Ølfabrikken Kloster Jul
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This beer has been in my cellar for a few years.

A: great head retention, deep copper color, clear
S: deep malt, roasted, licorice
T: full-bodied, great malt, licorice provides a bit of edge to malt, EtOH lurking
M: warm and rounded, very drinkable for EtOH
O: very nice beer, well-made

 

 

 

 

 

Poured this bad boy into an old PBR chalice. With a semi quick pour, this brew makes a two finger thick light tan head, that sticks around well, the body is bronze on the outside, then turns to a tawny dull brown that is nearly opaque when held up to natural light.

The aroma is of cola, booze, chocolate, and maybe vanilla with some cherry mixed together.

In the taste I get a whirlwind of flavors that bounce from dark dried fruits, to tobacco, to chocolate, some cherry and vanilla again, and has a warm boozy coziness in the end.

For a boozy beer this feels thin from beginning to middle, but then the warmth kicks in to let me know this brew is serious. It is lightly carbonated too, which makes me surprised that this isn't too syrupy.

Another relic found for a fraction of its former price (was $12.79, now $3.99).

A-After nearly taking out my dog's eye with the violent cork launch, the beer is poured into my tulip glass. Pours dark brown. When held up to the light the color is closer to burnt ruby. There are thousands of miniscule particles of floating debris in the beer too. Small head faded and leaves spotty lacing.

S-Dark fruits and toasted brown sugar. Dried plum. Alcohol rears its head too. A bit woody as well. Lighter nose. A slight amount of roastiness.

T-Now I can really taste the cherries. Chocolate covered cherry. Slight amount of wood. Booze is there. Not sour, but definitely cherry-loaded. Aftertaste is pleasant. Warms the cheeks. Thankfully this is one of the chillier summer nights. Almost like cherry cough syrup. Displays an almost medicinal flavor.

M-Heavy bodied. Strong carbonation. Slightly dry. Cherry flavor morphs on the palate.

O/D-This one has held up well over time. Seems like the shelf stay has mellowed out the booze a bit. For less than 1/3 its original price, I would say that this is a bargain.

Poured by whiterascal while watching 30 days of night. vintage '08.

A: pours out a orangish brown with a tan head that fell to leave a coating over the top of the beer.

S: i get cherry, raisins, and some other dark fruits. there is light roasted malt, chocolate, and candi sugar. there is a bit of alcohol in the nose, and some licorice as well. semi-sweet aroma. hints of cola.

T: definitely has some sweetness in it, but finishes a touch bitter and dry. there is roasted malt, bittersweet chocolate, candi sugar. there is raisins, and some other dark fruits, as well as a bit of molasses. there is alcohol at the end. it also has some yeasty spice in it.

M: medium-thin body with good amounts of carb.

O: i really enjoy this beer. it is a good sipping beer.

From notes:

This c&g bottle opened with a loud pop and poured a very dark ruby/chestnut color with mahogany edges when held to a light source. Two finger frothy tan head with decent retention, slowly fading into a lasting ring that leaves sporadic hunks of lacing behind.

Spicy peppery aroma with hints of clove, cinnamon and dark fruit. Hints of grape, dark berry, raisin and fog and well as a slightly medical cough syrup character.

Tight carbonation up front with a surprisingly full medium body, sweet and spicy flavor and slightly bitter dry finish. Lots of spicy notes, especially pepper, cinnamon and clove balanced by a nice malt backbone and sweet dark fruit presence. Hints of dark cherry, raisin, fig and plum. Well balanced and that medical flavor that I find so unpleasant in Xmas beers is kept to a minimum.

2nd bottle of this I have had, this one is aged for about 18 months....Poured into snifter.

A--Deep reddish amber. Lacing sticks a bit to the glass.

S--Medicinal, has some cherry notes in the nose.

T--Cherry, spice, good flavor.

M--Good smooth mouthfeel.

D--As this beer warms, the more it reminds of me of why I got a second bottle to age. This is an excellent BSDA and a great choice on a cold early winter night. Excellent brewery, great beer.

Thanks to Exiled for sharing this bottle.

2008 vintage. The beer pours a brown color with a cream-colored head. The aroma is alcohol, tobacco, brown sugar, dark fruit and a lot of licorice. The flavor is a similar, with a few additional notes. In addition to the tobacco, roasted malt, brown sugar and nutmeg, I also get some cayenne pepper and alcohol. A very complex flavor profile that is very enjoyable. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

Review from notes in December 09

Poured a murky brown/hazelnut with a light tan head that left decent lace. From the getgo, I am hit by a huge waft of licorice and a tiny twang of cherries. A caramel and toffee body then carries me over a field of anise, and finally to a vat of rum soaked raisins. The taste is equally satisfying. This is a rare form of licorice... it's licorice I actually enjoy! Quite amazing, though the body could be boosted slightly. Booze is apparent throughout.

Yummmm. Very nice beer. Poured with a fine foamy frothy light tan head that lasts & good lace. Aroma is malty, yeasty, a hint of sour cherry. Flavor's about the same but set off very well with the body and carbonation which are excellent. Don't pick up much of the licorice. Finish is a very good bittersweet with a little alcohol.

80 deibel cork pop, but fortunately no gusher.
A: Very dark maroon color, medium tan fine bubble head that lasts forever; delicate lacing.
S: Aroma of dark fruits and caramel,and evident alcohol.
T: Flavor begins with ripe cherries and dates, and a bit of nutmeg. Lots of malt. Nicely complex and interesting.
M: Excellent body.
D: Delicious winter brew.

My Hoegaarden snifter contains a dark, rutty, brown ale with red highlights and a gargantuan, creamy, tan head that becomes rocky while it slowly deposits a dense lacing.

Sweet malt and a light, pine resin give way to sour apple Jolly Rancher above alcohol fumes. Strong spices followed by cherry and lots of layers and complexity make this comparable to a sweet red wine.

Clearly off balance, however, Kloster Jule closely follows the nose with some cherry cough drops thrown in. The tartness is a bit puckering with a touch of bitterness in a sharp, lingering finish. This one warms well and is highly acidic.

An interesting combination of lively carbonation and a full-bodied syrupy ale. This one has a touch of astringency and more than a little warming alcohol.

Given the alcohol content, and the tremendous amount of character, this dark ale is surprisingly easy to drink. Surprisingly easy to have two in a row. One before dinner and one after, perhaps with a cigar and a book.

750ml bottle from Wilbur's in Ft. Collins, set aside in their temporary "Christmas Beer" section. Around $11.

A: Very dark brown in color with an enormous light tan head, a good 2 inches worth or creamy, dense bubbles, lots of clumps of sticky lacing, for the most part opaque, tons of red accents. Very nice looking beer.

S: Spicy yeasts, banana, sour cherries, there's a definite licorice note and a few other spices, smells somewhat piney or spruce even. Has a lot of doughy, bready notes that mixed with the pine/spices/cherry really make this smell like the holidays. Decent smelling beer.

T: Very interesting notes of sour cherries are there, as well as a substantial hop profile and lots of spices, hop profile is slightly skunky but pairs nicely and balances out the sweet malt notes. Very nice flavors here, nothing was skimped on here. Spices add another layer of complexity, but don't overwhelm the beer. Pretty substantial booze note, but it works. Nicely done.

M: A fair amount more body than I had expected, medium carbonation, warm alcohol, fairly dry. Nice.

D: Easy to drink and great for a cold January night. It is not hard at all to split this one with someone else. Excellent beer, and I may have to snag another one to let it cellar for a while. Highly recommended.

750ml into Chimay goblet.

Pours with a dominating 3f of creamy, tan head which fades to an impressive perma-film, and leaves tons of lacing. Body is a deep brown with mahogany edges

Aroma is powerful. Spruce needle up front giving it some major 'holiday points', followed by Belgian yeasty spice, and some sweet caramel maltiness.

Flavor is a bit boozy - whiskey sour. Got some lime, black licorice, cocoa nibs, and mincemeat. Interesting, and somehow definitely reminiscent of Christmas.

Great carbonation for the alcohol level - it cuts everything nicely and keeps it from getting heavy. Definitely some aftertaste from the additives.

Ok on the drinkability - great aroma and taste, combined with a nice mouthfeel make this a really nice sipping beer for the holidays. If you can find it, get it!