Pripps Julöl

Aroma: 4 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 4 | Overall: 4

50cl can from Systembolaget, Strömstad. Pours clear mahogany with a tan head. Malty and caramelly aroma with just hints of roast and hops. Fairly sweet and caramelly with some almost sourish and metallic notes. Quite similar to lots of Norwegian shop strength Christmas beer. Hardly impressive, best to avoid, but drinkable if one has to to.

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

500 ml brown bottle, as Pripps Jul, from Systembolaget post-Christmas 2009. ABV is 5.0%. Mahogany coloured beer, big off-white beige head. Sweetish fruity aroma, also notes of caramel malts, hints of Christmas spices. The flavour has notes of münchener and caramel malts, baked goods, sweet and slightly spicy, also with a certain fruitiness. Very moderate hops in the finish. Overall surprisingly decent for a beer from Pripps / Carlsberg Sweden.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 4 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 5 | Overall: 5

Bottled. Amber colour, small beige head. Aroma of caramel and harsh hops. Flavour is not as sweet as the 3,5% version, more dominated by malts and even hops. Mainly the hops is balancing away the total sweetness. Could be a bit sweeter in my opinion, but wellbalanced still, though it becomes a bit dull and boring. Not too much aftertaste, mayber some caramel and a bit roast.