12 Beers of Christmas – Day 5: Affligem Noël Christmas Ale

Very clear amberish red color with thin off white/tan head with light lacing and nice carbonation. Slight alcohol aroma with nutty and citrus notes. The flavor is malty caramel with some citrus notes as well as nuttiness and pepper. The alcohol started to become more present as the beer warmed up, but not overly hot. The beer had a dry and clean finish which i really enjoyed. I found these characteristics to be reminiscent of a Lager, and had a lagerish aftertaste, possibly coming from the malt, yet again this wasn’t a negative at all. Overall a very nice beer. – Jason

I remember having this beer almost a year ago from La Trappe Cafe up in San Francisco. I recall the beer having a bit more complexity then when compared to now. Part of me wants to blame this on Heineken but I should know better. The beer probably did change character but not because Heineken had anything to say about it. Factors such as freshness, transportation, temperature, storage and an increasingly failing memory (on my part. Don’t get old!) have a greater effect on the beer than any merger or acquisition. That being said, this was still an enjoyable beer and I’m still a fan.

If you’ve had this beer, or any of the other Brouwerij Affligem beers, I’d love to hear about it. I’d also be curious to hear about any news regarding when Op-Ale Brewery was assimilated by Heineken. Amazing what a little bit of research can pull up.

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