Sixth Beer of Christmas

The 12 Beers of Christmas is a little tradition I started last year in which I treated myself to 12 different beers, one each day. It celebrates the incredible taste and variety that can be found in beers around the world and just a few klicks from my doorstep.

The Sixth Beer of Christmas is Grimbergen Double Ale , 6.5% ABV, brewed by Brouwerij Alken-Maes in Alken, Belgium.

This beer pours out a dark, lovely amber color. It has a dense, tan head which is nothing short of incredible. It clings to the side of the glass in clumps like puffy clouds and lasts the whole way down.

For a Belgian Double, this actually tasted very sweet and malty. At only 6.5 % ABV, this means they could have kicked up the alcohol content by fermenting more of the sugars out of it.  Nevertheless, the Grimbergen is a very drinkable Double. It has a taste of toffee that combines with the malty structure of the beer to give it a slightly cola flavor with a hint of brandy on the finish. I would have liked to see what happened with a longer fermentation or an additional yeast rouse.

Rich, medium-full body. Mild hoppiness. Still, very tasty and an easy introduction to Belgian Doubles. 

The official write-up:

Grimbergen Double is a rich, dark burgundy ale with a white head. Double has undergone two fermentations, which give this ale a chocolaty, toffee taste with a brandy-like finish.

Grimbergen Abbey Ale was first brewed as far back as the early middle ages by Norbertine monks. The recipe for this outstanding Abbey Ale has been carefully guarded throughout the centuries by the monks of the Abbey of Grimbergen. Their beautiful monastery with its phoenix stained-glass windows lies just north of Brussels. The tradition of ale brewing by the monks originates from the former role of abbeys as inns for pilgrims.