By Jeff Evans

Nose

Full, sticky malt, dry sherry, vine fruits and red berries.

Palate

Rich, full and sweet with thick, creamy malt topped by juicy raisins and plums. There are little bursts of orange, too, and plenty of warming, alcoholic vapours.

Finish

Creamy, thick, tingly and warming. Sweet raisins and oranges blend with an oaky hop tang that builds slowly, drying the palate.

Comment

The classic Christmas beer from Austria, full-bodied and complex. Even just a thimbleful, sipped slowly like a port or sherry, keeps out the cold of winter.

By Zak Avery

Nose

Huge and heady, with notes of dried fruit, liqueur cherries, sherry and toasted grain

Palate

Immediately sweet and slightly warming (or even numbing) on the tongue. More dried fruit, sultana, sherry and (unsurprisingly) a spirity, cognac edge on the exhale.

Finish

Big and boozy, with sherry and fruitcake, there's a tell-tale warming glow, and a sweetness that persists without being cloying.

Comment

Not just unusual for a lager, it's unusual full stop. Not everyone's cup of tea, but a classic nonetheless.