Ølfabrikken Jule Ale
Ølfabrikken

Ølfabrikken Jule AleØlfabrikken Jule Ale
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From:
Ølfabrikken
 
Denmark
Style:
American Strong Ale
ABV:
8%
Score:
86
Avg:
3.78 | pDev: 11.64%
Reviews:
31
Ratings:
38
Status:
Active
Rated:
Nov 18, 2014
Added:
Apr 21, 2007
Wants:
  1
Gots:
  1
No description / notes.
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Ratings by baggio:
Photo of baggio
Reviewed by baggio from Sweden

4.27/5  rDev +13%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Bottle@home

A: Red / Amber with a beige head. Looks a bit murky but really isn't when you take a closer look.

S: Citric Notes, Pine, Molasses, Fruit and plenty of hops!

T: Orange, Spices, Dark Caramel, Fruit, Citric notes.

M: Very well balanced and refreshing. Plenty of carbonation. Initial taste reveals lots of sweetness but just a wee bit after the sweetness has appeared in your mouth a nice doze of bitterness shows up. Not bad.

Dunno if i would call this a christmas beer but it is damn good. Lots of interesting flavors and a nice fresh bitterness at the end making it an easy drink. Try it!
Dec 22, 2008
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 2.5 by olradetbalder from Sweden

Nov 18, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by KAF from Iowa

Aug 06, 2014
 
Rated: 3.25 by Jah_Json from Sweden

Feb 11, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by Evil_Pidde from Sweden

Dec 20, 2013
 
Rated: 3.75 by aztraz from Sweden

Dec 01, 2013
 
Rated: 4 by t0rin0 from California

Dec 04, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by JAHMUR from Connecticut

Nov 29, 2011
Photo of magine
Reviewed by magine from Pennsylvania

4.09/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured into becker glass.

Pours a deep dark cloudy amber color. Has a light tan fast fading head. Brew leaves minimal lace. Decent looks.

Brew smells hoppy, malty and spicy. A very unique smelling brew. Fruits, coriander, malts and spices are all there. Very good smell.

Brew is sweet and fruit hopped, has a malty yeast flavor as well. Spices are abundant. Very smooth and finishes dry. Balanced brew for sure. Good stuff here.

This is a very drinkable, unique tasting brew. Lots of flavors that work well together. The mouthfeel is solid as well. I like this one, good stuff.
Dec 27, 2010
Photo of corby112
Reviewed by corby112 from Pennsylvania

3.33/5  rDev -11.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
From notes:

Pours a very dark ruby red/chestnut brown color with a thin half finger yellowish tan foam head that quickly fades into a very thin ring. Minimal spots of lacing left behind.

Spicy peppery aroma with hints of cinnamon and peppermint as well as some dark fruit such as cherry, plum and fig. Very faint citrus peel and hops in the nose.

Medium bodied with a nice prominent spiciness up front that is quickly countered by dark fruit notes and slight citrus. Hints of cherry, grape, date, fig, raisin and citrus peel. Well balanced with enough bitterness and spice to balance out the citrus and dark fruit flavor. Slightly bitter dry finish.
Dec 16, 2010
Photo of avalon07
Reviewed by avalon07 from South Carolina

4.05/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
A: Poured from a bottle to a pint glass. Had a brown color and a thick, murky consistency. There was a half inch of creamy, fairly long-lasting head. Good lacing.

S: A nice smell of spices, hops, malt, and sweets.

T: Tasted of West Coast hops, caramel malt, cinnamon, and coriander. Not as overly spicy as you might expect, but still very tasty.

M: A good amount of carbonation with a dry finish. Medium-bodied.

D: A solidly drinkable beer.
Jul 01, 2010
Photo of Xul
Reviewed by Xul from California

3.58/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
A: Pours a slighty hazy, dark, brownish amber capped by one finger of frothy off-white head. Moderate retention.

S: Caramel base with some piney hops, winter spices, and some booziness. Aroma is rather faint, but what's perceptible is good.

T: Pretty much follows the nose...starts out caramel malts, followed by some piney hops jumping in. As those fade out of the taste buds, winter spices pop up along with some vanilla. No bitterness on the backend, leading to a sweet finish.

M: Creamy with moderate carbonation.

D: Booziness comes through as it warms, nothing particularly interesting to make me want to drink more than one.
May 31, 2010
Photo of froghop
Reviewed by froghop from Washington

3.67/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
pours a semi-hazy dark brown-orange with a small light tan head, and some lacing.

smell is of malt, spice, caramel, and dark fruits.

taste is of dark fruits, cocoa, malt, some hops in the back, spice, and pepper, ends a little on the dry side.

overall a good strong ale.
Apr 03, 2010
Photo of beerthulhu
Reviewed by beerthulhu from New Jersey

3.53/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
A: The Pour yielded a natural ice tea color with a frothy beige capping, about 2 fingers in height, with a moderate sense of retention. A light state of clarity showed a haze of micro particles suspended within, along with a strong showing of carbonation. Some slight stickage occurs for a lacing but nothing to get to excited about.

S: The piney dry grapefruit hops, compliment of the abundance of C-hops come through nicely here with medium strength, think arrogant bastard. Piney needles, dried caramel but hardly a trace of any spicing (coriander, cinnamon) as indicated could be picked up. There was a light presence of powdery sweetness which could have been the sugars or the cinnamon added on the very trail of the scent but again nothing to get to excited about.

T: Sticky pine hop resins with a robust showing of speciality malts (caramel) come through initially. There is a spicing of evergreen, with a spicy, woodsy appeal along with ripe grapefruit pulp. The finish is slightly dry of coriander (finally), spicy licorice and a dry alcohol touch of solvent. Boozy, wintery with a spicy American citrus hopping makes for an unique take on the style.

M: Tight carbonation, swells up slightly turning creamy with a playful and warming nature. The finish finds a spiciness of pine needles and citronella.

D: Decent drinkability along with decent enjoyment. Solidly good, but will stop there, wasn't anything that will make me mention this out of the ordinary.
Mar 25, 2010
Photo of jrallen34
Reviewed by jrallen34 from Illinois

2.85/5  rDev -24.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5
I drank this from a 22oz bomber into my Rochefort chalice.

The beer pours a dark murky brown, similar to a quad with a very light tan head, not much retention or lacing.

The aroma is light showing mostly a little spice.

The taste is super strong like coffe mixed with winter spice. No clue where the coffee came from, but its not a welcome surpirse.

The feel is medium with a smooth finish, not very drinkable.

This beer is pretty blah, nothing anything special.
Feb 08, 2010
Photo of BeerImmediately
Reviewed by BeerImmediately from Pennsylvania

4.03/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
22.3oz bottle into stout glass at 45 degrees.

Very active, 4F cream/tan head, over a deep amber body. Head lingers as a healthy film, with a decent amount of lacing.

Aromas of piney hops, barley & wheat malt and a touch of the coriander when taken in deeply. Little alcohol comes thru as it warms, too.

Flavor is a fairly well balanced hop-to-malt combo, with the alcohol bringing in the thickness and aftertaste. Pretty rich and sticky as expected from the style. The bitter citrus (grapefruit) & pine (old, dead tree at the curb) profile does end up dominating the sweet, without being a total blowout for the former.

The alcohol seemed higher than 8% (could've fooled me as a 10%), which helps to slow things down on the drinkability - but still quite good for the style.
Jan 31, 2010
Photo of Keene
Reviewed by Keene from Washington

4.27/5  rDev +13%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Evidence that Denmark is an underrated brewing nation. A deep, reddish-orange color with a small brown head, Ølfabrikken's Jule Ale has a very fruity nose that recalls raisins, coriander, allspice, and a faint whiff of hops.

Dark, roasty malts dominate in this silky smooth, lightly carbonated strong ale. Full-bodied with plenty of alcohol warmth in the finish, it's reminiscent of a soft, sugary gingerbread cookie. Far and away my favorite holiday beer of 2009.
Jan 11, 2010
Photo of emerge077
Reviewed by emerge077 from Illinois

3.35/5  rDev -11.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
No date on here, but considering the store I found it at (Friar Tuck), it's probably a 2008 bottle.

Pours a reddish orange, fairly murky. Some visible carbonation trailing upwards. Decent amount of foam. Looks like a winter ale. On closer inspection there's tiny suspended micro sediment hanging in the liquid.

Aroma is a little muddled, some yeast and malt character, with indistinct spice under that.

Perceptible alcohol, vague hop earthiness, citrus peel, and bitterness in the end. Spicy phenolics in the aftertaste. Sadly this isn't as festive as i'd hoped. Sort of odd, malt and yeast forward, with some faded hops and spice. It has the hefty fortitude that a winter ale should have, which is one redeeming characteristic. It's drinkable, but i'd rather have someting else.
Dec 27, 2009
Photo of Richardberg
Reviewed by Richardberg from New York

3.88/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5
A - hazy amber with light orange fringes, slightly off-white head, nice head with ok retention.

S - quite hoppy for a Yuletide brew: citrus, pine, and some floral aromas all present. Caramel malts with a little roastiness. Expected more spice, given the label.

T - nicely crisp with a touch of malt sweetness. You do get a little of the coriander staying with you at the end, along with the ample hops, but without ever becoming totally bitter. Fairly simple flavor profile overall stays well balanced & within the style.

M - medium body, could use more carbonation given that they went for more of a standard strong ale vs a true winter brew

D - very drinkable. The 8% ABV is the furthest thing from your mind. Not quite what I expected but highly enjoyable for what it is.
Dec 13, 2009
Photo of tpd975
Reviewed by tpd975 from Florida

3.73/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Big thanks to SeaBass for this one.

A: Pours a nice orangish brown hue with a nice creamy off white head. Okay retention with some nice sheet lace.

S: Hoppy for sure. Lots of american hops with mild notes of spice and caramel.

T: Piney hops mostly with subtle notes of citrus. Caramel malt with a nice little blast of cinnamon. A unique take on the style.

M: Medium in body, with good carbonation.

D: Pretty good.
Nov 26, 2009
Ølfabrikken Jule Ale from Ølfabrikken
Beer rating: 86 out of 100 with 38 ratings