Christmas cream doesn't have to be just about the stuff you put on your plum pudding, or the once a year you have cream in your coffee as it's a special occasion. It can also be about amazing beer flavours.
In this case, it's authentic Norweigian naughtiness straight from Santa's secret stash. A creamy and smooth porter that is lighter than an IPA but punches above it's weight in terms of flavour.
Lervig are one of the European craft beer movement's sweethearts at the moment, creating beers that are loved all across the continent and beyond all from the southern edge of Norway.
There's a whole lot of fizz on popping the can due to the nitro, but then there's a subtle chocolate aroma that is very similar to a light hot chocolate: not too dark and rich, but still sweet and tantalising.
The lightness of the porter makes it a very light pour, but the nitro creates a gorgeous thick head that helps really boost the chocolate and cinnamon aromas once it's poured, sticking around for most of the drink.
The first taste is cinnamon, but this develops into a more chocolatey flavour the more you drink it. Each new sip brings a new cinnamon hit though, which really helps to balance the beer out. As it's so light, it goes down very smooth. I'd be interested to try the carbonated version on tap by comparison because I think the nitro cans really do add an extra dimension of smoothness to this one.
I don't know who this guy is, but he freaks me out. Three toes, no neck, sleeping on a cloud in a swimsuit, wearing shades in Winter guy. Looking like an extra from the Ren and Stimpy Show. It's not a very festive design for a beer called Christmas Cream, but it's certainly...different.
This dude is on all of Lervig's cans in some form though, so there's no surprise he's there. It just feels like there should be something Christmassy about him, even if it's just a Santa hat or a snowman on the cloud.
Ultimately, I kind of like it. It's not festive, but it works. Somehow.
Pick up one of these festive fancies from Beer Merchants for £5.10 which, for a Lervig, is amazing value. We got ours from Beer Central, so check out your local bottle shop for this one - grab it fast as the festive season will soon be over!
