Corsendonk Christmas Ale
Review Date 2/5/2005   Last Updated  12/23/2019     By John Staradumsky

Belgium. It’s truly the land of magic beer. Or is that the magic land of beer? Either way, if you were to list the world's top brewing countries, and limit your selections to as many fingers as you have on one hand, Belgium would rate towards the top of that list. Probably coming down to the top two fingers, actually. And what better time to enjoy a Belgian beer than the most magical time of all, Christmas? Corsendonk Christmas Ale fits the bill for the holiday season, whether it is for Christmas in December or July.

Indeed, this bottle conditioned brew is a perfect choice for aging as are many Belgian brews. So you could easily sock some away until July and enjoy it then. I have to admit, though, that amongst Belgian ales Corsendonk Christmas Ale is one of my favorites. As I type, I’m sipping a bottle in early February, but even though the holidays are over, that’s no reason not to enjoy a bottle of this wonderful brew.

The beer is actually brewed for the Corsendonk priory by by Brewery Du Bocq, also in Belgium. It is packaged in a beautifully decorated 750ml bottle that you see in the Epinions graphic above. But it’s also sold in 8.5 ounce bottles, too. Just before Christmas, I bought an eight pack that came with a beautiful glass adorning the Corsendonk Christmas logo for about $17 total.

Then I got lucky. Barbara is always talking about the craft beers we drink together at work, so somebody gave her a 750ml bottle of the stuff packaged in an attractive metal canister. Which she promptly gave to me. Bonus! Who says there is no Santa Claus? But enough of that, let’s try a bottle, shall we?
 

I pop the cork, and this has to be one of my favorite sounds in the entire world. I gently pour some Corsendonk Christmas Ale into my ornate Corsendonk beer glass and a small amount of dark brown beer forms on the bottom, topped off by a huge head of rocky tan foam. This is the norm for a bottle conditioned Belgian style brew. The nose is slightly fruity and very yeasty, it screams "Belgian!" at you at the top of it's lungs.

Then you take a sip, and the rich, chocolaty-sweet maltiness of the beer becomes apparent. It's a fantastic base for the exotic Belgian yeast flavors that permeate the beer. That flavor really needs to be experienced to be understood. If you swirl the rich liquid around your tongue, you get notes of fresh gingerbread and licorice.

The finish is rounded out nicely by a warming alcohol content of 8.5% by volume and a hint more licorice. A bit of hops balance too. As I drain my glass, I notice a thick layer of Brussels lace (foam residue) clinging to the sides all the way down to the bottom. This is always a good sign.

Corsendonk Christmas Ale would be a great dessert beer, pairing ideally with a German stollen, or Christmas cake. It would go well with fruit cake too, or even apple pie on the Fourth. Truly a delicious brew all year long. If you happen to see a bottle on the shelf of your local retailer, don't let the seasonal appellation fool you. This beer is as much as home in front of the campfire as the yule log.

But saving some for Christmas isn't a bad idea either, and a bottle I aged for three years made a special treat on Christmas night 2007. Sweet and chocolaty cookie-like malt, licorice and spice and a tart drying finish reminded me why this really is a very special holiday brew.

Update 12/25/2016: It's Christmas night, and what better way tp celebrate than with a bottle of Corsendonk Christmas Ale? The aformentioned chocolaty-sweet maltiness is readily apparent along with yeasty spice, perhaps a hint of licorice, gingerbread and a hint of alcohol warmth. My 750 ML bottle was purchased in 2014 for $8.99 so has a few years of age on it, but could easily go several more despite the best before end date of 28/08/17 in the European format. A bit lower in alcohol, too, now at 8.1% by volume.

Update 12/23/2019: Last year, my stepdaughter bought me a 4-pack of this beauty (and I bought one too). Popping a bottle I aged this year, the nose is full of candied orange, citrus peel, and Grand Mariner notes; the palate funky yeast, holiday spice, and spice cake. The alcohol content is back up to 8.5%. My bottle say best before 08/20/22, which gives me plenty of time to drink the rest I have. Just wow, and just $10.44 a 4-pack at Target.

And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.

*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.

(B)=Bottled

(D)=Draft

 

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