Advent Beer 2: Bise Noire

Tonight's advent beer is a black ale from France's Trois Dames called Bise Noire (Black Kiss). Named after a bitter north wind, Bise Noire is a 7.2% abv double malt beer, extremely dark in colour and just a little sweet due to the higher than average alcohol content. Somewhat bready, a little rich, with maybe a hint of caramelization. Since I sampled mine immediately after coming in from barbecuing at about -16 degrees, a rich, dark ale was just what the doctor ordered, and it seemed to go well with the steaks I had grilled. A little bit of sediment at the bottom of the glass is a reminder of the somewhat humble origins of craft beers like this, and a far cry from the double-pasteurized, triple-filtered, better-make-it-extra-cold-so-you-don't-accidentally-taste-it sort of thing you often get from larger producers.

And yes, the label, which shows someone bundled up against the cold while dragging a sled behind them, resonates pretty well with me too.

Posted with Blogsy