2XMAS
Southern Tier Brewing Company

 

Allowed to acclimate to room temperature for 10 minutes, poured properly into a tall tulip glass

Pours a hazy copper with a 4 + finger head

Smells of malt, ginger, and clove

Tastes upfront of ginger and clove. a very slight hint of licorice peeking through perhaps.A spicy bitterness reminiscent of hops(?), malt, and orange peel envelopes the tongue following, and a warmth spreads through the chest, soon dissipating.

The bitterness increases as the
The burn of alcohol is partly hidden behind the inviting and cozy warmth of spice, but, concentration lead me to feel it on the end of my tongue.

I didn't really pick up on any of the ingredients besides ginger and clove if I'm honest, I'm sure I tasted them and didn't realize they were there.

I found myself wishing it was thicker, but not too bad

I bought this as a single in March, depending on price I would definitely buy a pack again every winter

In fairness, this must be judged for what it is. Come on, figs as an ingredient? No Heady Topper here. The pour of two twelve ounce brown bottles into a clear glass liter mug starts with disappointment. There's way too much starchy off-white foam to lead to any great expectations. Big foam usually leads to big letdown. Beneath the massive foam lies a rather attractive liquid. It's bright, rather translucent, yet fully dark caramel colored brown. The aroma is spices, all spices. Ginger, clove and cinnamon lead the way, but there's more. The nose forewarned this will be a spice bomb. It is to taste, but it's not outrageous. The citrus of the orange peel certainly cuts through the other flavors. But, they're all there, albeit a little more tastefully than the nose foretold. There's almost no beer taste here and none should have been expected. The body is only OK, maybe a little thin for all the flavors it has to carry. The ABV is hidden by the spices, but that's not meritorious. You really like to have plenty of spices added into your beer to like this one. An argument that simpler is better probably can't be better made. Again, this is an accessment for what it is, rather than comparing it to all beers, where it wouldn't rate as highly.

 

 

 

Appearance: Pours a clear, brown to deep ruby, almost molasses color with a mild tan head. SRM of 20.

Aroma: Strong aromas of bay leaves, ginger, cardamom, licorice, with some orange peel. (4.25)

Flavor: Strong and spiced flavors of black pepper, cardamom, black licorice spice, nutmeg, cloves, with some bread spices underneath. Strong and spicy. Woodsy. Mildly bitter and leans dry. (3.75)

Feel: Medium to heavier bodied. Moderate to strong carbonation. (4.00)

Overall: My first Herb and Spice beer and this one definitely fits the bill. Lots of black pepper, spices, cardamom, licorice, and nutmeg. Spicy and like a Holiday ornament. Drinks relatively dry. Hides the alcohol well. Nice aromas, but also not specifically looking to eat a Christmas candle, meaning the aroma is better than the flavor. Probably a one timer. Not one I would drink more of one of or anytime other than Christmas. (Rating: 3.85)

 

 

I found this one to be pretty good. There's a lot of adjuncts and it all blended well but I was hoping it would all have more pop to it. It's a solid winter warmer though.

Look: Deep, dark copper bordering on ruby with a 2+ finger off-white head. The head hangs around for quite a while Good Lacing

Smell: Sweet fruit and citrus overlaid with sharp ginger and cinnamon of the spicy type.

Taste: Follows the nose, but the spices are not as pronounced. Initial spiciness melds with a cherry like sweetness that does a fair job balancing things out. But the spice does retain its dominance. The spice lingers through the finish and afertaste.

Feel: Creamy and smooth with a medium body. The body does thin out a tad as the beer warms. I prefer thicker, heavier bodies for wintertime brews.

Overall: A fine holiday ale for those who like the spices that are in it (orange peels, ginger root, cardamom, cinnamon, fig paste, cloves) or just like spiced brews. I'd have to say that I am not in that camp. But definitely worth a try.

 

Pours an effervescent brown with one pinky of tan head. Above average head retention & lacing

S: Cinnamon, ginger, dark fruit

T: Follows the nose, certainly has the gingerbread vibe, along with dryness & woody hops. Gingerbread spices dominate as this warms, a little breadyness too. Finishes dry with woody hops, brown sugar & all the Christmas spices

MF: Medium body, fairly firm carbonation. Body thins a touch when warm

Hits its intended target, but wished it had more body

 

 

Bottle. Khaki bead. Caramel brown color.

Lots of spices. Ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, orange peel, cardamom, and clove. Ginger shows as well. Malty. Caramel and vanilla.

For how spiced it is, it’s rather smooth. A nice holiday ale.

From a 12oz bottle dated best by 9/28/22 into my santa pint glass.

Pours a translucent dark reddish brown with about one finger of tan head. Ok retention, not a lot of lacing.

Definitely picking up cinnamon, nutmeg, and some ginger on the nose.

Cinnamon seems to dominate the taste. Hint of nutmeg and ginger and some dark fruits. Nice bitterness.

Low carbonation. Medium-bodied. Slight bitter, cinnamon-y aftertaste.

Overall, ok maybe a bit above average. Cinnamon seems to make it a bit one-dimensional.

12 oz bottle

Pours a dark but clear amber, thick creamy head. This one is heavily spiced, layered on top of some rich caramel malt. But not overly sweet. A bit of citrus in the mix from the orange peel. Of note is that it has outstanding head retention and lacing. Fuller bodied.