this ale dance on the tongue. A lively holiday ale.

Overall, this is one I'm going to look for each season to go with my other favorite Christmas ales.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2012 21:35:32 | More by mttaylor1066

BEERchitect

Kentucky

3.75/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

The Christmas celebrations in the land of the giants evokes the notions of larger than life beers of tremendous taste, robust textures, and bewildering spicy alcohols. Although Noel des Geants releases a more somber taste, it is an elegant and satisfying taste nevertheless.

Poured into a brandy snifter, the body shows off the beer's robust deep straw colors of goldenrod and burnt orange while favoring lighter cider colors on the edge. Lightly hazed from the dissolved yeast, the beer projects a whimsical glow when back lit. The beer releases a dainty and creamy head that skirts the rim evenly and while the head lightens, it never completely collapses, rather lacing on the glass with intermittent island structures.

Perfumy, fruity, and sternly rooted in a grainy sweet foundation, the beer sings the praises of Belgian ales of moderate intensity. Aromas of freshly dried pilsner malt gives a bready impression with yeast and dough. Highly floral, the beer's bouquet really opens up with a flowery scent of honeysuckle. Soft spices of coriander, dried orange peel, and star anise decorate the nose and offer balance to the sweet malt and fruity esters.

Supple bready-sweet pilsner malts seem to fuse with honey and confectioner's sugar that give the fruit flavors a candy-coated effect. Apricots, oranges, pears, and figs are among the esters that can be pulled from the flavor profile. And a counterbalance of potpourri and alcohol offer juxtaposition to the fruit and candy and signal a turn to closure. Turning ever bitter, earthy, and raw- the taste of grain and straw offers a rustic and genuine farmhouse-type taste to finish.

Medium bodied and incredibly soft, the beer lays gently on the tongue and gives a feminine presence with light chamomile-type oiliness and a sultry powdery note to close. Pleasantly warm and with a gentle spice- the ale is dry and lightly tannin to end the session.

Despite its "giant" references, the beer is small on the palate and stomach, making it supple and elegant ale. It's both charming and soft. But its overall light profile keeps me wanting more strength, power, and complexity.

Serving type: on-tap

12-18-2012 18:14:02 | More by BEERchitect

Vec2267

Florida

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

A - burnt orange, lots of bubbles, huge frothy head, minimal lacing

S - fruit/apricots, yeast spicieness, herbal, alcohol

T - again fruity, very dry, spice (pepper/clove), alcohol

M - medium bodied

O - lots of complexity bu too many disconnected flavors to be appealing

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2012 00:38:18 | More by Vec2267

superspak

Michigan

3.9/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

330 ml bottle into tulip glass, no bottle dating. Pours cloudy red orange color with a 1-2 finger dense off white head with good retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Nice foamy lacing clings to the glass. Aromas of big raisin, prune, pear, clove, allspice, ginger, tea, cinnamon, molasses, bread, herbal, and yeast spiciness. Very nice aromas with good balance and complexity. Taste of raisin, toast, biscuit, caramel, molasses, clove, ginger, earth, nuttiness, tea, allspice, herbal, and yeast spiciness. Lingering notes of dark fruits, caramel, toast, biscuit, molasses, nuttiness, ginger, tea, herbal, and clove on the finish for a good bit. Very nice complexity and balance of flavors; nice balance of malt and holiday spice flavors; zero cloying on the finish. Medium carbonation and medium-full bodied; with a creamy and slick mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with only a small warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is a very nice Belgian spiced beer. Nice spice/malt balance and complexity; very smooth to sip on. Very enjoyable and unique offering.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2012 04:45:59 | More by superspak

yemenmocha

Arizona

3.98/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a pale brown with hints of orange, with generous white head that is silky smooth and leaves ample lace. Nose is bready & fruity. Palate offers a good balance of dark fruits, dark bready flavors, fennel seeds and a few miscellaneous baking spices. Finish has a slight burnt, toasty sugary quality. Easy drinking.

Serving type: bottle

07-25-2012 02:08:35 | More by yemenmocha

spinrsx

Ontario (Canada)

3.7/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

11.2oz Bottle from Bevmo La Quinta CA for 5$

Appearance - Hazy reddish-brown colour with an average size fizzy beige coloured head. It's too hazy to make out the amount of carbonation and there is some fairly good lacing. The head lasted for 2 or 3 minutes.

Smell - Malts, grapes/raisins/dates, anise, spruce

Taste & Mouth - There is a low amount of carbonation and I can taste malts, grapes/raisins/dates, and some leather. There is also a bit of a anise or spruce/mint flavour. It ends with a dark fruit spicy aftertaste.

Overall - The taste reminded me a bit of a fruitcake, which is a good thing for a Christmas themed beer I guess. Problem is, I'm not a huge fan of fruitcake. Still glad i gave it a shot, but I wouldn't pick this up again.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2012 17:45:19 | More by spinrsx

SLeffler27

New York

3.68/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Fills a Dogfish Head snifter with bright copper that is gem clear displaying lively carbonation throughout. The color is closer to that of aged and weathered cedar. A big, white, foamy head slowly settles to puffs of sea foam, leaving big, thick patches of lace.

The aroma gives a first impression of Band-Aids followed by herbal spices. Overall it is a touch astringent.

The malts give off crisp flavors, a little sweet with some earthiness. Ginger and possibly juniper accentuate a modest finish that is neither sweet nor dry. As this one warms, one can perceive hints of mint.

Alcohol is lower than expected in this medium bodied beer with lots of carbonation.

This is clearly a holiday specialty but should not be confused with the more spectacular beers of the season.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2012 13:28:10 | More by SLeffler27

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

4.38/5  rDev +15.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Brasserie Des Géants "Noël Des Géants"
25.4 oz. bottle, simply capped beneath a capsule.
Imported by Shelton Brothers; no freshness dating.
$8.49 @ State Line Liquors, Elkton, MD

Poured from a long-standing refrigerated bottle the first pour is crystal clear. The body is an interesting color, a light russet brown. The light tan head rises up majestically and holds, slowly dropping to an eventual collar around the glass... unfortunate. Even more-so, the lacing is limited to splashes and spots about the glass. It's not bad, but it could be so much better.

In the nose it's herbal and somewhat floral over a delicate sweet-bread note. Just a flicker of juicy red fruit is present as well. Interesting. It's not complex but the herbal character is quite clear, and quite compelling. It's subtly piney, a hint minty like tarragon, and a bit drying and softly raspy like oregano.

As might be expected (or perhaps not), the herbal character found in the aroma carries over into the aroma. It's quite clear, and present throughout, but it's also fairly delicate. It doesn't press or nudge, it just lays there within the malt, which is in itself, not particularly bold, just lightly bready/nutty and softly caramelish and honey-like (perhaps even threaded through with notes of light molasses). There's a hint of yeastiness (some red fruit and some minor dark fruitiness) and a slight touch of something mildly leathery, subtly metallic, and even a hint musty (although that's probably just a perception due to the herbal character). It's not bitter, but perfectly balanced due to the spicing, and it finishes dry with a hint of soft oregano left behind.

In the mouth it's medium-full in body; and the moderate carbonation level gives just a delicate bristle to the tongue.

The Belgians are great at delicately spicing their beers to deliver a perfect, soft balance, and this one is no exception. Even the supple mouthfeel lends to its very accessible character - yet it's got an interesting herbal character that some might find off-putting if it was even just a hint fuller because they're not used to it. That, however, is exactly the thing that makes it work for the initiated. It's sophisticated and refined, and quite charming and drinkable despite its 8.5% abv. Soft and smooth like a warming blanket, this one can put you right to sleep if you're not careful.

It's one of the best X-mas beers I've ever enjoyed, and apparently it's under-rated. It's not a kick-you in the head with flavor beer, but it really satisfies as a unique sipper. Worth seeking out.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2012 01:30:36 | More by NeroFiddled

zeff80

Missouri

3.88/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Poured out a dark brown color with a one-finger, tan head of bubbly foam. It left thin traces of lace on glass.

S - It smelled very herbal and floral. A nice malty nose, too.

T - It had a very spicy bite at first sip. It tasted of dried fruits - dark fruits like plum and raisin. Just enough bready maltiness to balance it out.

M - It was crisp, sharp and smooth. A medium bodied ale with a dry clean finish.

O - This is a nice Belgian ale. I've enjoyed this Christmas 5 pack from Shelton Bros.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2012 13:28:05 | More by zeff80

ianjsullivan

Maryland

3.5/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

St: 750ml poured into a chalice. The bottle lists the ABV, but it does not list a DBD or BOD.

A: Cloudy light reddish-brown with a full-fingernail white rocky head. The head retention is very good; it sits on top for over a minute.The beer leaves light lacing.

S: Orange, clove, fig, vanilla, bread, and malt.

T: Lots of spice right up front: cinnamon, clove, and allspice. There is a smokey burn bread that joins up with some citrus orange peel on the finish. There is also some warming alcohol and more spice.

M: Medium and smooth.

O: Since this is a Belgian noel, I was not expecting the large amount of spice that dominates this beer. The finish is a bit abrasive and lingering. Overall, the spice could have been balanced better.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2012 00:59:49 | More by ianjsullivan

Immortale25

Florida

4.1/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a Cigar City pint glass. No freshness date.

A- Pours a murky brown color with a full two fingers worth of head that has trouble retaining before fizzing away to a 1/4 inch head. Good lacing.

S- Smells very sweet and flowery. Reminds me of Rosee d'Hibiscus by Dieu du Ciel. Black tea notes along with glazed doughnut. Quite nice.

T- Tastes like a maltier version of Rosee d'Hibiscus. The malts actually contrast with the flowery flavor pretty well. A slight metallic taste is easily ignored.

M- Very bubbly with bursts of CO2 bubbles in each sip. Medium body and a medium-high carbonation.

O- Strikingly similar to Rosee d'Hibiscus but tastes a bit better IMO.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2012 00:37:15 | More by Immortale25

RickS95

Indiana

3.9/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a burgundy brownish color with reddish hues throughout. The head is huge, white, and lasts forever, eventually leaving a sticky white lace all over the glass. Very foamy.

There was little smell, even as the beer warmed. Only after sticking my nose most of the way to the foamy head did I start to pick up cloves and a bit of cherry or darker fruits. The funky fruity yeast the Belgians are known for also seemed present.

Same thing with the taste. What's there is good, it's just not very pronounced. There is enough dark fruits and cloves to go around, but there is also some peppery spice and a bit of candied sugar. Malt was there and if I didn't know better, I'd say some pilsner malt was used.

Mouthfeel was all over the place. It's sweet, spicy, fruity, bitter, dry. Medium bodied with a strange finish that left me feeling both syrupy and dry at the same time. Plenty of carbonation.

It's a strange beer, but it worked for me. The ABV level of 8.5% is perfect for a beer and despite the highish number, it was well hidden making it very drinkable. I'd love to have another one in the future.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2012 02:49:14 | More by RickS95

drcarver

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - a vivacious body that produces a huge head. deep amber color with a white head that has great lacing and retention.

S - candied fruit and lightly spiced. sweet with a bit of funk

T/m - sweetness followed but a bit of spice. It is not overwhelming. A bit of funk but again nothing too powerful. A dry finish with little after taste.

O - one of the nicer winter ales.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2012 00:28:44 | More by drcarver

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

3.75/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours out a caramel color, off white head, about 1/3" thick. Aroma was very candy-esque, plenty of spice, but not to the point it was overkill or offputting.

Alcohol remarkably hidden for 8.5% abv. Wish more of the BSDA style was like this, the brown sugar, sweetness isn't over the top and there isn't a ton of the fig, prune and raisin flavors. Its nice and mild, but then plenty sweet with a little bit of toffee then much more caramel malt. Maybe some cinnamon and vanilla make up part of the spicing.

Overall, this is a neat Christmas beer, the belgian yeast plays nice with all the other flavors, the spices are in the right proportion. Would definitely drink this again.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2011 01:16:06 | More by Beerandraiderfan

russwbeck

Virginia

3.93/5  rDev +4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On-tap at Rustico for their Festivus event.

A: Red-orange pour with a few fingers of off white head. Really nice coating down the side of my glass. 4.5

S: Funky saison type smell, malty with a decent spiciness. 4

T: The Christmas Ale / Saison mix here is interesting, but a bit too spicey for my palate. Funky, spicy, seasonal. 4

MF: High carbonation, light body, decently drinkable with a slightly dry finish. 4

O: Again, this was good but not great. Wouldn't buy this again. 3.5

Serving type: on-tap

12-21-2011 04:09:31 | More by russwbeck

MGBBob80

Michigan

3.38/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

I like it! Very understated. Poured dark with a reddish hue. Head was off-white and dissipated quickly. Nice lacing on the glass. There is almost no aroma, the carbonation is adequate and it has an earthy taste that reminds me of good farming soil and old shoe leather. I did not pick up some of the plum and cherry mentioned by other reviewers, but that's probably my palate and not there's.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2011 00:06:58 | More by MGBBob80

jayhawk73

Maryland

3.45/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

On draft at Rustico:

Pours a dark brown color w/ a thin off white head. Minimal lacing on my snifter glass. The smell is really weak. I mean, REALLY weak... I barely get anything other than some woody notes, spices, and some malt. All extremely understated. The taste is slightly better. The woody-earthiness and spices are the main thing here, but still a little weak on taste. Feel is medium, with little carbonation and somewhat dry finish. Glad I got to try this, but probably won't look for it again. Cheers.

Serving type: on-tap

12-17-2011 18:09:12 | More by jayhawk73

rangerred

Tennessee

4.18/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

11.2oz bottle poured into a tulip.

Pours a deep dark reddish brown with a small fizzy head. Decent lacing though.

Smells of cherries and dark frutis; figs and plums. A very faint chocolate note as well.

The taste has underlying notes of chocolate with cherries and dark fruit being most prominent. The finish brings out almost a woodiness that is hard to describe. Finished pretty clean with the alcohol well-hidden and barely detectable.

Overall a pretty respectable brew and one that is good for cold winter nights.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2011 01:42:57 | More by rangerred

divineaudio

Michigan

3.85/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

tulip glass.

a - pours a dingy, chestnut brown color with a lot of yeast sediment floating around. only gave me a thin cap of coarse looking, tan head that calmed to a film right away. no lacing.

s - toasty with notes of blackberry, clove, sherry, old shoe leather.

t - fortunately it taste better than it looks or smells. carmel malt with a tangy sweetness reminiscent of dried cherries. clove, ginger, and nutmeg spice notes are present, but subdued. occasional notes of chocolate pop up before a mild bitterness and slightly dry finish. 8.5% is well hidden.

m - medium body with adequate carbonation. slightly chewy. medium co2 profile that is slightly fizzy.

o - i have to say i was pleasantly surprised by this one. not sure i'd want more than one of these at a time, but i'd buy it again. seems just right for a cold winter night or a holiday celebration.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2011 04:42:25 | More by divineaudio

Nerudamann

Arizona

3.9/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a bottle into a snifter glass due to the lack of an oversized wine glass.

Look – dark amber, almost a dark ruby red color, with about half a finger’s worth of foam that dissipates quickly.

Smell – somewhat phenolic, malty, and very sharp smelling. You can almost smell the abv in it.

Taste – it tastes “darker” than it smells. There’s a bit of a muskiness to it in the finish. In the middle there’s also a tinge of a chocolaty feel. It tastes more malty as well, but the taste has a strong and quick transition.

Mouthfeel – pretty well balanced, not leaning more toward one side over the other in terms of creamy vs. watery.

Overall – not a bad brew at all. It wouldn’t be my pick for a fave, but it definitely is intriguing and thought provoking!

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2011 17:50:35 | More by Nerudamann

ktrillionaire

Florida

4.08/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This brew is on sale at Rollin' Oats for $0.99 a bottle right now. Needless to say, my fridge is full of Christmas Giant beer. The brew pours a rustic golden mauve-ish hue, and is capped with a finger's worth of antique white head. The nose is spicy, and earthy, and seems to have notes of chamomile and ginger. The flavor is very similar, with a flavor best described as something between Sahti and BSPA. It is not terribly sweet, it hides ABV well, and is quite tea-like overall. I like it, but I could see it being a big turn-off for others.

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2011 00:23:19 | More by ktrillionaire

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This beer poured out with a cloudy red colored body. The head was white and fluffy. It settles within a minute or so and leaves a light lacing. The smell of the beer has some spicy herbal notes on the nose. The taste of the beer is yeasty and a bit spicy. The mouthfeel of the beer is decent, had a nice carbonation level and body mass. Overall it's not a bad winter brew but I could have been better. I would probably try this one again if I saw it again.

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2011 13:20:48 | More by Knapp85