Product Of: Evil Twin Brewing, Copenhagen, Denmark. Imported by Twelve Percent LLC, Brooklyn, N.Y.

I picked Before During And After Christmas Beer for one reason: the label. This Danish ale is a bit pricy at an unappealing $9 and change, but the flat, recycled paper with minimalist graphics makes it stand out like a zebra at an equestrian event. The boldly labeled name taunts the concept of Danish ale as a Christmas time beverage and almost challenged me into buying it. Brewed by Evil Twin Brewing in Copenhagen, this big beer packs double the punch of your average light beer in taste and alcohol.

Smell: This Danish ale smells like a rum smoothie, with hints of raisin, apricot, orange, pineapple, lemon, and grapefruit on a pine and hop base. 4.8/5

Appearance: This classic IPA style beer has a bland, light copper appearance with a head that lasts longer than any other beer I’ve seen. The head even resisted the finger-swirl technique and had the consistency of whipping cream at the soft peaks stage. Seriously, you could sculpt with it. The body of the beer has almost no carbonation; wouldn’t it be great if the head could share some? .5/5

Taste:  Before During And After Christmas strongly hits you with the citrus flavor palate you’d expect from a Danish style of the classic Indian Pale Ale. As you savor the taste, it sweetens on your tongue to prepare you for another citrusy swing. 4.75/5

I love the taste of this beer despite having to spend 10 minutes pouring the beer and another five waiting for the head to go away. If you want a nice balance of sweet and citrus that pairs easily with any type of food, and you have the patience to wait 15 minutes from cap off to first drink, this is the beer for you.