Svaneke Julebryg

Brewed by Svaneke Bryghus
Style: Dunkel
Svaneke, Denmark

A true Svaneke aroma and flavor. Some kind of "fat" malt, smoke, cinnamon, sweet and bitter. A mix of many components in the christmasway!

Dark amber with little thin beige head. Plummy aroma with cinnamon and coriander. Taste has lots of caramel and a nice finish of cinnamon. Extremely well-balanced.

Small white head quickly disappears. Dark reddish brown body. Yeasty, hoppy aroma reminiscent of peas with faint smoky notes. Taste is dominated by the same yeasty, hoppy, pea-like flavour with some smoke in it, and perhaps some chocolate notes at the far back. Dry, grassy aftertaste. Very unusual taste, but not bad. (0.5l bottle.)

Bottle. Unclear dark amber, small beige head. Aroma of sweet dark caramel. Sweet-flavored; malts, brown sugar, raisins. Mild hops and spices, mainly black pepper, in the background. High carbonation level. Slight bitter and spicy finish.

Dark amber and malty. Notes of vegetables (DMS) in the aroma, but a good malty body. Short finish. A bit boring.

500 ml bottle. Reddish brown colour. Clear, but with hoardes of big bubbles rising to the surface. Medium-sized off-white creamy head. Nutty aroma, with hazelnut and almonds. Perhaps also a hint of peas. Nice prickly sensation from carbonation. Wonderful hop flavour. Feels citrusy, but is not. Could it be Challenger, or some American hop? I sure have had it before, and I love it (the hop that is). Balances the caramelly nutty flavours nicely. Light drying powdery sensation in the finish. Not at all bitter, but a fine balance between chocolate powder and crisp hops.

Bottle. Hazy copper with a khaki head. Complex aroma of chocolate and yeast. Rich chocolate flavours, combined with refreshing yeasty breadiness. Good dry ending. Light to medium body, fluffy mouthfeel. A great Christmas beer.

Bottled. Light brown coloured with a medium sized head. Malty and sweet with notes of spices and dark berries. A bit too mild though.