We're counting down to Christmas with 12 beers that resonate with the feel of the holiday. Some beers were nice; some beers were naughty. This is The 12 Beers of Christmas. Enjoy!

Kerkom Brewery in Belgium

Merry Christmas Eve! I hope you all have your shopping done, and if you don’t check out all the beers of Christmas (except that Winter’s Bourbon Cask Ale) and jet down to the local beer store to get yourself those final stocking stuffers, or just a few more gifts to fill out under the tree. The delightful beer treat for today is the Winter King, more commonly known as Winterkoninkske. The brewers over at Kerkom Brewery are trying to bring hops back to Belgian brewing with this tasty winter ale.

he Kerkom brewery is a family operation built into a rambling farmhouse surrounded by Belgium’s best cherry orchards. Brewer Marc Limet, saddened by the gradually decreasing interest in hoppy traditional beers among Belgian breweries, has determined single-handedly to bring hops back into Belgian brewing.

Sounds pretty good huh? A fairly high octane (8.3 ABV) winter beer that departs from the typical malty sweetness and delves into the wonderful world of hops. The Winterkoninkske was clearly an unfiltered beer (if its been on the shelf for a while, you may consider leaving the last ounce in the bottom of the bottle) and poured a hazy, watered down coffee color. Steffen described it as the color of “light mud-water from the Red Rocks .” The dark brew gave off a “sniffy” of primarily alcohol, but with sweet vanilla notes as well as some hints of pear.

What a gorgeous place for a brewery!

This Belgian brew tasted about like you would expect from the nose. Strong enough to keep you warm at night with full tones of sweet fruit (i’m thinking pear or apple, definitely not citrus) and a small finish of bitter hops that lingers for a few seconds. Overall, the Winterkoninkske was a tasty enough beer, but as for bringing the hops back to Belgium? I think it fell a little short. After reading the description, I expected a fair punch of hops, nothing like an IPA or APA, but at least something to pucker up my lips for under that mistletoe. No such luck here guys! Would I drink it again? Yes, I could drink some more of this, but not at the five bucks a bottle it goes for in Helena.