KleinBrouwerij De Glazen Toren – Saison Speciaal Eindejaar

Typically we think of Saisons as a summer / late fall beer with its light, crisp, refreshing, and some times citrusy flavors.   However, KleinBrouwerij De Glazen Toren’s  ”eindejaar” (New Year) edition is special, with the strength ratcheted up from 6.9% to 9% ABV making it more of a winter warmer then a summer time refresher.

Here is how the bottle describes the beer:

It is only brewed once a year in November with 100% all flower hops from Belgium.
Top fermented blond ale. Brewed according to the ancient Saison tradition of Hainaut. Unfiltered, hopped two tiimes and bottle refermented. No pasteurised and without any additives.

ABV: 9%

Bottle: 750ml, Paper wrapped

Retail Cost: $12.99

Appearance:

First off, this bottle is wrapped in paper, which is pretty cool.  The last bottle I had wrapped in paper was the Demon Hunter.   Once I unwrapped and pop the top on this beer, it starter to foam out of the top.  A quick catch and it pour a nice hazy golden orange color with a big giant white billowy head that just glued its self to the side of my tulip glass.

Aroma:

This beer had a fairly strong aroma for a saison, lots of bready yeast character coming through.  Under the big yeasty aroma you catch hints of orange, lemon, pepper, and every so often a bit of bubble gum.

Taste:

I had my doubts about a winter saison, but this beer was pretty tasty.  It had a bit more of a heavy mouthfeel then a normal saison.  Up front his beer has the typical yeasty, slightly malty flavor which gives way to a tart lemon orange flavor with a hint of honey.  I really love the finish on this beer, it is so smooth and gradual that you can take your time between sips as this unique alcohol bready tartness just gradually subsides.

Calories: 9%abv beer that doesn’t finish dry or sweet, I would estimate 270-285 cal per 12oz (Calorie Chart)

Glassware: Tulip

Overall Impression:

I really enjoyed this beer, nice aroma with complex flavors.  Since this is the first time I’ve seen this beer, I was very impressed without having any expectation. Definitely a beer to go out and try.