2XMAS - Southern Tier Brewing Company

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

3.55/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Third Thanksgiving beer in the lineup. Southern Tier 2XMAS. Pint glass gets the beer.

Looks weakly carbonated. Copper-red in color with a thin ring of head left after a minute or so. Actually looks a little syrupy.

Invigorating aroma centered around the heavy presence of orange peel and spices. Candied dark fruits are obvious, also, agreeably fig and black cherry. Spices lean on cinnamon and clove with a slight banana ester almost under the radar. Smells festive.

I characterized this as another winter warmer until I took the first sip. Lots and lots of spices that carry the flavor profile. Heavy cinnamon, clove, and coriander with that piquant nutmeg note personify the beer. Fig and dates come to mind, as well as beet juice. Some herbal hops add nuances of tobacco and accentuate the citrus from the orange peel. Finishes with a medium bitterness and lingering sweetness from the mulling spices and sugars and, finally, a sting of fusel alcohol.

More carbonation than expected on the tongue, as this proves to be quite the burper. The body is above-medium. The alcohol is a little prickly, even at 8%.

A good spiced beer, a not-so-unique Christmas ale. Nothing I'd particularly seek out next year, but not disappointing, either. Another way of saying it is that there are a lot of these kind of beers out there. So, if you like other spicy, warming Xmas ales, you'll probably like this one.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2012 01:13:29 | More by thecheapies

prototypic

Ohio

3.55/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

2XMAS pours a deep red color. Really nice looking color. It’s very clear. Backlighting bolsters its attractive garnet color. An off-white collection of bubbles gathers on the surface. It doesn’t quite materialize into anything further. That’s disappointing. The bubbles disappear very quickly. Interesting. Lacing was very light and spotty. Not much to discuss there. The color looks really nice!

The nose is alright. It’s a bit weak and needs more strength. It’s not bad though. It kicks with a mix of caramel and toasted malts. It smells a little sweet. Chocolate malts are there to a lesser degree. Holiday spice notes of cinnamon and ginger are present. Those are easily the most notable. There is a bit of a dark fruit note. Smells like fig or plum. There’s a bit of a piney hope scent. Alcohol is there, but doesn’t smell all that strong. 8% abv seems about right.

The flavor is about on par with the nose. The malt base is definitely a mix of caramel, chocolate, and toasted varieties. The caramel adds some sweetness. Cocoa flavors are secondary, but blend well. Holiday spice flavors of cinnamon, ginger, and cardamom are nice. Tastes like there’s even a bit of clove here. It’s not bad, but almost seems too spicy. Secondary notes of plum and fig round it out. Alcohol isn’t all that strong. Definitely not warm or hot. Finishes spicy and sprucey.

2XMAS has a medium body. Carbonation is light and the bubbles feel soft. It’s smooth and goes down easy. For what it’s worth, drinkability would be good if the flavor would be just a little better. Nice feel though.

2XMAS is a pretty good holiday release. It’s definitely spicier than a Winter Warmer. Frankly, it’s a bit too spicy for me. As far as holiday beers go, it’s worth grabbing a six pack. There are a ton of great holiday releases though. This one’s solid, but doesn’t do a great job of distinguishing itself.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2012 03:33:16 | More by prototypic

andrewjraab

Michigan

3.55/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A. Dark and deep brown with a brown egg shell colored head.

S. Malts, Prunes and raisins, nutmeg and cinnamon.

T. Smooth and malty followed by a huge taste of brown sugar, raisins and finishes up with a warming touch of alcohol.

O. Solid for the style. Exactly what a winter warmer should be.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2012 02:33:25 | More by andrewjraab

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

3.53/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On-tap 11/28/2012 at Doherty’s East Ave Irish Pub in Pawtucket, RI, served in a tulip pint glass.

A: The beer is a dark reddish brown color, with a short off-white head that fades slowly and leaves a thick lace on the glass.

S: The aroma contains caramelized malts, spices, some fruit and a touch of hops.

T: The taste starts out with a hearty malt character. Then strong flavors of ginger, caramel and fruit come in. The hops presence is mild and provides a decent balance. The after-taste is slightly sweet.

M: Crisp and a little smooth, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is slightly sticky.

O: A little tasty, goes down ok, not too filling, good kick, decent representation of style, it’s a decent beer to drink for a while if you’re in the mood for the style.

Serving type: on-tap

12-01-2012 02:42:35 | More by TheManiacalOne

BenjaminBlondbeard

New York

3.53/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

The first of my 25 beers of Christmas countdown is Southern Tier's 2XMas.

I poured the 2XMas into a pint glass from a bottle, and saw a deep dark reddish brown. Then, held it up to the light and saw a beautiful deep red amber. The ale is clean and vibrant, with almost no head. The centimeter of foam disappears quickly, and there is little and then no lacing as I finish the glass.

First on the nose is the Christmas spices and a syrupy sweet malty smell. There is a rich, roasted fruit smell that accompanies the first whiff. With the first sip the spices become more pronounced.

Christmas spice, and especially the clove flavors, come alive as I take a drink. The body comes on thick, and then has this effervescent moment that highlights the slight hop spice, and added flavors, and ends with the mouth coated in sweet malt, spice, as well as figgy fruit, and light citrus. Very flavorful, and filling, so it is good in small quantities. The second glass warmed by the time I finished it, and tasted like a good spiced fruit cake.

This is the first brew I have ever had to claim "Swedish Glogg" style. According to Wikipedia it is, "Mulled wine (otherwise known as Glögg or Gløgg) is a beverage that ranges from alcoholic to non-alcoholic. It is usually made with red wine along with various spices and raisins, served hot or warm. It is a traditional drink during winter, especially around Christmas and Halloween."

2XMas is a nice spiced ale, and is a good brew to celebrate the holiday season.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2012 04:33:00 | More by BenjaminBlondbeard

dogfishandi

New York

3.5/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle at cellar temp poured into a snifter. DOB 10/24/12.

pours a clear deep chestnut brown color with about one fingers worth of off white head that fades to nothing within a minute. no lacing, some very minor legs however.

big x-mas spice aroma. gingerbread, nutmeg, cinnamon, a little honey. as it warms some dark fruits and bit of the orange peel become noticable. also the slightest hint of booze.

similar to the aroma, but some figgy like dark fruits are more in balance with the x-mas spices. some definate orange peel citrus as well as a bit of some fruity esters.

starts off kind of light but finishes slightly thick and warming. average feeling carbonation.

a pretty decent beer, but it wont make my list for must buy winter beers. reminds me of a stronger version of great lakes christmas ale.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2012 23:13:52 | More by dogfishandi

spinrsx

Ontario (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz Bottle from the Syracuse NY Wegman's for 2.25$

Appearance - Reddish copper colour with an average size fizzy and frothy beige head. There is an average amount of carbonation showing and there is some fairly good lacing. The head lasted for 4-5 minutes before it was gone.

Smell - Malts, dark fruits, butterscotch, all-spice, herbal/pine

Taste & Mouth - There is an average amount of carbonation and I can taste malts and some butterscotch. There is also some raisin,herbal/pine notes, all-spice and a fruit cake like taste. It ends with a malty sweet aftertaste with some lingering all spice.

Overall - A little too much grut beer flavour for me. Not one of my favourite tasting style of beer unfortunately. Still pretty festive and tasting, and it's probably worth having at least one of these this holiday season.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2012 01:48:45 | More by spinrsx

billab914

Virginia

3.5/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle poured into my Southern Tier glass. Dark caramel color with a thin, frothy, tan colored head to it. Decent retention and lacing as I drank it.

Aroma has a strong cinnamon, clove, nutmeg and peppermint presence. I get a hint of the sweet malty base but the spices are pretty overwhelming. It definitely reminds me of an intense Christmas cookie, but I think the spices could have been a little less dominating.

The taste shows a little more of a molasses and gingerbread flavor to it, but again the spices are all pretty intense. The cinnamon, clove and nutmeg are particularly intense in the finish.

The mouthfeel is medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Overall, it did taste like an intense Christmas cookie so given the name I think they hit their mark. I do think however that the spices could have been toned down a bit to let some of the malty flavors come out. I think it compares reasonably well to other Christmas beers out there though overall.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2013 23:49:15 | More by billab914

BeerLover99

New Jersey

3.48/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: copper/bubbly body, trace head, no lacing

S: orange peel, spices, fig, clove, bready malt

T: orange peel, malt, clove, spices, mild fig/boozy finish

M: med body, mild smooth/firm bubbly mouth
hint of dry in finish

O: Like ST, but this was not my fav. Might give it another go,
recommend to spice/herb/Christmas beer lovers.
I do love ST bombers and love this time of year for beer.

PRETTY GOOD, NOT MUST HAVE!

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2012 20:43:23 | More by BeerLover99

onix1agr

Pennsylvania

3.48/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

2XMAS into a pint glass. I grabbed a single of this for 2 beans.

2XMAS goes in the glass a dark chestnut brown shade that is able to be seen through. Not to much activity on the top, just a sparse amount of off white bubbles that die down quick. Eventually, the beer looks dead. Smell gives me a mix of a spiced beer and a winter warmer. The fig representation is large, behind that caramel malt, some dark fruit scents, plum, and light chocolate. More spice with warming. This takes some sips to get used to, off put by the large fig presense, the caramel/chocolate malt combo comes through in the middle, followed by a spicy finish. Hops are minimal and not making a dent. body is smooth and a healthy medium with almost no carbonation down the gullet, this one is nearing flat, I think maybe this is intentional in the Glogg tradition. While I enjoyed this I dont see myself making this a tradition, good for the season though. Would probably pair well with some Christmas ham. Never having a Swedish Glogg, I am now intrigued to try one out.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2012 03:50:58 | More by onix1agr

garymuchow

Minnesota

3.46/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

I suppose by the time one gets to Valentines Day the Xmas beers should be done.
So, nice and pleasing spicing that is dominant but not too strong. KInd of has a brandy atoma. Some malt backing.
Pours without much head. Dark bronze and very clear.
Surprisingly dry and doesn't drink like brandy. Spice are showing a little more age her than in the aroma and thus are less fresh and more dull in presentation. Firmer malt base here. Really drying, did I say that already?
Moderate to higher body. Lower carbonation that is soft.
This is fine enough. Nothing to write home about, but not a problem or a disaster either. It became a little more annoying in time.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2013 02:12:10 | More by garymuchow

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.45/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This beer poured out brown-ish red color with a thin white head. The head fades rapidly. The smell of the beer has a pretty good spicy aroma to it. The taste is sweet with a spicy flavor, some berry notes and cinnamon mostly. The mouthfeel is medium bodied and has a smooth carbonation to it. Overall it's a decent holiday brew. Worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2012 23:58:59 | More by Knapp85

mattsdenney

Tennessee

3.45/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Local store only got two cases of this one. Lucky me!

This one pours a clear, deep ruby red with one finger of cream head. Little lacing or retention but looks promising. Heavy scents of spices, malted barley, dried fruit, and booze. Not sure what Swedish Glogg is but it makes for a tasty beer. Heavy on the spices here; cinnamon, nutmeg, etc. A very malty backbone with some hop bitterness in there too. Very boozy finish and aftertaste, warming. Mouthfeel is thick and creamy. Mild carbonation with a slick finish. Overall, a nice, festive Christmas ale with solid flavor.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2012 02:39:13 | More by mattsdenney

stxp

New York

3.45/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

appearance: deep brown, thick head doesnt stay long, nice big carbonation

smell: spice, lemon/limey, a bit of sulfur, soda-like

taste: ginger, nutmeg, holiday spices, a bit fruity like lime, slightly bitter, piney hop

mouthfeel: very clean, fast finish, slight lemon linger

overall: not much alcohol warmth, plenty of holiday spice, a tad bitter, good sweater weather beer

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2012 00:31:44 | More by stxp

psuKinger

Pennsylvania

3.4/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Case split 6 ways with friends of mine from work. Bottle poured into a standard nonic.

A: Pours a deeper dark shade of amber than I would have expected. Partially translucent. A thin off-white head on top that dissipated quickly.

S: Strong presence of holiday spices. Cinnamin. Nutmeg. Maybe some caramel-malt sweetness.

T: Taste follows the nose. Heavily spiced. Cinnamin is dominant. It tingles the tongue. Malt sweetness sweeps through at the end. Hops are difficult to detect. Despite being relatively light, the finish is semi-dry.

M: Carbonation is high. Mouthfeel tingles with spices. Body is a little light and thin.

D/O:This is a Great Lakes Christmas clone that beats it's inspiration at it's own game. It's novelty beer. Packed full of spice. If you're into "Christmas beer", this is probably worth trying at some point during the holiday season. But, having purchased 4 bottles, I'm feeling like that's 3 more than I need.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2012 21:10:46 | More by psuKinger

beerthulhu

New Jersey

3.38/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: A beautiful bold burgundy coloring upon backlighting reveals a good clarity. The head is weak, tawny brownish orage tint, and one that quickly dissipates. No visible lacing, with a light visible rise of spacious carbonation bubbles.

S: Spices of oranges, cinnamon stick, dried apple slices with a dired caramel sweetness of low to moderate appeal.

T: Flavor of spicy oranges, cherry malt, and apples. Some signs of figs and sugary raisins with a hint of pear juice and caramel. The spicing is fair, even toned and not overly done.

M: Syrupy malt mouthful, low carbonation presence, medium bodied with a spicy, cherry cough medicine alcohol presence upon leave and warming.

O: Overall the 8.0% abv seems gentle at first but does provide a cough medicine like flair upon warming. The spicing, while event toned and refined, seesm more supplementary hiding in the background.The malting is good. This drank more like a bock with some fruity tones.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2013 02:35:30 | More by beerthulhu

curasowa

New York

3.35/5  rDev -11.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Appearance: Clear, copper color with just a thin cap of head that fades quickly to a ring.

Aroma: Very bright, sweet and floral, with candied fruit and molasses notes and hints of toasted malt in the background.

Taste: Very crisp up front, with lots of spice and some of that oily bitterness from the orange peel. Toasted caramel malt shows-up in the middle and then some mild hop bitterness on the tail end with a bunch more spice, which leaves a somewhat astringent finish.

The Rest: Quite spicy, but with enough body underneath to make it tolerable. Overall a decent winter warmer.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2012 00:42:39 | More by curasowa

Suds

Pennsylvania

3.3/5  rDev -12.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I'm usually impressed with Southern Tier beers. They always seem to be spot-on, challenging, and very rewarding. Unfortunately, that's not the case with 2XMas. It's a clear, reddish colored liquid with a thin tan head. Medium carbonation. The smell is fruit and spice, with a bit of toasted malt in the background. The fruit is hard to place. The label says fig, but I'm getting a lot of orange and lemon peel. The peel/rind theme plays into the taste as well, which is also full of fruit and spice...a bit of bitterness from the former, as well as the latter. Firm body, good balance. The beer just doesn't really come together, though...the bitterness is distracting. Not bad, just not up to my expectations.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2012 00:30:12 | More by Suds

oline73

Maryland

3.25/5  rDev -14%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Poured from the bottle into a Chimay goblet.

Appearance: The beer pours a cloudy reddish dark brown color, there is more red to this one than brown. There is a layer of off white head that fades quickly to a ring on top of the pour.

Smell: Definitely a Christmas beer. I'm getting a slightly sweet malt component that reminds me of dark fruit and cherries. I'm also getting some Christmas spices and mild orange peel.

Taste: Not nearly as sweet as the smell indicates. There is a dark fruit/sweet grain component but it is overshadowed by the Christmas spices. The finish is really bitter. I'm getting some citrus fruit hops along with a strong spice component. I think the bitterness level is too high here.

Mouthfeel: The body is medium with a lot of tingly carbonation and a very dry finish.

Overall: I think the spices and hops made the finish too bitter. The sweeter flavors needed to be featured a bit more.

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2012 00:57:56 | More by oline73

Mitchster

Michigan

3.15/5  rDev -16.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

$1.99 for a 12oz bottle @ BevCo. Brewed with 4 different malts, 2 varieties of hops, Figs, orange peels, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, ginger and fermented with ale yeast. 8.0% ABV.

Pours out to a clear dark ruby, forming a nice creamy yellow head with excellent retention and nice lacing. Mild to moderate carbonation, ~2.0 carbs. The nose is very spicy...lots of cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves on top of a slightly nutty malt backbone and no real hop aroma. Mouthfeel is thick and full, creamy with a dense body. The taste is a recap of the aroma. Lots of spice, some nuts in the middle, then tobacco lingering in the aftertaste complimenting the spice. Very spice forward. The orange peel is subtle but it does come out towards the finish and I get a little yeast autolysis and some higher alcohols too. The alcohol almost has the sensation of black per, which would make a more interesting holiday beer than all the spices.

I just made a batch of Glogg and I love it, but this just isn't all that good. Way to spice heavy, like chewing on potpourri or sipping on your grandmothers candle.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2012 02:38:40 | More by Mitchster

mecummins

Illinois

3.11/5  rDev -17.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

Poured from a bottle to a pint glass

A- a reddish gold color with hints of orange It only poured a half a finger of head, not even enough for any lacing. Sort of disappointing.

S- Sweet caramel malts with figs, raisins and orange peel

T- Fruitcake in a glass. Very sweet (just verging on cloying to me) with figs and chewy raisins. The orange zest really helped save this beer and brought it back into somewhat balance. there is no way I could ever drink this while eating anything however.

M- Syrupy but not at all lush. Short finish

O- It was OK. Nice to sip on it's own at a holiday party, but I wouldn't go out of my way to find it. There are plenty of other great holiday beers out there to drink instead.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2013 20:17:16 | More by mecummins

macrosmatic

Florida

3.05/5  rDev -19.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Reviewed from notes. Poured from 12 oz. bottle into a TBBC pint glass.

A: Pours a clear, deep brown with some reddish highlight. Forms a thin tan head on top of relatively low visible carbonation.

S: Spiciness, I get primarily ginger, fruity sweetness, and some citrus aroma. I'm not sure if this was the orange peels that the bottle says it was brewed with or not. It struck me as more lemon or grapefruit. The overall impression on the nose is certainly sweet.

T: Flavors are overwhelmed by ginger, allspice, cinnamon. There's probably some sweet malt, and I'd hypothesize some hops, but who can tell in this mess. Finishes sickly sweet.

M: Medium body, low carbonation sensation, mild alcohol presence.

O: Not good. Kinda like drinking beer that someone had poured potpourri into. Poured the last of it down the drain.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2012 00:39:45 | More by macrosmatic

tlazaroff

Virginia

3/5  rDev -20.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This beer smells like Christmas. Heavily spiced with cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg I think.

Red in color, like Santa's suit. It has no speakable head, but laces nicely. Completely clear, albiet dark.

This beer tastes like Christmas. Sugar cookies, cinnamon, nutmeg, almond, lots and lots of spice in this beer. It tastes good, but isn't really to my liking. It has a medium body with low carbonation. I probably wouldn't buy this one again, it's the first Southern Tier that I really didn't care for. I much prefer Krampus.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2012 04:43:18 | More by tlazaroff

BB1313

Ohio

2.98/5  rDev -21.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Bottled on 10-18-12. 12oz bottle poured into a pint glass. Pours a dark auburn with red and brown hues. Fluffy off-white head which fades and leaves really nice lacing and retention. The aromas are full of orange zest, cherries, cinnamon and malts. The other spices are noticeable in the nose, but not dominating. The flavors are bitter. Not sweet at all. There's more cinnamon along with some ginger and nutmeg. Dark fruits are present. The flavors seem to fall flat and don't leave an impression. It's not hot or boozy, but leaves an alcohol aftertaste. Mouthfeel is nice, moderate carbonation and smooth. It's on the lighter side of full-bodied.

I was really hoping Southern Tier used their Pumking magic with this beer, but no. I'm a huge fan of the spiced Christmas ales, but this one is lacking flavor. It's similar to Great Lakes Christmas Ale and Thirsty Dog 12 Dogs of Christmas, but lacks the depth. I was expecting something bolder from Southern Tier.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2012 22:55:25 | More by BB1313

justintcoons

Pennsylvania

2.98/5  rDev -21.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured into a snifter.

Appearance
Deep garnet with a 1/2 finger of head that dissipates immediately. Good clarity and very low carbonation.

Nose
Ginger, cinnamon, candy sugar, orange zest and biscuit.

Taste
Very spice forward with ginger root and cinnamon. Honey, caramel and biscuit. Some fig, black licorice and orange zest.

Mouthfeel
Medium-full bodied, crisp and spicy.

Overall
I was really hoping for more fig. Really over-spiced and somewhat cloying, but the alcohol is well hidden.

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2012 00:58:39 | More by justintcoons