From the Brewer:

IWallonia is the French-speaking part of Belgium and the province where Scaldis is made is called Hainaut. The word means "Land of groves" and indeed it is the richest agricultural province in the country.

The Dubuisson brewery is in the hamlet of Pipaix, outside of Tournai. The brewery has been in operation since 1769. Scaldis (Bush at home) is 12% alcohol by volume. High gravity beers are generally quite heavy and sweet. Scaldis by contrast is quite dry with a pleasant nutty finish.

Scaldis is brewed without evaporating or freezing out water. Its alcohol level is achieved only by fermentation. Three different malts go into Scaldis, making it a beer with as much nuance as warmth.

Belgians are not big consumers of spirits such as cognac or brandy. Instead Belgians frequently enjoy full bodied beers, like Scaldis, before dinner as an aperitif or after dinner as a digestif. Scaldis should be served close to room temperature (6o°). At this temperature the roasted quality of the barley, the kettle-seared sugar flavors, and the clean hop finish truly bloom. Scaldis has a memorable warming quality

Ryan's Review


"The ale pours brown; it's opaque with light orange undertones and slight yellowing near the surface. The head is thin and dissipates quickly. A strong malty nose that has essences of orange peel. Also a distinct vegetal aroma I can not place. Initially bold and a little sharp, but mellows quite nicely as it opens. A bit sticky but it holds mostly to the front and mid-palate, it finishes pretty clean. On the finish there is a slight sticky character which does build some over time. It also has the slightest bit of zest, almost an acidic quality. Overall, this is a good example of a Belgian winter ale but doesn't have quite the depth of some of its counterparts."

The Numbers:

Appearance 6

Smell 6

Taste 7

Mouth feel 6

Enjoyment 7


Score 65.5


Sessionability 2


How easy is it to drink a lot of them (1-5)

Tim's Review

Winter brews have never really been big on my radar, with the exception of some of the Belgian offerings. The tendency is heavy on the spice and not enough quality. Worse, it appears as if some of our home country brewers have taken to fruiting up their winter offerings. Fruits beers are not my thing. Cheers if you enjoy them, but not I. The Belgian category always provides deliciousness and, interestingly, winter offerings are the only attempt at seasonality coming from Belgium. Scaldis Noel is a great start (Brasserie Dubuisson). Pouring cloudy murky and brown I honestly cannot say that it is a particularly appealing glass. The smell is a touch musty, but rich sweet and alcoholy as well. Swirling my glass released a fresh aroma that was quite tempting. The flavors are forward and delicious. It's like wood covered in caramel with a smooth, warming alcohol presence like fine whiskey. Most of you probably would not consider eating wood, but use your imagination, the taste is actually good. The liquid is smooth. It coats your mouth fairly thoroughly and finishes dry with alcohol. I have mentioned the alcohol several times now, but although it is overtly present I did not find this to be a negative quality at all. I enjoy this brew quite well. I like how it is light but rich and how it brings warmth along with good character. You'll hear this a lot from me during the winter season - this is great to drink by the fire! Enjoy.

The Numbers:

Appearance 6

Smell 7

Taste 8

Mouth feel 7

Enjoyment 8

Score 74.5


Sessionability 2

How easy is it to drink a lot of them (1-5)

 

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