Named after the underworld of Norse mythology, yet the beer in the bottle is more warming than haunting. Twelve percent, dark as a November evening, with candy sugar, caramel and a whisper of bourbon barrel. A winter night in a bottle.
Expert description of Enigma Winter Helheim Quadrupel Beer
Enigma Winter Helheim is a Quadrupel from the Belgian brewery Enigma in Heusden-Zolder, Limburg. Quadrupel is the name for the strong, dark Belgian abbey-style ales with full malt and dark fruit, and Winter Helheim delivers on that with 12 percent ABV and 31 IBU. It is brewed with a strongly fermenting Belgian yeast and is the brewery's winter beer.
The beer is aged on oak chips from bourbon barrels, and you can taste it. The bourbon note sits on top of the malty sweetness without taking over.
Enigma is known for playing with new yeast strains and aromatic hops, and for colourful labels. Much of the range is hop-driven, so Winter Helheim is the dark, warming counterpart, with a name taken from Norse mythology.
Tasting notes
Aroma
Caramel and dark fruit lead, with a hint of chocolate and bourbon behind.
Taste
It opens with candy sugar sweetness and a light touch of clove. Then come dark fruit, caramel and chocolate, with the bourbon note appearing in the background. The body is full and the carbonation soft, so the beer slips down despite its 12 percent.
Finish
The finish is warm and sweet with chocolate and bourbon. You can feel the alcohol, as you would expect from a beer at 12 percent.
Specifications
Name: Winter Helheim
Brewery: Enigma
Country/Region: Belgium, Limburg
Beer style: Quadrupel
ABV: 12%
IBU: 31
Size: 33 CL
Fermentation type: Top fermented
Serving suggestion: Serve at 8 to 12 degrees Celsius in a beer glass that gathers the aroma
Flavour profile
Dark fruit · Caramel · Chocolate · Bourbon · Spicy · Sweet · Full-bodied
Did you know?
Hel rules over the dead in Norse mythology, and Helheim is her realm. Her name lives on in the Scandinavian word for hell, helvede.
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