2XMAS
Southern Tier Brewing Company

 

 

This is a very good Christmas beer.
The reddish amber ale is crowned with an inch tall head that leaves sheets of lacing.
The taste is all about the spices, but the ale itself is full enough to keep pace, the balance is excellent.
The feel fits the depth of flavor; viscous yet slammable.
OA, if I find this one again I’ll buy a 6 pack.

Appearance is clear copper with a large dense tan head that left a substantial amount of lacing. Healthy dose of cinnamon and other seasonal spices in the aroma. Hops maintained the spicy/herbal edge in the taste. Finish was slightly more rounded. Medium-to-full bodied mouthfeel with good carbonation. Alcohol did not have much of an impact. Overall, you need to know what to expect (i.e. the spices) if you are going to enjoy this offering.

 

Best by 10/26/26; consumed on 12/21/25

Pours a clear yet deep, orange-tinted maroon body topped with a finger of fluffy, off-white foam; decent head retention leaves a few paper-thin islands of cap, slight, frothy collar, and the occasional strand of webby lacing around the walls of the glass. 3.5

Aroma hoppy, nutmeg, stewed oranges, grapefruit peel, cinnamon sweetness on the back end 3.75

Taste orange oil meets hop resin, mushy fig undertone, charred black bread into nutmeg trails, 3.5

Mouthfeel medium-light body, moderate carbonation trending full, semi-spritz, dry with a mild bittering, 4

3.5

 

 

Pours a clear reddish brown with a 1/2F head and light lacing.

Smells of sweet toasted malt and spices.

Tastes of sweet toasted malt, raisins, ginger, orange and spices with an alcohol warm finish.

Medium body with very light carbonation. Lightly syrupy mouthfeel.

This is a nicely nuanced sipper. I would like to see what it would be like if it was amped up to 10-12%.

Dark, mahogany color. Thin, off-white head. Cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, citrus, and malt in aroma. After that, I expected a sweet, malty bomb in taste . However, it was surprisingly bitter and balanced. Light alcohol in the finish.

Shows how behind I am in my backload of reviews to finalize and upload to BA! Had this in December, the time I would say is most appropriate for this festive brew. Mostly clear brown tinted red body with a full beige head. Nose is a spice bomb! Dried fig, orange peel, cardamom, cinnamon, clove and ginger root as promised, mild malt as the backbone. Taste is the same, but the spices are shorter lived on the sip, so it is kind of dull in the afterglow that is the second half of the sip. Feel is spiced, light, thinner but decently wet as to avoid being potpourri disguised as beer. It has festive cheer, you can't take that heart away

 

 

This is only my third ale from Southern Tier. If we can call it this, the reason I've been shy of this purveyor of "weird beers" is that they also tend to be strong. (Being quite senior, I live in a much narrower range than you kids.) But I'm glad I bought 2XMAS as it has forced me to go on Southern Tier's website, get their story and write this micro-review.

I view Southern Tier as a pioneer in the third generation of crafters, most of whom are pushing two decades and started in the first decade of this Century. In truth, Southern Tier pushes the envelope of this generation; most of whom took the easy route and didn't challenge drinkers much and piled in the hops. Southern Tier choose the route of trying unusual ingredients (like pumpkin, don't forget it was unusual) and amping-up the ABV (which was more common in the third generation.) Southern Tier gradually expended distribution beyond two big states and in the last decade opened a distillery and four other taprooms in large cities. Their marketing and website is excellent. From remote western New York, they have been a success on the cutting edge.

As for 2XMAS, I like it. It could be more subtle with less ginger and possibly less malt. But the ABV is well-concealed. A very slight cloying in the finish (I suspect ginger) is a blemish on its otherwise festive Taste.

 

 

 

 

This beer is straight ass. It tastes like they brewed it with some sort of herbal cough drops. I love strong, seasonal beer but this stuff is disgusting. For you fortunate New Englanders out there, this beer tastes almost exactly like if Moxie went bad.