Vertere Christmas 2022 Barley Wine is an 11% barleywine from Vertere, based in Oku-tama, in Tokyo, Japan. It’s part of their canned and draught lineup, though it’s only available for the 2022 Christmas season, so it may be sold out by the time you read this. Vertere Christmas 2022 Barley Wine is brewed using ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, and some wood chips, while the base malts are Maris Otter, Pilsner, and Carabohemian with some Nelson Sauvin hops, but it’s a barleywine so I doubt anyone is here for the hops.
Vertere Christmas 2022 Barley Wine : At A Glance
- Alcohol: 11%
- Style: Barleywine
- Hops: Nelson Sauvin
- Adjuncts: Ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, wood chips
- IBU: 30
Sale Information
- Availability: Limited
- On Sale: From November 2022
- Size: 500 ml
- Price: From ¥1,200
Aroma & Taste
- Notable Aroma: Ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, with light vanilla. Slight caramel when warm with a nutty aroma. Medium alcohol heat when warm. No hoppiness noted.
- Notable Taste: Warming sensation with spices akin to the nose. Medium bodied though not overly sweet. Medium alcohol heat.
Vertere Christmas 2022 Barley Wine : Aroma & Taste
Vertere Christmas 2022 Barley Wine poured out a deep ruby red colour with a thick amount of off-white reddish head on top that left some of those reddish off-white streaks down the inside of the glass. The aroma from Vertere Christmas 2022 Barley Wine was pretty much exactly as you’d expect it to be with these ingredients – ginger and cinnamon were the first notes of spice to come through, and there was a good dosing of nutmeg too. There was a light creaminess of vanilla as Vertere Christmas 2022 Barley Wine warmed up, and this brought along a nutty, caramel aroma for good measure. At 11%, and with this being a barleywine, there was a noticeable alcohol heat to the nose – enough to be noted but not enough to burn the hair from your nostrils. Thought Vertere had used Nelson Sauvin hops in the making of this beer, it was pretty hard to note any hoppiness to the beer.
The body was pretty much more of the nose but in a liquid form, except for one thing – the warming sensation that came along with all the spices in Vertere Christmas 2022 Barley Wine. The ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg are all spices that I love when it comes to desserts, and also Christmas, so it was great to have them in a balanced manner with a barley wine to support the flavours. I can’t imagine having a pastry stout with these kinds of flavours but with a barleywine, the sweetness of the style works brilliantly. The body to Vertere Christmas 2022 Barley Wine was on the medium side and thankfully didn’t go towards a cloying nature, as can happen with the style. The alcohol heat towards the end did detract a little from the spices, but in a good way in hindsight.
Vertere Christmas 2022 Barley Wine : The Bottom Line
I wish I could have shared Vertere Christmas 2022 Barley Wine with some friends, but I am also so happy to have had it alone. A brilliant beer and one that I hope is a seasonal from 2023 onwards.
Vertere Christmas 2022 Barley Wine : Where to Buy
Vertere Christmas 2022 Barley Wine can be bought online at the following places:
