The Twelve Beers of Christmas - Caulier Blonde de Noël
Brasserie Caulier in Péruwelz Belgium contributes my next pick for the 2005 list of the twelve beers of Christmas. Their Blonde de Noël (10% abv) is a delightful beer. Buy a case and share it with your friends; you’ll be very popular.
Eyes: Produces a mousse-like head, very white, similar to a meringue. The head dissipates in a few minutes to a thin foamy layer leaving traces of lace on the sides of the glass. The beer itself is golden.
Nose: Sweet honey.
Taste: Despite its 10% alcohol by volume this beer is not dominated by alcohol heat. The taste is sweet and peppery. The sweetness is almost grape-like. Some tannins evident, though not harsh. It has a light body as the alcohol is derived from the fermentation of candy sugar.
Overall: This is a very pleasant beer. Extremely delicious. The right balances of sweet and astringency.
My Rating: 17/20 or 8.5/10
Pro: This is a strong, but delicately flavored beer. Reminds me of a sweeter white wine, like a late harvest Riesling.
Con: It’s hard to say anything negative about this one. The only place where I marked this beer down is on the aroma. I wanted more for my nose to experience, but this is hardly a defect of the beer. Just my personal desire for more aroma. Or maybe my sniffer is broken.
