Julebuk
Søgaards Bryghus

JulebukJulebuk
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From:
Søgaards Bryghus
 
Denmark
Style:
Bock
ABV:
6.3%
Score:
88
Avg:
3.97 | pDev: 6.3%
Reviews:
18
Ratings:
20
Status:
Active
Rated:
Aug 02, 2014
Added:
Dec 31, 2006
Wants:
  12
Gots:
  0
A Bock-style beer with a hint of Christmas spices. The recipe was somewhat chanced in 2006.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by ybnorml:
Photo of ybnorml
Reviewed by ybnorml from Rhode Island

3.5/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A clean dark amber/brown beer with ruby highlights. Has a nice foamy tan head. The aroma has a nice easy going caramel maltiness with a hint of vanilla. The sweet malt and a prickly alcohol note hit your tongue first. In the middle there are hints of spices (cinnamon and nutmeg). Followed by piney and herbal hop notes and a hint of juniper.
Mar 07, 2008
More User Ratings:
Photo of metter98
Reviewed by metter98 from New York

3.85/5  rDev -3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
A: The beer is very hazy brown in color and has lots of large clumps of yeast floating near the bottom of the glass. It poured with a short tan head that died down, leaving lacing on the surface and a collar consisting of large bubbles.
S: Moderate aromas of yeast are present in the nose along with notes of malts and hints of spices.
T: Like the smell, the taste is both malty and yeasty. Hints of spices are noticeable in the finish.
M: It feels medium-bodied on the palate and has a low to moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This is a nice bock if you like beers that are very malty and yeasty. The subtle hints of spices make things a little interesting.
Aug 02, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by smithj4 from New York

Aug 02, 2014
Photo of Amalak
Reviewed by Amalak from New York

3.93/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
A. My god, there are actual massive flakes that are floating around this beer. It's black, kind of gelatinous. It has a big tan foamy head with a good deal of lacing down the sides. Black.

S. It has a very thick malty and chocolate scent. Some caramel there too.

T/M. It has a fruity stout taste. Grape and a hint of caramel sweetness. Malty and very smooth. Medium to full bodied. Fairly high in the taste when it comes to alcohol.

O. This is well balanced and flavorful, fairly complex. As winter brews go, it's excellent. As a bock, it works well.
Dec 31, 2013
 
Rated: 3.75 by mrfrancis from Kentucky

Jun 25, 2013
Photo of sprucetip
Reviewed by sprucetip from Alaska

4.12/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
from notes. Chestnut but clear and mahogany when backlit. A finger of tan foam lingers briefly. Pretty active, and leaves only minimal lacing.

Caramel malty sweet, spicy, and dark fruit come one strong. Later it's also a little grainy, faintly boozy, and almost chocolaty. Really nice smelling beer.

Mildly bitter and malty sweet, but nothing so rich as in the nose. Also grainy with hints of dark fruit and bitter chocolate. Manuy of the same elements as in the aroma, but not as vibrant with out as much synergy.

Strong carbonation tingles a little, medium body, and a much drier feel than the bountiful nose would suggest.

This is a very good beer that I am grateful to have stumbled upon. it's complex, balanced, smooth, and nuanced. it tastes and smells great.
Oct 18, 2011
Photo of rhoadsrage
Reviewed by rhoadsrage from Illinois

4.3/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
(Served in a stemmed strange)

A- The beer pours a dense brown body with a bubbly light tan head that is supported by tiny bubbles that race up the sides of the glass.

S- This beer has a dry toffee notes with some brown malt and melanoidin notes that blend together.

T- The rich full flavor of toffee and caramel malt has a nice layered flavor with some toffee melanoidin notes that lingers. There is a touch of hops green in the finish. There is a touch of dry spice like coriander with hints of juniper berries or spruce tips that come through when it is really warm.

M- This beer has a medium-light mouthfeel with a slight slippery texture and no alcohol heat noticed.

O- This beer is a smooth rich bock with a nice crisp clean finish and the spices have a subtle support to the malty flavors. Very nice to drink on a cold autumn night.
Sep 27, 2011
Photo of BeardedBoffin
Reviewed by BeardedBoffin from New Mexico

4.32/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
This beer pours a dark wooden brown with a little more than a wisp of foam. A deep caramel aroma with toasted malt and the smallest hint of spice. A strong pleasing bock flavor. The sweet bready malt mixes with caramel and bitter chocolate notes. Smooth through the center as it finishes with some spicy bitterness.

This beer is certainly reminiscent of Christmas ales. A flavorful and well built bock.
Mar 16, 2011
Photo of crossovert
Reviewed by crossovert from Illinois

3.85/5  rDev -3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
500ml bottle.

It pours a deep, dark brown with hints of caramel ruby at the edges when held to the light. it has a 2 finger fizzy tan/off-white head that quickly dissipates with only slight lacing.

Th smell is mostly roasty caramel with a hinting of spices. I'm not gonna lie though my nostrils are failing me right now as I just inadvertently sneezed.

The flavor is pretty good. IT is a dark and roasty bock infused with holiday character. It has a surprising bitterness, though nothing super harsh. It still retains much of the traditional bock characteristics, but it has a little extra winter oopmh.

A very nice one, cool label too.
Feb 05, 2011
Photo of bruachan
Reviewed by bruachan from Massachusetts

3.67/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
bockish in color. actually, darker than i expected. head is weak

aroma is of munich malts, mostly. very bready and nutty

more munich, with a rather robust bitterness for a bock. flavors are intensely nutty and bready, and nicely low on sweetness. a little buttery

mouthfeel is good but unusual in a way i can't really identify. too smooth? not coating enough?
Dec 21, 2010
Photo of Georgiabeer
Reviewed by Georgiabeer from Georgia

4/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Bottle purchased at Hop City in Atlanta. Pours a dark chestnut brown with a fairly loose head that fades to a thin ring. Smells gently spicy and with soft bready malt as well as a light fruitcake note. The taste is equally as gentle with similar flavors but with a touch of light earthy bitterness as well. Very smooth, on the light side and quite easy to drink. This was softer than I expected, and less spiced, but it does have lovely soft notes of fruit, spice, and bready malt. More like a gently spiced brown ale. My first from this brewery.
Jul 15, 2009
Photo of BuckeyeNation
Reviewed by BuckeyeNation from Iowa

4/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pecan shell brown with bright orange highlights. Backlighting brings out a more russet-like hue. The golden beige colored crown is rich and creamy, with a tight-bubbled texture that promises long life. As the foam begins to melt, an attractive band of thick lace appears on the upper portion of the glass.

Given the color and aroma, it's obvious that Julebuk is a dunkler bock. The ABV isn't quite high enough for it to qualify as a doppelbock. The nose features dark caramel, cocoa and subtle spices that will have to wait for taste bud input for any hope of identification. I'm impressed so far.

Bocks aren't normally up my craft beer alley, so to speak. Their only hope is to lean heavily toward the dark malts and to add things like spices, which is exactly what Sogaard Bryghus has done. As a result, Julebuk tastes like a Christmas/holiday brew, which was the goal.

The flavor profile includes brown bread, steely caramel, toasted pecans, black tea, a few shavings of orange zest and a bit of ground clove. Since it's unlikely that Belgian yeast was used, cloves must have been added. Juniper too? The Munich malt adds an earthiness that is classic for the style. This is delicious, drinkable beer that should go well with all manner of foods.

The body/mouthfeel is a fraction light, but makes up for it by being glassy smooth and by hanging on to (and through) the finish. Near-perfect carbonation is probably the reason why.

Julebuk is my first Sogaards Bryghus beer, so I'm thrilled that it's a solid effort. Given the cost, I probably won't be drinking it again. Having said that, this bottle is a tasty treat on this cold, rainy morning. Skaal!
Apr 13, 2009
Photo of Monkeyknife
Reviewed by Monkeyknife from Missouri

4/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured from the bottle a deep reddish brown with a thin tan cap.

Aroma of malts, caramel, toffee, chocolate, vanilla, and very subtle spices.

The taste has plenty of caramel malts, along with chocolate, vanilla, and raisin. Less spiced than anticipated. Delicious bitter malt finish.

Light-to-medium bodied, dry, and moderately carbonated.

A very drinkable holiday bock from Denmark..
Jan 28, 2009
Photo of Gehrig
Reviewed by Gehrig from Illinois

4.3/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Dark Amber body with three fingers of tan head atop; decent duration and lacing, and a nice visually appealing start. Nice smell--somewhat spicy with anise and a dash of pepper, quite malty with toasted caramel, berry, and chocolate. Fuller flavor range in the taste than the smell, with the spice a bit more prominent than expected--not a bad thing. Spicy and sweet alternate--one minute, Julebuk is sugar cookie sweet, the next it's rife with anise, the next it's dark chocolate truffle. Nicely complex, a very delicious bock, smooth as silk, moderately hopped--really well done.

This impressed me. I grabbed it on a whim, and while I hoped that it would be good, I knew nothing about Sogaards Bryghus as a brewery. For a shot in the dark, this was a hit and one I'll grab again--should the store still have more.

Very good.
Jan 27, 2009
Photo of mrquartetman
Reviewed by mrquartetman from Illinois

3.68/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
This Danish Christmas beer describes itself as "a reddish brown, full bodied German-Style bock," spiced subtly for Christmas.

It pours in the advertised color with not much head. Its aroma is minimal.

The taste is nicely malty with accents of spices which are not, at least to this taster, identifiable. The flavor lacks complexity. It is a bock, but not one that distinguishes itself.

The mouthfeel is mildly satisfying, not nearly as chewy as several other winter ales.

The ale is easily drinkable, better than average.
Jan 19, 2009
Photo of Sammy
Reviewed by Sammy from Canada (ON)

3.53/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
AAlborg version, a good though not best Danish beer. Pours dark,its bocky, its the more recent version. Aroma is a bit of chocolate, spice, and alcohol. A hint of head and lace in the appearance. Average mouthfeel, it's smooth drinking. I would seek out a bock with less spice but more mouthfeel and simple taste.
Jun 22, 2008
Photo of NeroFiddled
Reviewed by NeroFiddled from Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A frothy head of slightly yellowed tan rises steadily as you pour. It rises to a two-finger thickness and then holds well, but leaves only minor lacing behind. The body is very dark brown (44 SRM) with reddish mahogany highlights (34 SRM). The nose is malty and toasty with an edge of very dark, almost scorched caramel balanced by delicate spice. As it passes your lips and onto your tongue there's a sweeter note of cocoa or chocolate, and dare I say it, coconut. It passes quickly but it's there. Beyond that the highly kilned malts kick in, covering the mouth in richness that hints at unsweetened bittersweet chocolate, or perhaps spent coffee grounds. It's not roasty in the traditional sense, but it's almost there. Very toasty! Kind of like a toasty piece of bread with a burnt edge. The spices swirl gentltly across the palate with notes of cinnamon and nutmeg, and perhaps ginger. There's even a touch of fruitiness in the background, but whether that's from yeast or some kind of citrus peel I'm not sure as the spices are kept fairly well subdued. It's not bitter, but it leans in that direction, and it finishes very dry with a lingering note of dark malt and some residual, minor, spice. A little more sweetness might make it seem too big or sticky... a little less might put the spices over the edge... nicely balanced!
Jun 18, 2008
Photo of smcolw
Reviewed by smcolw from Massachusetts

4.26/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Beautiful cascading head (three finger). Ruby brown color, hard to tell the clarity--light shines through and I could not detect any haze. Some sticky lace.

Extremely sweet aroma of brown sugar, molasses and caramel.

First note: Extremely thick beer with mild carbonation.
Second note: This is a lot drier than the smell would indicate
Third note: This is a highly hopped beer that creates excellent balance.
Fourth note: This is a shockingly good (and different) bock beer.

The smell reminds me of barely wines, the taste of a complex porter, the body of an oatmeal stout. This is a phenomenal treat to get so much into a single brew.
Feb 06, 2008
Photo of Jason
Reviewed by Jason from Massachusetts

4.32/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Bright sunset brown, almost tawny in color. Good clarity and the lacing is just fine as well. Mild on the spicing, lots of maltiness to go around in the aroma with a honey bun pastry aroma. Smoothness is amazing with a slightly bitty medium body. Big bready toasty malt flavor with some mild mineral laced caramelized sugar. Hop bitterness is modest, even the spicing is not over the top but mellow. Malt complexities run very deep here with a clean palate. Toasted and mild roasted or charred grain flavors come through middle to end.

Wow. They hit the nail on the head going for a bock, the spicing does not get in the way at all. Pretty amazing, seek this beer out not only for it uniqueness but the sheer level of flavor that is thrown at the taste buds.
Jan 21, 2008
Photo of oberon
Reviewed by oberon from North Carolina

4.06/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Man is there alot of great new Scandanavian stuff out there or what!?This Xmas spiced bock poured in a .5 liter stein a deep brown with some ruby tint thruought a well formed 2 finger beige head atop that settled into a creamy-like mass.More mild aromas some roasted nut and caramel along with a tinge of iron and orange peel,smooth going down almost creamy,the Christmas spice are only a backdrop to a buttery caramel flavor base with light chocolate and molasses flavors as well,as for the Christmas spice maybe a touch of clove but its light.Yeah a well made bock rich flavors but it doesnt hinder the drinkability one bit,very nice.
Dec 29, 2007
Julebuk from Søgaards Bryghus
Beer rating: 88 out of 100 with 20 ratings