Bottle at Chris_O bottlefest 2007. Very deep chestnut. Beige head. Really spicy aroma. Gingerish. Fairly decent wake up spicy beer. Very heavy on the spice, but not bad at all.

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7
Bottle. Dark brown color with a fizzy fair lacing off-white head. Aroma is pine needle,licorice, coriander, star anis (stjerneanis) ? Flavor is moderate sweet and bitter with a average to long duration. Body is medium, texture is oily, carbonation is soft. 7/4/7/3/14

Bottle. Dark brown color with a fizzy fair lacing off-white head. Aroma is pine needle,licorice, coriander, star anis (stjerneanis) ? Flavor is moderate sweet and bitter with a average to long duration. Body is medium, texture is oily, carbonation is soft.

Unclear nut brown with creamy off white head. Christmas spices - cinnamon, cardamom & coriander & hops. Cookies! And then a mint taste that dominates the picture. Filling with a medium carbonation. Good product, but on this one I have to say, personally, that the mint/cinnamon is not my cup of tea. But thats really just a matter of taste!

I have been drinking this Yuletide beer for some seasons now and when the time had come for rating, I decided to do it properly. The rather heavy test consisted of three 500ml vintage bottles - same beer, but different batches. My scores are based on an average of the three bottles:
a) Vintage 2004, Batch No.98 (bb.27.07.2007). Dark blue label design. Very clear and deep dark brown in colour with a fading off-white foam. Rounded smell and flavour of spiced yuletide. The beer has got a balanced piney profile with a short, but nice bitter ending. Food friendly.
b) Vintage 2005, batch 196 (bb.17.10.2008). Rosied label. Same body colour as a), but with a more lasting brownish foam. Sharp spicy aroma supported by dark malts. Heavy spiciness in taste with pine needles, ginger, aniseed, juniper, cumin and warmwood. Gives an impression of drinking lozenge. A bit out of balanced, but still good to drink. Should be enjoyed alone.
c) Vintage 2006, batch 237 (bb.17.09.09). Rosied label. Slightly hazy, dark brown coloured body. Some foam, bubbles and laceworks. Less spicy in aroma and taste than b), but has still got a piney character. The coughdrop and liquorice impression are offset by malty sweetness giving the 06 edition hints of coffee and dark chocolate. Food friendly (21.12.2006).

Very dark, hazy beer with a lasting light brown head. First impression is a heavily spiced aroma, dominated by coriander and cinnamon, cardamom, and perhaps some anise, ginger, nutmeg and cloves. Below the spice, you can make out some (cara) malt, fruity yeast and a bit of hops. The flavour is quite bitter and dominated by coriander that stays in your mouth forever. It’s easy to love and easy to hate and certainly not for purists! 2007: I’m thinking more of cardemum, ginger and perhaps some Seeds of Paradise, still way too spiced, but all in all, same impression as last year. With the name Weird Christmas I respect the beer’s right to get away with a lot :)

First rating, from 2006Initial Rating Date: 2/4/2006Now this is a Christmas beer the way I want it!Dark red in color, lots and lots of spices in the scent and flavor, and of course the beer is a bit stronger than usual. The head is a bit brownish and stays beautifully.9/5/9/5/19=4.7Second rating, Feb 18, 200850 cl bottle from Systembolaget.Batch 311, brewed 170907, BB 170912.Boy did I get different sensations this time!Pours beautiful deep reddish brown with a tan to brown head. Smells malty and cloves, other spices, but not very fresh like l remember it, a bit stale. Taste is sweet, some spices, lots of hops. It has a harsh bitterenss and a sweetness that won’t go away. Medium to smooth mouthfeel, big bitterenss.New score:6/4/6/4/13=3.3. Rounding off to: 7/4/7/4/15=3.7RerateTried 2006 against 2007 bottle on September 5, 2009Both were darkish red with a smallish tan head. Scent is a bit spicy and matured, some chocolate with a smoother feeling for the 2006 bottle. Taste is mellow and smooth, a bit spicy and some roasted and chocolate notes. 2006 again is better and more mature. Smooth mouthfeel, low to medium bitterness. Nice and very enjoyable.7/4/7/4/15=3.7RerateBottle at Haket in Gothenburg January 15, 20112008 version, shared with Micke (non ratebeer)Hazy very dark brown to black color, medium tan head. Grainy, malty, sweet, spicy, alcohol scent. Sweet, spicy, raissin taste. Spicy and chocolate aftertaste. Smooth mouthfeel, medium high bitterenss.7/3/7/4/14=3.5RerateBottle thanks to David and Jenna! (Not on ratebeer). Sampled with friends on December 27, 2012Hazy reddish brown color, tan head. Very spicy, citrus, yellow fruits scent. Sweet, spicy, citrus taste. Spicy and citrus aftertaste. Medium mouthfeel, medium bitterness.7/4/6/3/13=3.3