I’ll admit it-I’m a sucker for any beer with “Christmas” on the label. So I have to say to you, Brouwerij Slaapmutske of Melle, Belgium: you had me at Christmas. Thus I give you Kerstmutske Christmas Nightcap Slaapmutske. A little bit about the brewery from their website.

Slaapmutske means “sleeping hat” or, colloquially,  “the last beer that is drunk before going to sleep”. In English, we would call this a nightcap in both senses. A “Kerstmutske” is Dutch for a Christmas Hat (they speak a Dutch dialect in parts of Belgium). The Slaapmutske brewery began selling its beer around 2000. For a European brewer, that’s a very recent newcomer on the scene.

Kerstmutske Christmas Nightcap is imported to the USA by Shelton Brothers of Belchertown, Massachusetts. They are no strangers to importing holiday brewers, and are responsible for bringing us such Christmas classics as Bad Elf Winter’s Ale and Lump of Coal Dark Holiday Stout. My bottle was contract brewed at Brouweij DeProef of Belgium for Slaapmutske.

From the Shelton Brothers website:

Brouwerij Slaapmutske’s “Kerstmutske” Christmas Nightcap is a dark red top-fermented beer, brewed without spices, and refermented in the bottle. This 7.4% ABV Belgian holiday ale is brewed with an assortment of specialty malts and aromatic hops, resulting in a very malty mouthfeel, followed by a soft, warm, medium-dry finish.

This beer from one of Belgium’s nicest brewing guys, this might just put you over the moon.  Cheers!

Kerstmutske Christmas Nightcap is a Belgian abbey dubbel in style with 28 IBUs. I paid $14.99 for a 750 ML bottle at Total Wine. This is pricey for sure, but it didn’t deter me. Like I said. They had me at Christmas.

Kerstmutske Christmas Nightcap pours to a hazy brown color with a thick rocky head of foam and an inviting chocolaty yeasty nose. Sipping, the beer is medium in body with plenty of nutty chocolaty fresh dark malty flavors and oh so smooth malty. Sipping reminds me of crunching a mixed handful of pale and chocolate malts fresh at a brewery. There are hints of banana, funky yeasty notes, and a dry finish that makes you want another sip.

Overall, I would give this one 4.5 stars less a half star for the high price. Still, this is an excellent dubbel exploding with fresh malty notes.  

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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