Heidelberger Weihnachtsbier
Heidelberger Brauerei GmbH

This marzen pours a very clear, dark coppery red with a fairly thin white head and a fairly high amount of carbonation. The smell is very faint, but is a little sweet like caramel malts and slightly fruity also. The taste is of grain, a little sweet caramel flavor and a very faint citrus. The flavor is a lot milder than I would have guessed from this being a Christmas beer, which normally have quite bold flavors. The finish is pretty dry and the body on the light end of medium. I think it is a little light for its classification as a marzen. It’s a nice, easy drinking beer, but not all that exciting really. Still, I wouldn’t mind putting a bunch of these down on a nice winter day.

 

I tasted this 500ml bottle on 25.01.08 (best by 25.07.08). It poured a nice darkish amber brew without haze, with a generous white fluffy head. Bubbles forming in a trail from the bottom of the glass; moderate lacing.
Smell was a pilsner-like grassy hops with rust.
The taste was not a very pleasent rusty one with a sharp finish to it. No spice or anything else that might suggest Christmas. The taste improved slightly as it warmed, but I found this a strange brew. Not much festivity here!

Heidelberger Weihnachtsbier gives itself a good presentation with ample amounts of light tan head, and has a nice clear golden amber colored body.

This smells and tastes very ale like, so I'm going to go ahead and say this is a Kölsch. The aromas and taste are somewhat toffee like and sour at the same time.

It's a little warming to the palate. Not too bad for a rotating release, but not something I'd anticipate all year long for.