Brutal Brewing Toasted Christmas Lager
Spendrups Bryggeri AB

Copenhagen 19/1 2016. 33 cl bottle from ICA Maxi in Malmø. Silhouette of a Christmas Goat on the label. I did not know that this is a thing in Sweden.

Pours clear dark brown with a reddish hue and an off-white head. Stable. Settles as a thin layer of foam. Moderate lacing.

Aroma is sweet with a odor of fermented fruit with a little sour note in the background.

Soft carbonation and watery palate. Almost flat texture.

Flavor is surprisingly bitter and dry. Distinct sourness in the aftertaste. Semi dry finish.

Quite nice with some variations from the overly sweet season beers.

The colour is deep dark brown-red; the liquid is clear. The three fingers high warm brown head is compact, and it sinks slowly down to a thick lid leaving no lacing.

The smell is fruity and sweet with roasted malt flavours of roasted nuts, dark chocolate, ripe red apples and plums. Hints of hay and dried bananas in the background.

The taste is first rather thin with some roasted malt, then fruity/floral notes emerges together with butterscotch, pumpkins and mixed spices (mostly nutmeg). Medium body. The aftertaste brings some clean bitterness, matured cheese, orange peels and sweet brown bread. The finish is bittersweet with sweet dough, molasses and citric peels.

The carbonation is strong; the smooth mid-sized bubbles are long-lived. The liquid is semi-smooth.

An impressive dark lager with lots of complex flavours at just 3.5%. Highly enjoyable.