2XMAS | Southern Tier Brewing Company
Brewed by:
Southern Tier Brewing Company
New York, United States
southerntierbrewing.com
Style: Herbed / Spiced Beer
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 8.50%
Availability: Winter
Notes / Commercial Description:
Brewed in the tradition of Swedish Glogg. Ale brewed with Figs, Orange peels, and spices. 2 varieties of hops and 4 types of malts.
Added by CloudStrife on 10-29-2012
View: Beers | Place Reviews | Events
Ratings: 1,511 | Reviews: 280
3.63/5 rDev -2.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Pours a foggy, murky burned-burgundy. Head formation rises and falls quickly, but tops out at around half a finger of fizz, khaki head. Aroma is stuffed full of spices, with notes of fig, raisins, orange zest, pine hops, and biscuit malts all smooshed together. Without a doubt, there is a lot going on in the aroma of this beer. Reminiscent of holiday spiced drinks from Europe (or IKEA in my case). Flavor profile continues to pound the spices, fig, raisins, and orange zest train. Spice rule the day. Hops and malts are buried, as is any hint of alcohol, instead it just tastes like a roided out holiday drink. Mouth feel is fizzy and slightly abrasive, with a finish that smooths out a little bit. Overall, a solid holiday beer, but extremely - EXTREMELY - polarizing. I don't know that sipping this while wearing a Christmas sweater would make it any more tasty.
Served in a 12oz snifter.
Personal Reflection: This beer is extremely polarizing. So much so, that I'm having a tough time rating it compared with the style (as I always rate against). As such, I feel it necessary to mention my ratings my reflect some personal bias. I did not enjoy this beer, there is just so much going on. I've had Gloegg before, and didn't care much for it either. I have done my very best to rate each category of this beer based on the criteria of the "herbed / spiced beer" category.
1,379 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Pours a foggy, murky burned-burgundy. Head formation rises and falls quickly, but tops out at around half a finger of fizz, khaki head. Aroma is stuffed full of spices, with notes of fig, raisins, orange zest, pine hops, and biscuit malts all smooshed together. Without a doubt, there is a lot going on in the aroma of this beer. Reminiscent of holiday spiced drinks from Europe (or IKEA in my case). Flavor profile continues to pound the spices, fig, raisins, and orange zest train. Spice rule the day. Hops and malts are buried, as is any hint of alcohol, instead it just tastes like a roided out holiday drink. Mouth feel is fizzy and slightly abrasive, with a finish that smooths out a little bit. Overall, a solid holiday beer, but extremely - EXTREMELY - polarizing. I don't know that sipping this while wearing a Christmas sweater would make it any more tasty.
Served in a 12oz snifter.
Personal Reflection: This beer is extremely polarizing. So much so, that I'm having a tough time rating it compared with the style (as I always rate against). As such, I feel it necessary to mention my ratings my reflect some personal bias. I did not enjoy this beer, there is just so much going on. I've had Gloegg before, and didn't care much for it either. I have done my very best to rate each category of this beer based on the criteria of the "herbed / spiced beer" category.
1,379 characters
3.91/5 rDev +4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
3.58/5 rDev -4.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.55/5 rDev -5.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
3.91/5 rDev +4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
3/5 rDev -19.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Christmas beer on steroids, lots of cinnamon and pine flavors all over this beer, not a lot of finesse in this beer, probably couldn't do more than two in a sitting
164 characters
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Christmas beer on steroids, lots of cinnamon and pine flavors all over this beer, not a lot of finesse in this beer, probably couldn't do more than two in a sitting
164 characters
4.84/5 rDev +29.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Super herb-ish, solid blend of hops and malt. Superbly spicey leaving you with a mildly tinged tongue. Perfect holiday ale, pointing towards an October festive influence but ringing bells in my head with a warming Christmas cheer. Very balanced, hearty ale. Copper tone with a pinky of foam sitting happily on top. Probably my new favorite from Southern Tier, easily up there with the standard 2X IPA but with a little extra somethin'. Please make more of this!
461 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Super herb-ish, solid blend of hops and malt. Superbly spicey leaving you with a mildly tinged tongue. Perfect holiday ale, pointing towards an October festive influence but ringing bells in my head with a warming Christmas cheer. Very balanced, hearty ale. Copper tone with a pinky of foam sitting happily on top. Probably my new favorite from Southern Tier, easily up there with the standard 2X IPA but with a little extra somethin'. Please make more of this!
461 characters
3.93/5 rDev +5.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pretty good, nice smooth taste with good blend of spices
57 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pretty good, nice smooth taste with good blend of spices
57 characters
2.69/5 rDev -28.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 2.75
My first impression upon smelling this is that there is something off about this beer. Ok this might not be my category. The bottle says figs, orange peel and spices and all I smell is malt mixed with some kinda spice almost medicine like? The flavor is of some spices with some mild bitterness, again almost like medicine mixed with a beer. There is some alcohol heat lingering with this beer too. Yikes. I'm lowering my initial scores. I don't like this beer.
462 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 2.75
My first impression upon smelling this is that there is something off about this beer. Ok this might not be my category. The bottle says figs, orange peel and spices and all I smell is malt mixed with some kinda spice almost medicine like? The flavor is of some spices with some mild bitterness, again almost like medicine mixed with a beer. There is some alcohol heat lingering with this beer too. Yikes. I'm lowering my initial scores. I don't like this beer.
462 characters
3.82/5 rDev +2.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
2.6/5 rDev -30.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.75
look: 4.25 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.75
1.91/5 rDev -48.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1.75 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2
It has the look of a good beer a deep copper, slightly reddish color, and somewhere in there I taste some west coast hop flavor, I think. One whiff and I had little interest in even drinking one of these, smells like the whole spice cabinet fell in. The taste is nearly as bad, just a whole bunch of spices, I'd prefer a bit more barley and hops.
346 characters
look: 3.25 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1.75 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2
It has the look of a good beer a deep copper, slightly reddish color, and somewhere in there I taste some west coast hop flavor, I think. One whiff and I had little interest in even drinking one of these, smells like the whole spice cabinet fell in. The taste is nearly as bad, just a whole bunch of spices, I'd prefer a bit more barley and hops.
346 characters
3.5/5 rDev -6.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Aroma of pine forest, color is ruby with thin beige head. Somewhat soapy taste, piney notes, but above not readily apparent. Interesting take on a holiday beer.
160 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Aroma of pine forest, color is ruby with thin beige head. Somewhat soapy taste, piney notes, but above not readily apparent. Interesting take on a holiday beer.
160 characters
3.2/5 rDev -14.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3
3.29/5 rDev -12%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
2XMAS from Southern Tier Brewing Company
3.74
out of 5
based on 1,511 ratings.
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75