Juleøl - Gin Barrel-Aged
Pulpit Rock Brewing Company

2025 vintage; consumed on 12/25/2025

Pours a starkly, black hue capped with multiple fingers of creamy, hazelnut-tinted foam; solid head retention leaves a slim layer of cap, large, silky collar, and a limited splotching of lacing trickling down the walls of the glass. 4.75

Aroma charry cocoa, bay leaf inflection, herbal undertones plays into toffee and gentler oak 4

Taste gin undercurrent informs, charry cacao, sage accent, juniper build into back end, air of gin resurgent into the swallow, 3.75

Mouthfeel medium body, lower carbonation, 4

3.75

 

 

 

apparently i’ve had this beer before as i had rated it but not reviewed it. this is a 2022 vintage picked up two weekends ago. poured from a waxed 375mL bottle (with a cute, albeit unnecessary, pine cone attached to the top of the bottle cap) into a SP “cheers” wine glass. pours a dark brown - think barleywine - with a quick-to-disappear brown hued foam. no patches of foam remain; no collar. a few bubbles here and there. very rich and festive looking! this has quite the nose on it. bay leaves and sage dominate my senses with a subtle gin botanical background. i don’t get much oak or gin, more the botanicals. it’s a little abrasive but it’s a quick reminder that this is a slow sipper, and not due to alcohol content at a modest 11% but strictly due to the spicing. taste follows the nose although as it continues to warm and open up, a chocolate toffee undertone from the base beer makes an appearance. it’s complex for sure or maybe just puzzling. i can’t decide. it does have a thick, full mouthfeel that only seems fitting given the fact that this is a total slow burner. overall, i’m somewhat conflicted. it’s definitely a well thought out, although niche, brew and pretty well executed. buts it’s strong in its spices and botanicals. it all makes sense as a norwegian festive ale with lots of alcohol warming qualities, rich spiciness and full mouthfeel that forces one to take its time with this brew and thus giving time to contemplate the year we have left behind and the one we have ahead of us.