Day 4 of the 7th Annual Holiday Beer Advent-ure Calendar
Day 4: Dubuisson Scaldis de Noël
The first Belgian beer on the calendar. When thinking about Christmas beers, Belgian beers often come to mind first because of their dark, rich color and flavors. Scaldis Noël is a new to the group lineup, which is surprising since it’s a pretty well known Belgian. From the website, “it’s amber in color with aromas ranging from banana and pineapple to caramel and dried fruits. It’s also full, rounded and beautifully dense.”
Reflections
Ben: Love this, but it’s a lot. Definitely a stay-at-home sipper and not a beer you drink before you go out…which we are currently doing. Thankfully we’re splitting it. I definitely get clove, spice and banana that’s typical of Belgians, and a nice burnt sugar finish followed by a little alcohol heat. It does not hide the 12% whatsoever, but I think that’s kind of the point with these beers, especially in winter.
Julia: I really have to be in the mood for a strong Belgian beer and I’m not feeling it today. The beer is strong, dark and a tad syrupy. It tastes super boozy but it’s not overpowering. I think it’s got all the right Belgian flavors. I get notes of caramel and it’s very malty. It’s definitely a good beer for cold weather and winter.
Adam: Chocolate covered cherries | sneaky | warm plums | shortbread cookies | extremely heckin good
Alex: Scaldis Noel is a lovely Belgian beer. I don’t recall having this one before. It’s malty with some caramel flavor and I can sense a little bit of fruity flavor. This is a 12% beer, but does not really taste like it’s 12%, which means I would probably be sneaky buzzed after drinking it. I would recommend and drink again.
Scott: I love this beer! The old school label from the 80’s, the warm, caramel flavor makes this amber ale a great surprise and one I would definitely pick up again. It smells much sweeter than the actual flavor, which I find to be well balanced and a great tasting Christmas ale.
Christa: I don’t mind Scaldi’s Noel. It’s a malty caramel treat. The first thing I noticed was how carbonated it was, more sippable than gulpable (are these even adjectives?) and finished very smooth. It’s good, a great option to add to your line up, but I don’t know if it’s a slam dunk. I’ll definitely try it again to ponder on this some more.
Tony: I don’t think we’ve had this one in the lineup before so its always fun to come across something new. This one is pretty delicious. It has a dark amber color and just watching the pour I had a feeling it would be good based on the smooth silky foam that was forming at the top. Its got some caramel, maltiness and maybe a little spice but not too syrupy or sweet. At 12% abv it will definitely warm you up. It really has that winter warmer feel where you get the holiday beer flavor along with a high alcohol content but it felt pretty well balanced to me. It may not be everyones cup of tea but I really enjoyed this one and would recommend giving it a try.
Megan: This just smells rich and deep. You instantly get the aromas of all those classic Christmas flavors like cinnamon and nutmeg and the beer has a beautiful amber color. I feel like this would be in my Christmas comfort zone of holiday ales but I also smell a sweetness to it so I wonder if the taste borders on too sweet. I really want to take a swig so I would love to try this one again next year.
Brad: I’m so happy we found this beer. Heather and I love Belgians and this did not disappoint at all. Belgium had a strong holiday vibe when we were there and I’d love to drink across that country again. This beer has a great pour. You know it’s perfect when the head does not dissipate while you drink it. I get fairly strong caramel flavors and your typical malty aromas. There is a slight boozy aftertaste that may turn off some in this group, but not me. This beer is 12% but goes down very smooth. I may have a second! Will not chug though.
Heather: Yaaaaaas now that’s what I’m talking about! Gimme a festive Belgian all day every day. I was so excited when we found this beer, something we’d never seen before and we were immediately intrigued. The first whiff of Scaldis Noel made me break into a grin, close my eyes, and literally happy-dance down into a cozy chair. It coats my mouth like a warm blanket, and it’s one I wanna just slow-sip all night to the sound of holiday smooth jazz. It’s that sexy. I’m tasting some caramel, some clove, a robust, balanced flavor profile and a soft finish. At 12%, it’ll have me niiiice and rosy-cheeked after one bottle.