Last Day of Advent: Entendez Nöel

Entendez Nöel

Origin: Sound Brewery (Poulsbo, Washington, USA)

Style: Belgian Pale Quad

ABV: 11.5%

IBU: 50

Description: When I saw this beer I was truly excited. Sound Brewing makes great Belgian styles usually with their twist. Entendez Nöel is categorized as a Pale Quadrupel, we could also think of this as a strong Belgian Golden ale. Upon first pour aromas of spice, fruit, and a slight hint of bubblegum billow out of the glass, with spice and banana being the dominant aromas. There is also a subtle hint of alcohol, which one would expect from a beer with such a high alcohol content. The taste followed the aroma very closely with dominating flavours of fruit and spice, with a slight warming of alcohol. This beer is incredibly balanced, it is neither too sweet nor dry, and has the perfect amount of bitterness to balance out the malt character. This is usually fairly hard to do when brewing a beer with such a high alcohol content.

If you want to pair this beer with food I would pair it with strong soft cheeses such as Camembert, or triple cream Brie (preferably made with raw milk though that is very hard to find in Canada). This beer would also pair nicely with Porchetta and a wine reduction, or roasted short ribs with fried cauliflower herbs and fresh horseradish. Belgian beers pair well with lots of dishes due to being well balanced and rich in vibrant aromas and flavours.

If you were looking for a beer to fill the craving for Entendez Nöel I would go with almost any Belgian Tripel or Strong Golden ale. The yeast character of Westmalle Tripel or Tripel Karmeliet are very similar to this beer though the alcohol content is not as high and these beers tend to be slightly lighter in colour so the overall character of the beer will not be the same. Legacy Liquor Store also keeps a few of Sound Brewing’s other beers in stock if you want to try other offering from this wonderful brewery.

I hope you had as much fun with this advent calendar as I did. I wish you the best in your beer journeys in the New Year. – O.P.

Day 12: Biere De Noël

 

Biere De Noël

Origin: Big Sky Brewing Co. (Missoula, Montana, USA)

Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale

ABV: 10.1%

IBU: 35

Description: Biere De Noël from Big Sky Brewing has a spot deep in my heart. Growing up in the States, one of the first breweries that I stumbled across when starting my adventure into craft beer was Big Sky. I feel this is the case for many people living in the Northwestern states. Their perennial beers are very approachable and drinkable yet still have lots of flavour. Another love of mine in the beer world is Belgian style beers, especially ones from American and Canadian breweries.

Bière De Noël is a beautiful deep brown colour with amber and mahogany hues. The aroma of this beer is truly wonderful. There are tons of dried fruit aromas of plums, raisins, figs, and dark sweet cherries pouring out of the glass followed by caramelized sugars, Belgian yeast and alcohol. Big Sky hit the mark with this one. If I didn’t know better I would expect this to be from a Belgian brewery. Upon tasting the beer one sees that the flavour sticks close to the aroma. There are lots of dried fruit though caramelized sugar and Belgian yeast dominate the palate with a lingering bitterness and alcohol warmth.

There are many different options when pairing this beer with food. For me the cheese plate would be the first place to start. This beer would go perfectly with a strong pungent cheese such as Roquefort, Limburger, or Epoisses. One would also pair this with heartier dishes such as Flemish Carbonades (essentially beef and beer stew. Ones could even use this beer for delicious results), really any red meat or game meat, or a Croque Madame (grilled ham and cheese sandwich smothered in béchamel sauce and topped with a sunny-side up egg).

If you were looking for a similar beer most Belgian dark strong ales/Quads would suffice. There are many options such as Straffe Hendrik quad, St. Bernardus 12, Rochefort 10, North Coast‘s Brother Thelonius, Chimay Blue, or Kasteel Donker. I hope you enjoy this beer as much as I did and happy beer drinking. – O.P.

 

Day 4: Hop Blanc

Hop Blanc

Origin: Peak Organic Brewing Company (Portland, Maine, USA)

Style: White IPA

ABV: 6.4%

IBU: Not Listed

Description: Hop Blanc pours a beautiful pale yellow straw color with brilliant orange hues shining through. Immediately when it is poured into a glass, aromas of coriander, orange, and pepper come wafting up with subtle hop characters of citrus and pine following the Belgian witbier yeast character.

Upon first taste it appears to be a Belgian witbier on steroids. Coriander, grain and herbal-spice are the first thing to hit the taste buds followed by a sharp bitterness and subtle flavours of citrus and pine. The bottled on date says it was bottled in May of this year so it is to be expected that much of the hop flavour and aroma has dissipated with this six months of age.

Overall I felt this was a great beer regardless of the age. Hop Blanc’s light yet pungent flavour would go perfectly with seafood dishes with assertive flavours such as steamed mussels with wilted wild oyster greens, white wine, and harrisa. Pescado A La Veracruzana (whole snapper with tomatoes, capers, olives and herbs). Or pan roasted porgy with crispy fennel salad.

If you were looking for a similar beer I would first go with Deschutes Chainbreaker White IPA or Brasserie d’Achouffe’s Houblon Chouffe Dobbelen IPA Tripel. These beers will not be identical to this beer but both will fill the gap with a wonderful Belgian yeast character and an assertive hop profile.  – O.P.