Skip to main content

Beer Advent Calendar Window Seven - Super Des Fagnes Christmas



I have a problem. It's a damp problem in my cellar. It isn't a huge issue as you expect cellars to take on a little damp characteristic, but I use my cellar, presently, for little else than storing beer. If a little black mould gets here and there it shouldn't be a problem, unless it can somehow affect the beer. Still, I imagine it can't after looking at many articles about beer. 

Super Des Fagnes Christmas has spent nearly two years on my hoard; one year in a cosy upstairs bedroom environment and a further year in a dank, damp cellar. It has finally made it to Beer Advent Calendar 2015 beneath Window Seven. 

However, I am torn between a continuous wonder as to whether Belgian yeast sometimes takes on a damp characteristic or whether it is beer somehow infected by its environment. 

Super Des Fagnes, incidentally, is a series of beers from Brasserie Des Fagnes in Belgium. I have no further experience with any of their beers apart from their Christmas beer today. We've all learnt something today.


"Oh I wouldn't worry about Peter - you might say the situation is in the bag. Ho Ho Ho." 


Brasserie Des Fagnes  - Super Des Fagnes Christmas - 8.5% 

Dark murky orange brown with little head, the beer smells super rich and fruity, like boozy Christmas pudding if you will pardon the cliché. There's plenty of mince pie aromas including a buttery biscuit base - and something that smells a little like damp in a cellar to ruin the whole thing. The taste is practically the same as the scent, it's big, boozy, port-like with lots of Christmas fruit, rich pudding juices and a touch of brandy. I think this could be a strong, solid, Christmas beer, if it weren't for an underlying problem. 

This beer strongly brings about a black mould musk. It isn't an infection I'm used to and only makes me think of my cellar. However, I would be lying if I didn't mention that I've had Belgian yeasty beers before with similar underlying flavour problems after being left for a bit, so I cna't be sure what it is. 

So either this is a decent Belgian Christmas Ale that has been left too long. Or I am going to have to drink my entire beer hoard that is ageing before it all becomes a musky, mouldy mess. Who knows? 

Mince Pie Pairing Rating: 6/10 - beyond the musk, there are some solid dark fruit flavours brought out. 

Best Paired With: A strong blue cheese - is it off? Is it wonderful? Is it to everybody's taste? Nobody is quite sure.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The Pubs of Stalybridge Part One: The Stalybridge Seven.

And a touch more ...  Rififi Nightclub - once the town's cinema - has stood empty and unused for four and a half years This is the continuation of my posts of regular pub crawls to try and get myself in more pubs and discover more. Whilst I grew up in an old hamlet that most were quick to distance themselves from, my address clearly stated that we belonged to Stalybridge. However distant the town centre felt I was a Stalybridger, a Stalybridgian, a Stalyian: you know I don’t think I’ve ever heard us given a name before. I’m going with Stalyian. After a few moves around the country and through various relationships, I didn’t expect to find myself still local to the town in 2017. Whilst my address hasn’t stated Stalybridge for 3 years, I still spend plenty of time in the town – not least as it houses my “local.” To many in the north-west, it is famous for its nickname of Staly Vegas , that came about (as far as I’m aware) through its late Nighties-through-to-N...

WHEN CELEBRITIES DIE - THE INFINITY OF PUBS

    Recently I was stood outside Huddersfield Railway Station waiting for my Replacement Bus Service. I was eating much needed food from a nearby fast food outlet and contemplating my next move. Other match-goers had gone home but I had over 50 minutes to wait for my bus. We’d already been to a few of our post-match regular spots and so I was contemplating somewhere new or different to pass the time now.   I stood in St George’s Square, behind the statue of Harold Wilson, and pondered where I should waste my next hour. And pondered and pondered. After deliberation that ate into much of my allotted time, I walked down to the familiar setting of The Sportsman, realising that there wasn’t anywhere different to go at all.   But whilst I deliberated, I cast my eye over the currently scaffold-covered George hotel opposite the station; a place I had been in once with my Dad. It’s downstairs public bar had stood as a firm and available option to match-goers fo...

Ten Reasons Why I Hate Brewdog

There was a time when I thought beer was subjective, when I believed it was there to be interpreted and commented on from a personal perspective. I used to form my own opinions about beer, pubs and breweries and sometimes I’d even write them in this little blog. Brewdog were no exception; I was happy to praise them when they did right and criticise when I felt they were wrong. Of course I now have seen that I was wrong to do this. You see, it’s not about opinions or personal preferences; it’s about following the crowd, doing what’s cool and avoiding controversy. At present it’s not cool to like Brewdog. Despite the fact that I still really enjoy their beers and bars, people keep telling me why I should hate them. You probably already do, as you are well “in” on what’s hot and what’s not. I wasn’t aware of this, the e-mail never landed in my inbox, but not wanting to fall out of the loop I’ve presented a list of reasons why we should all hate Brewdog so I can fit in with this g...