A special holiday beer made from any regular style with cloves, cinnamon, brown sugar and other spices. Additional ingredients are selected individually each time depending on the base, it is important that the additives complement, and not drown out the original bouquet.
It has an increased strength and density, warms well in the cold, ideal for feasts. Often produced as a seasonal specialty of a brand, this tradition is especially common in America and Belgium, in England and Germany they prefer classic styles.
The fragrance is reminiscent of the Christmas holidays: ginger, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg are felt in it. This works best on a malt base, which is why hop varieties are rarely wintered. Also, brewers often add additional fermentable sugars to the composition: honey, syrup, and so on. Possible nuances of fruit. Usually sweetness dominates with tones of caramel, toast, nuts, chocolate, notes of dried fruits and fruit zest are acceptable. The finish is rounded, warming, sweetish.
The color of the drink depends on the base, but tends to dark variations. Forms a dense foam in the glass.
On the tongue, the beer feels full-bodied, the carbonation is not strong, but pronounced, the alcohol is felt with warming notes. Most often, the variety is made on the basis of top-fermented beer, but this is not a strict requirement. The list of characteristic ingredients includes Christmas spices, fruits, unmalted raw materials such as molasses or molasses.
Fortress: from 6%. Density, bitterness, color and other characteristics depend on the base.
