As promised, I have another Christmas style beer review for you. There’s still one more to come, but I won’t have it until next week, because I haven’t enjoyed it yet.

The good news on that is, for my 3rd Belgian Festive Ale review of the season, I will finally be using the correct glassware for the beer. For the Serafijn review though, you’ll just have to suffer once more, as I did, with it having been poured in an improper glass.

So, now that all of that’s out of the way, on to my review of Serafijn Christmas Angel (8% ABV), the second Belgian Strong Ale I’ve tried on account of the season…

Serafijn Christmas Angel, a Belgian Strong Pale Ale from Microbrouwerij Achilles, poured a deep pumpkin orange with a pleasant cloudiness, enhanced by fermented bits, floating around in the glass. In the nose, I took in the very present Belgian yeasts, sweet malts and some citrusy fruits.

In my first sip, I noticed how light and lively the carbonation is, especially on the tip of the tongue. The brew is really very crisp. Its body is medium-light… I think the carbonation played a large part in keeping the mouthfeel on the lighter side for me.

The taste itself is not an overwhelming one, to be honest. Not that that’s bad, but I suppose I expected more from the brew from the aroma. I tasted the hints of citrus that I had smelled, perhaps orange or tangerine. Also present, perhaps because of the yeasts, was a hint of apple.

Most of the time, especially in winter, I prefer a heartier beer with more to tastes to dicern, and a bit more chewiness in each sip. I know it’s created for Christmastime, but I would see myself more likely to drink this, if I did indeed drink it again, on a summer evening, perhaps in lieu of a hefeweizen. The Serafijn wasn’t a horrible offering, but definitely not what I would look for in a winter warmer.

Hopefully my Christmas Nightcap will be a completely different experience (especially with the correct Belgian glass)!

Cheers to you all, and have a most wonderful New Year!

TAGS [ BEER REVIEW | BEER REVIEWS | BELGIAN STRONG ALE | BELGIAN STRONG PALE ALE | SERAFIJN CHRISTMAS ANGEL ]