Christmas beers

We're finally very close to Christmas. Here in Finland the celebrations already start tomorrow. There's some snow around here and a pleasant frost, so it's looking good.

Tasty drinks are as an important part of the holiday season as is the food. Mulled wine and cider need to be obtained for the celebrations as well as diverse Christmas beers. Obviously I will only be sipping and tasting these drinks, by no means drinking excessively.

Of course I have been tasting some international Christmas beers for you even this year. Here are my tasting notes on them.

Het Anker Gouden Carolus Christmas 10,5 %

- strong liquorice and anise taste in the beginning

- then rum and raisin and maybe plums after that

- quite different from the other Christmas beers I tasted

St Eriks Bryggeri Julale 5,4 %

- malt character

- mango and papaya

- malty honey aftertaste

- forwardly hoppy without bitterness

- loads of character of late addition of hops

Tuborg Christmas Brew 5,6 %

- malty, a little toffee and banana with a smoky finish

- rather nice wintery, Christmassy beer

- nutty in the aftertaste

- subtle apple taste throughout

BrewDog Santa Paws 4,5 %

- Christmas Scotch ale

- lovely dark deep colour, originally I said "darker than the night" when I saw it

- slight tar and smoke in the taste

- tastes of sweet caramel, roasted malt and even coffee

- aroma of burnt toffee and banana

- bitter yet smooth mouthfeel

Downton Brewery Chocolate Orange Delight 5,7 %

- strong chocolate taste

- burnt notes especially in the aftertaste

- copperly tang

- dark with a citrussy bitterness

Abbaye des Rocs Speciale Noel 9,0 %

- smells of caramel

- has a sweet caramel, toffee, plum and vanilla taste with something fruity, almost like a scorched pear

- peary estery

Mikkeller Red & White Christmas 8,0 %

- fruits, caramel, vanilla, citrus peel

- grassy hops

- floral notes

- lots of grapefruit taste

Great Heck Black Santa 5,4 %

- dark brown stout

- chocolaty, nutty, caramel, bitter

- has a fruity aftertaste

I wish a hoppy Christmas to all friends of beer!

Your VegHog