Brennivín Jólín 2023 Christmas Aquavit
Reykjavík, Höfuðborgarsvæði, Iceland
- ABV
- 40%
- Base spirit
- Grain (unspecified)
- Color
- Pale Gold
- Style
- Barrel-Aged Aquavit, Christmas Edition
- Maturation
- 5 years in Ex-Pedro Ximénez (PX) cask American oak
Brennivín Jólín 2023, also presented as The Real Christmas Spirit, is a limited Christmas-edition Icelandic aquavit released under the Brennivín brand. The expression was matured for five years and bottled at 40% ABV in a 700 ml format. The front label identifies it as “Sherry Cask Aquavit.”
The neck strip states “Matured in Pedro Ximénez & American Oak Casks.” Ölgerðin’s 2023 release coverage confirms the five-year maturation and specifically highlights Pedro Ximénez sherry casks, describing the resulting profile as showing nutty and raisin-like tones.
The release was limited to 1,320 individually numbered bottles. Vínbúðin listed Brennivín Jólín 2023 under product number 10813 and recorded 261 bottles sold in 2023, corresponding to 182.7 litres; this reflects sales through Vínbúðin rather than the total production run.
Bottle gallery
About the producer
Kveldúlfur Distillery
Reykjavík, Höfuðborgarsvæði, Iceland
Kveldúlfur Distillery is the current producer of Brennivín and operates within the Ölgerðin Egill Skallagrímsson group. Vínbúðin identifies Kveldúlfur Distillery as the producer of the standard 40% Brennivín, while Ölgerðin is listed separately as supplier and owns the Brennivín brand.
Kveldúlfur Distillery is a wholly owned subsidiary of Ölgerðin. Ölgerðin’s financial statements list Kveldúlfur Distillery ehf. among the companies owned 100% by the group, alongside Borg Brugghús and several other beverage businesses.
The wider Ölgerðin business was founded in Reykjavík in 1913 by Tómas Tómasson and developed from a small brewery into Iceland’s largest producer of alcoholic beverages. Today the group owns a number of major Icelandic drinks brands, including Brennivín, Gull and Boli, while Kveldúlfur functions as the distilling entity associated with Brennivín production.
The relationship between Brennivín and Ölgerðin is therefore more recent than the spirit itself. Brennivín originated as a state-produced spirit in 1935; after ÁTVR ended alcohol production in 1992, production moved into private hands. The current structure places production with Kveldúlfur Distillery and brand ownership and distribution with Ölgerðin.
Ölgerðin also manages Brennivín as an international brand. Company filings state that the Brennivín word and figurative marks are registered in the European Union and the United Kingdom, while the Brennivín word mark is also registered in Canada.
