Duyck Jenlain Bière de Noël (-2017)

Duyck Jenlain Bière de Noël (-2017)

The festive season just wouldn’t be the same without this speciality beer whose arrival is always long-awaited. The tradition of Christmas beers is particular to northern Europe. In the years following the Second World War, the breweries used to sell an original, richer and stronger beer at the same price as year-round beers: this was their gift to their customers. The Duycks have perpetuated this custom by creating a special beer sold at the usual price. Produced with more malt than Jenlain Ambrée (3 different types of malt made from French grown barley and 3 varieties of the most aromatic hops from Alsace), this top fermented, unpasteurized beer, best served at between 6 and 8°C, has a rich amber glow, a denser head and stronger alcohol content (6.8% alcohol by volume). Darker than the traditional amber beer, its torrefied undertones are reminiscent of flowers and caramel. And the 2002 Christmas beer had a hint of orange.
3.2
239 reviews
Jenlain, France

Community reviews

3.5 Bottle. Pours clear darkish copper brown and ruby with airy off-white head. Clear aroma of fruit and malt with notes of caramel and spices. Sweet, fruity flavour with notes of malt, touches of flowers, notes of hops. Sparse metallic notes. Slightly vinous and fruity finish. OK. Rather Christmas-like for a Biere de Garde, though.
3.6 Shared bottle at local tasting. Pours clear amber with a small white head. Aroma is spicy and malty. Taste is moderate sweet caramel, spices. Smooth mouthfeel, very nice.
3.5 Shared 750 ml green corked "champagne" bottle, from Voldby Købmandsgaard. Reddish brown colour, moderate off-white head. Moderate but nice aroma, malts, herbal hops and a hint of caramel. Harmonious flavour, not very sweet, herbal hops, highly drinkable. Better suited to accompany Christmas dinner than its sweeter Belgian counterparts.
3.9 Flaske hos Ole Anders juni-13: mm, kveldens åttende og den første virkelige højdare. Bare godlyder rundt bordet. Kan fort bli et bedre menneske av dette.
2.9 Spice, flower, and a little funk in the aroma. Flavor is dull and metallic, with a thin mouthfeel. I’ve liked other beers by Jenlain, but this is a pass.
3.2 Bottle. Pours dark amber with thin, creamy off-white head; short retention and spare lacing. Aroma is cereal malt, light caramel, herbs, dates, pears, light dates, and some faint spice. Flavor is dry, bready malts forward with some supporting herbs, light spicy and grassy hops, some dark fruit esters, and faint caramel; dry finish. Light/medium body and low carbonation.
3.4 Bottle. Pours clear dark orange to brown with a small, fizzy off-white head, short retention with light lacing. Aroma is caramel and cookie malt, pear esters, peppery alcohol, nutmeg notes and spicy hops. Flavor is malt dominant with light hops and bitterness, spicy and peppery alcohol with light fruity esters and a dry finish. Medium-full body and medium carbonation.
3.1 Whole Foods, Bowery 750ml ($6): (bottled as Jenlain Winter... abv is the same, so I assume that I make no mistake) Pours an amber color with an off-white head. Aroma is yeast, sugar, fruit, and caramel. Taste is a bit sweet, and it leaves a lingering sugary aftertaste. Carbonation is somewhere is the middle. Body is nice and full. I had an off-taste in a couple of swigs that tasted like cheapness. Overall, this is not bad though.
2.2 Amber/copper in color, fairly clear. Metallic, malty aroma. Taste is of burnt malts with belgium like spiciness. Lively carbonation. Strange flavor profile. Didn’t do much for me.
3.3 Bottle. Dark amber with huge brown head. Aroma sweet malts, spices. Taste dry, malty and some spices, caramel.
2.6 75 cl corked bottle @ home. Pours clear slightly dark amber with a white head that leaves a little lacing. Aroma is sugar, yeast, caramel, spices, and some dark fruits. Flavour is caramel, suger, and dark fruits.
3.1 From Andreas. Bottled, 091212. Amber with white head. Aroma of malt and fruit. Flavour with yeast and spices
4.5 From bottle into chalice. One if my top 5 beers, fresh, hands down. This one is 11 months aged. A: brown sugar, alcohol, and carmel malt. Gorgeous brown, amber hue, with frothy, slightly khaki head. And nice lacing! T: sweet carmel front, robust brown sugar middle, and mostly sweet back, almost barley wine-like. P: fairly bubbly, super smooth finish. Better fresh, but great aged! Would be a 4.9, if not 5.0 fresh!
3.7 color is rusted deep red. Aroma reminded me of kids medacine with the yeast, light sweetness and odd fruit mix of grape and pit fruit. Taste was robust malt but a little different. Good experience to have but not amazeing.
3.3 750 ml bottle purchased at Total Wine Pembroke Pines, FL for $1.99 Very good, better price.
3.0 Clear red color. Small head. Aroma of spices and sweet sugar. A little chocolate malt aroma as well. Taste is a little caramel and sugar. Some iron taste in there too. Finish is a bit harsh as this burned a bit.
3.3 The pour is amber in color with a tall off-white head. Sweet caramel and toffee with a little bit of sugar. Lots of dark fruits on the nose, too. There is a touch of spice and maybe some apples. The flavor is fairly sweet. Mostly sugar with some caramel. A decent amount of dark fruits, especially raisins and plums. Not bad at all.
2.3 a 12ox bottle into a stemmed bulb. color is rusted deep red. Aroma reminded me of kids medacine with the yeast, light sweetness and odd fruit mix of grape and pit fruit. Taste was robust malt but a little different. Good experience to have but not amazeing.
2.1 Obtained from a huge French Hypermarket in Calais in Dec 2010, this brown 25cl bottle was one of many in a multi-pack. Best before 25 Nov 2011, this last bottle of the pack was opened and reviewed during one of my ’random beer tasting evenings’ in April 2011. Poured into a La Chouffe stemmed tulip shaped goblet: clear toffee apple red body, with an off-white head on top. A great pity that the head goes completely before you get a real chance to appreciate it. I found hints of malts and cloves in the nose, so fairly Christmassy. The taste was of sweet malts which faded quickly to a nasty metallic feel, this dried the mouth out and combind with the thin, weak body depth left me very disappointed. Years ago I thought the Jenlain (Duyck) beers were the best in France, either I’ve changed my taste, or they’ve changed their beers!
3.4 (750ml bottle). Pours a clear dark amber color with moderate tan head. Active carbonation. Aroma has caramel, candied sugar, florals, honey and some light ripe berries. Taste is sweet with some bitterness. Medium bodied and slick textured. A bit fizzy initally. The orange does come through a bit. Not bad.
4.2 earthy, woody, cooked vegetables, cloudy, amber, rocky head, medium sweetness, medium bitterness, heavily sour, full body, creamy, astringent, long finish,
2.6 Pours a very nice amber color. Small off white head. Skunk aromas hit immediately. Not very pleasant. Malt, clove, cinnamon and metal. Very malty taste with an unpleasant metallic taste. Pretty bland. Very one dimensional. Mouthfeel is just metal and malt. Maybe this I got a bad bottle/batch cause this isn’t very good at all.
3.4 Bouteille de 25cl. Une couleur franchement ambrée, une mousse honnète qui tient correctement. Elle ressemble clairement à son illustre soeur : la Jenlain ambrée, le malt torréfié, le caramel et le bouquet automnal. Toutefois, malgrè un degré d’alcool légèrement inférieur, elle semble un peu plus corsée et accessoirement, un peu moins bonne! Trouvée à 8 à 8 - Vitry en Artois
2.6 19 jan 2012, bottle. Smells like coke and lager. Med body and fizzy. Tastes of coke and lager and caramel. Ugh.
2.8 Bottle. Pours dark amber with a small, beige head. Metallic spicy aroma with a hint of caramel and some yeasty notes. Slightly sweet with flavors of yeast, spices, caramel and metal. Slightly bitter finish with straw, spice and yes metallic notes. Strange metallic flavor throughout I didn’t enjoy.
3.4 Bottle - 750mL corked and caged. Ruddy amber with a short, foamy tan head. Aroma is dusty yeast, straw, subtle spice, dried flowers and caramel. Taste is also dusty yeast, caramel, mild spices, light toffee, straw notes, and soft earthiness. Body is medium with a mild, bubbly carbonation. Ends a touch sweeter with stronger caramel, sweet malt, spices, big yeast notes, straw, light flowery notes, and toffee.
3.0 Clear dark amber color with a medium size off-white head. Sweet aroma. Good sweet flavor of peach and fruits.
3.9 Draft at the Farmers’ Cabinet in Philadelphia. Pours a dark golden amber color with a two finger frothy white head that slowly settles into a lasting ring.  The glass is left coated with soapy lacing. Slightly spicy aroma with a nice balance of dark fruit and biscuity malt.  Hints of pepper and cinnamon along with some cherry and dark berries followed by biscuity caramel malt. Fuller bodied than expected with a nice balance of zesty spice, funky yeast, earthy hops, dark fruit and sweet malt.  A touch of bitterness up front followed by peppery spice that lingers over a slight medicinal character into a dry finish.  Hints of dark cherry with a nice malt backbone coutering the fruit/sweetness.  Hints of caramel malt and biscuit toward the finish.  Complex and much more flavorful than expected.
3.0 Sweet and flavor of spices, slight bitterness. Hints of caramel. Dark golden in color with a white head.
3.4 Pours amber with off white film of a head. Aroma is caramel, earthyness, dark fruit and breadyness. Taste is sweet with faint bitters on the finish.