We have always thought that big, strong beers is what Christmas is all about – and one such style is Barley Wine. A beer so noble that it belongs at a royal court, but also a beer that has long been somewhat overlooked and perhaps even misunderstood.
We set out to do something about that ten years ago, when the first edition of Reindeer Fuel was released in the run-up to Christmas – so this year the beer has a round anniversary. That is to say, the very STYLE of beer has an anniversary under our auspices, because Reindeer Fuel changes from year to year, as we constantly tweak the recipe a little – or some years quite a lot. Last year we made a so-called Munich Wine, where the vast majority of the malt consisted of Munich malt, which gives the beer a warm, mahogany-like appearance without being too dark. In terms of taste, it appeared sweet, bready and malty with notes of caramel, toasted bread, biscuits and lightly roasted nuts. It gives a mild, clean malt flavor without strong smoke or bitterness, which creates a very balanced beer – and thus a perfect counterpoint to the heavy and fatty Christmas food.
In this year's edition of Reindeer Fuel, we continue a bit in the same vein, namely a so-called Vienna Wine, where the vast majority of the malt consists of Viennese malt resulting in a lighter amber color than from the Munich malt. In terms of taste, it appears milder and more delicate with sweet, grainy and slightly caramelized tones and a less intense toastiness.