Glögg review 2: Tillmans Glögg av Svarta Vinbär

I have had the luck of finding a really strange bottle of glögg. Tillman, which is a small rather local brand, makes glögg using black currants instead of red wine. It's also completely alcohol free, let's see how good it gets.


The smell is stronger than usual, it reminds me of some glögg sweets that I stumbled upon last summer in a small candy shop. It doesn't smell like glögg usually does, but it still is rather pleasing. I suspect the smell is because of the black currants, because after the initial aroma of spices it's something like a strong cup of black currant tea.

The taste is a little less punchy than one would expect from a sip of glögg, there is a lot of taste from the berries and it's not even remotely as sweet as one would fear. But, you miss the wine, the taste just won't last as long and be as deep as wine. But it is not a bad substitute for red wine, unlike most mixes of grape juice and other juices that makes glögg taste terrible you do enjoy drinking the strange mixture of black currants and glögg seasoning. I would certainly recommend it, perhaps not for a big party, but certainly as a pleasant and refreshing Christmas beverage for yourself or in the company of a friend or two.

Tillmans Glögg av Svarta Vinbär
3/5
Price: ~40SEK per bottle of 750ml

Glögg review 1: Blossa lättglögg

As you have seen in my profile, I like glögg. Glögg is rather typical for northern europe and is served hot with raisins and almond during the winter season. It's most of all associated with Christmas, but some (like me) enjoy it from mid November to mid January. Glögg is made from wine, traditionally red but nowadays also white. It's seasoned, which gives it a unique sweet and rich taste. Do note that during my test sessions, I do not add almond, raisins or eat ginger snaps. It's only the glögg and nothing else that I will test.

Since a lot of people never hear of this excellent beverage I thought that I'd make a set of reviews of different kinds of glögg with low-alcohol content. There are plenty of brands and flavours to chose from when it comes to high-alcohol content, but for low-alcohol there are about eight kinds to chose from. But I will try to find more.

First out is the true classic "Blossa lättglögg". When you think of glögg, this is the brand that first springs to mind. It's sweet and has a rather spicy taste. You can clearly make out the traces red wine somewhere amidst all the other tastes.


Currently, this is my personal favourite. But it's rather plain, most Swedes ought to be used to this taste, so it's really nothing special about it. You just see it as what defines glögg. Therefore, I can't give it five out of five. Since, you can't stop thinking that perhaps there is another glögg out there, one that is richer, leaner and will taste even better with your ginger snaps. I therefore give it four out of five, it's good, really good. But still, there is nothing special about it.

Blossa lättglögg
4/5
Price: ~25SEK per bottle of 750ml

Those who want to know more about glögg should take a look at the Wikipedia article.