Ølfabrikken Jule Ale

Brewed by Bryggeriet Ølfabrikken (Gourmetbryggeriet - Harboe)
Style: American Strong Ale
Roskilde, Denmark

Serve in Snifter, Tulip

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660 ml. capped bottle. Pours a light beige head, over a clear, light brown amber (SRM 10) body.....nose is slight dried fruit, toffee, brown sugar, light molasses, light resin, light citrus......taste is light sweet malt to start then dried fruit (cherry, raisin) leading to a mild bitter hop finish, with a touch of cocoa....mouth feel is light to medium, carbonation is also. As a seasonal beer brewed with spices, this is done with a very light hand. The multiple hops are also used sparingly (at least by American standards) and do not dominate. The cinnamon and coriander are well hidden, and really only show up in the dried fruit tones. This is not a deeply complex beer, but it is well balanced. BJCP 7/3/13/4/7

Bottle. Brown pour with a tan head. Spice, hops, pine, citrus aroma and some malt presence. Flavor is of sweet malt, cinnamon and spices, hop presence doesn’t follow through.

pours a semi-hazy dark brown-orange with a small light tan head, and some lacing. smell is of malt, spice, caramel, and dark fruits. taste is of dark fruits, cocoa, malt, some hops in the back, spice, and pepper, ends a little on the dry side.

Decent sized frothy white head of varying sized bubbles that reduces quickly. Rather weak aroma with some roasted grains,a bit of spice and some cheese. Yeah I am getting a bit of funky cheese in this brew. Appearance is a hazy mahogany brown, Soft and malty flavor with a bit of harsh roastyness and bitterness. Some spices are present but really dominated by the roasted grains. A bit on the sweet side also with some brown sugar and caramel malts. Finishes kind of sticky and sweet. A bit of dryness from the spices also. Not what I was expecting but still a decent brew.

Bottle, 2008 vintage shared by akevitt. Pours a cloudy red-orange body with tan head. Aroma of citrus hops, light grapefruit, caramel malts, and spices. Flavor is more of the same, although sweeter than the aroma suggests. Finishes sweet with a long, dry, bitter hop aftertaste. Medium-bodied, although slightly watery on the palate. Well-carbonated.

Dark amber beer out of the bottle with a thin off white head. Sweet nose of brown sugar and spice. Malty beer with brown sugar, dark bread, cinnamon and a nice piney hop finish. A perfectly servicable winter ale.

THOUGHTS: Spices and hops — an odd combination. Nice, but I didn’t know how well the two flavors went together. I thought it would have been better if they focused on one or the other. But, it grew on me. It could probably hidden the alcohol a little better, but I’ll forgive that on a cold night like the one I tried it during. TECHNICAL: Bottle. Poured a medium to dark, orangey, brown with tons of orangey, red highlights in the light. It also had an average, off-white head that mostly diminished but left excellent lacing. The aroma was moderate caramel malt; hints of chocolate; moderate to heavy pine, resin and grapefruit hops; alcohol, and ever so slight Band-aid. The initial flavor was sweet and lightly bitter; while the finish was rather sweet, bitter and a little acidic with a long duration. There was caramel and chocolate malt, spiced, cinnamon and then citrus and pine hops, a little alcohol, cardamom, a little pepper, alcohol, hints of coffee and brown sugar. As much as I didn’t like the idea of the spices and hops at first, I must admit the flavors were very well balanced. The medium to full body leaned toward full and was sort of creamy with fizzy carbonation and a light to moderately alcoholic finish.

Pours reddish amber with a beige soapy head. The aroma has toasted malt, sugary sweetness that seems like fruit sugar, dry spices and some oxidation traits - odd since this should be fresh. Medium body that is a bit grainy and light carbonation. The flavor starts with spice and red ale maltiness. There is dry spice and some cardboard. The finish is more oxidation. Okay beer.

Bottle from Knightly Spirits. Nose is sweet and fruity with notes of plum and caramel. Off-white head recedes quickly over a tan/amber body. Slightly boozy with more caramel, subtle spice, dark fruits, wheat, and cola in the flavor. Medium/full body and full carbonation. Piney hops in the finish. Not bad.

In short: Yet another spicy (cinnamon, nutmeg, etc.) sweet cake in a bottle. Nothing special.
How: Bottle 22oz (or something similar). Consume about 6 months after purchase. Probably the winter 2008/2009 vintage. If so, consumed when about 1 year of age.
The look: Brownish dark golden body topped by a medium off-white head
In long: Nose is moderately spicy (cinnamon and nutmeg mainly) with a big fruit cake in the back. Body is full and pillowy, like drinking a freshly foamy cake. Very spicy but not annoyingly spicy, fruity cake, toffee. Rather sweet with no hops or anything to balance it off. Does not feel American. The spiciness that is enjoyable becomes annoying in the second half of the bottle. If you like spicy beer this will most likely enjoy it. I thought it was just “ok” but I should specify that spicy xmas beer just isn’t my thing. I find that the making of all those mega-spicy beer is the worst waste of human intelligence that you can find outside an advertising agency