Kaggen! Stormaktsporter - Närke Kulturbryggeri AB

pepsican

Iowa

3.73/5  rDev -19.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

06 version. Thanks to hopscotch and the person who wished to be nameless for samples. Black pour with a small tan head. Aroma was coffee, caramel, chocolate, anise, and maple syrup. Burnt coffee flavors, anise, chocolate, roasted malt, peat/bog, as well. Full bodied finish with sharp carbonation. Finish was quite long and complex but man this beer is flawed for the score.

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2009 17:13:19 | More by pepsican

Phelps

Arizona

3.85/5  rDev -17.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottle shared by tlay10. Into a tulip. 2007.

Looks like you might expect, but thinner.

A little oxidized. A lot of the honey, sherry qualities brought on by age. Beneath: assloads of butterscotch, toasted oak, dark chocolate. A little licorice.

Smoother flavor. Big tangy chocolate notes, some sherry, honey. The swallow brings a blend of bourbon, roast and cocoa that's impossible to separate. So. Smooth.

Medium-light, a little thinner than expected. Light tingles of carbonation.

Past its prime for sure. Still went down far too easily.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2012 04:49:54 | More by Phelps

badbeer

Iowa

3.9/5  rDev -16.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Black with a tan head, spotty lacing; head recedes to a ring around the glass. Chocolate, roasty coffee, graham cracker, and some ash. Taste is roasty, maple, molasses, vanilla, and seemed to have a fair amount of earthy hops too. Medium carbonation and medium body. Pretty good beer, but not really the amazing beer it's made out to be. Thanks to pepsican for sharing. I'd be interested in trying this again, but not for the price this commands in trades.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2009 04:11:43 | More by badbeer

Brabander

Netherlands

3.98/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This brewer was also at the Borefts festival in Bodegraven, the Netherlands. In De Molen, a fine dutch brewery there were a lot of good breweries.

I asked the lady bartender for the 2009 version.

Poured in my the Molen tasting glass this beer looks very warm. A nice dark head and a darkbrown fluid. Lots of chocolate and coffee. This kind of beer is not my style but i could not resist trying this hyped beer. I wanted to buy some bottles to try it at home but they were all sold out in a few minutes.

Because i am not really a stout lover this review is lower than normal!! Sorry for that...

Serving type: on-tap

09-26-2010 09:56:11 | More by Brabander

TurdFurgison

Ohio

4.03/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

2008 version. Big thanks to Masterski for getting me this bottle, one that I've wanted to try for a long time but never pulled together a trade (thanks a ton Alex!).

I shared this at a tasting in northern OH, a pretty exceptional Tuesday night. Dark brown and faintly translucent, with the thinnest of foams on top. The aroma is quite nice, but to be honest I was expecting so much that I was actually a little disappointed. Taking the expectations out of it this was very good. Less roasty than I would have thought, this had more tobacco and leather to it than stouts normally do. Earthy, that's probably the correct adjective.

Some dark fruits in the flavor, plum/raisin type of thing, with lots of earthy character (I think I'm liking this term a lot). Not as strong tasting a stout as I expected, this was nothing like bourbon stouts in the USA aspire to be. Much more nuanced, less easily appreciated I think. That said I enjoyed searching out the flavors.

Lighter than expected but not thin bodied. Very very good, and obviously I'm very happy to have had a chance to try it. I'm also glad I shared it with some others so more can try this rarity, although with the small size of the bottle I could easily have taken it myself at home.

Serving type: bottle

08-11-2011 02:34:14 | More by TurdFurgison

jampics2

Ohio

4.1/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Huge thanks to Eric for bringing this out to our tasting in Canton on a rainy Tuesday night in August. I was certainly happy to make the trip down to get the chance to try this well regarded brew – I figured this may be my only chance!

2008 version, 250ml bottle into a snifter.

The pour looked great. There's a dark beer with some chocolate and midnight hues swirling around the glass. A touch of head quickly dissipates but that's to be expected with a big barrel aged brew like this. The beer looks thick and, while there's no lace, this is a very appealing glass.

The smell is complex and shows that this is well crafted. There’s a nice bourbon and barrel edge that charges through first, then, once that brute force element dies away, there are some nice smoky notes that integrate well with the roasted malt. Not really burnt, coffee or chocolate dominated, the delicate balance is pretty remarkable. The barrel does stand out but not in a way that dominates. I’d have to say the smell is my favorite part of this beer.

The taste is also all about depth and complexity. The barrel has again taken the lead, but the honey in the base beer makes this very unique and adds some flower and compliments the sweet chocolate notes very well. The hint of smoke and char allows this to again tip back towards balance, as the beer really straddles the line between sweet and bitter, boozy and balanced. A warming alcohol note towards the end is a bit out of place, but at 10% this beer has a ton of flavors and is certainly not a booze bomb. A touch more integration and slightly different flavor profile would make this score higher from me. I guess I like beers with a touch more personality or that lean one way or another. This does a great job encapsulating many elements, but the tradeoff is less personality. Not overrated per say, but also not my favorite of the mega-whales I’ve been fortunate enough to try.

The mouthfeel is just a bit thin compared to the biggest, baddest stouts out there. That being said, the touch of carbonation kisses my tongue with just enough vigor to keep the beer interesting and let the subtleties pop.

Overall, this beer is a work of art. There’s no denying the craftsmanship that went into it. That being said, it wasn’t my favorite BA stout, even of the evening, and it may suffer just a bit from inflated expectations. Absolutely worth a try but not at any cost.

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2011 13:59:33 | More by jampics2

BearsOnAcid

Massachusetts

4.13/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Black body, about 1 inch of brown head.

Aroma has a beautiful smoke and dark chocolate/coffee mixture. Heavily roasted malts and some ashiness. Barrel comes through very well. Charred oak and light caramel.

The barrel is upfront in the flavor. It hides a lot of the depth and complexity that the base beer had. I don’t get as much of the sweetness and the ashy flavor is a little toned down.

The alcohol cuts through that and leaves an acidic heavily roasted malt/coffee flavor on the palate. Lots of dark cocoa charred oak and light caramel. Creamy mouth feel with low-medium carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2012 15:46:09 | More by BearsOnAcid

cpetrone84

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

07 bottle. Pour is dark brown, almost black with red edges and a tiny bit of tan large bubbled head. Nose is nice, same rich chocolate cake as stormaktsporter, maybe more, and hints of bourbon and wood. Taste is rich, dessert like, creamy full body. Rich chocolate cake and bourbonn blend together adding notes of charred wood. Not sweet but adds some malt berery flavors in back finishing semi dry. My favorite of the 3 I tried.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2012 15:42:50 | More by cpetrone84

alcstradamus

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours black with a finger of mocha colored head in my tulip glass. Each swirl causes the head to rise again and leave a bit of sticky film on the walls.

The oak barrels are readily apparent on the nose, dominating the overall profile. Some bright metallic notes. Marshmallows, honey, bakers chocolate, earthiness, and cake batter come into play after constant agitation.

I thought the smell was good but not spectacular and was prepared to be let down in the taste department, but alas I am not. Roasted coffee-like bitterness up front with a oddly sour barrel quality that is very unique. The only other stout I have that that I can really compare it to is Kate the Great, mainly in the possibility that there were some bugs at play in both these bottles. But I like this one a little bit more. Some good chocolate notes, a tad bit of honey sweetness, and some earthy hoppiness round out the flavor profile. Very subtly complex, but didn't really have the flavor profile to get me excited enough to hand out 5's.

Mouthfeel is in between full and medium bodied with a perfect amount of carbonation. Drinkability is tough to rate. This has the flavor profile of an everyday-type stout, but even after 4 oz. I was wishing I had waited to share it with somebody. Kind of got really heavy in the stomach for some reason.

Overall this is a very fine beer, but not among my favorites.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2009 07:02:27 | More by alcstradamus

craytonic

District of Columbia

4.28/5  rDev -8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Many thanks to habmike for popping this one, split four ways with him, SpencerDB and kkipple

Appearance: Dark pour with perhaps a touch of ruby/mahogany. Decent head an lacing

Smell: Fudge, vanilla, espresso, caramelized dark fruits, big roasted malt. Typical for the style.

Taste: Similar to the smell, fudge, oak, tobacco, espresso, caramelized dark fruits, raisins, figs, dates and roasted malt. I was not particularly impressed. We all much preferred this to the regular offering however in a side-by-side. If you can taste rarity it is probably more delicious.

Mouthfeel: Smooth mouthfeel, medium body and weight. I expected it to be a bit bigger.

Drinkability: Not sure why they feel the need to do such small format bottles at such a price. Drinkable enough. I feel most people share these and I wonder if they would like them quite so much if they had 1/4 a 750ml bottle as opposed to a few ounces.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2011 04:30:34 | More by craytonic

emerge077

Illinois

4.28/5  rDev -8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Served in a small snifter at 50-55º. 2007 vintage.
Wispy skim of tan foam, settling in a ghostly cirrus formation. Not much sticks around though to be honest... no lacing to speak of.

Huge aroma of loose leaf pipe tobacco and "red man" pouch tobacco, leather, maple, dried dark fruit... raisin, prune, and licorice. At room temperature it's somewhat woody with notes of pumpernickel bread and molasses.

Rich flavors of dark fruit (dried cherry) and tobacco, a hint of sherry cask oxidation, fudgy, woody and leathery. Mellow feel, slightly oily and syrupy. Best to split a bottle with friends. Not a "best ever" beer imho, but a good one. Hopefully will try a recent vintage someday to compare.

Thanks Kristina for sharing this bottle.

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2011 03:53:59 | More by emerge077

tjthresh

Indiana

4.3/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Pours dark roast coffee black, with an oily looking texture, and what little head that could be conjured up was brown with a reddish tint. Deep rich aroma, of oak, bourbon, wet tobacco, asphalt, coffee, and charred marshmallow. The flavor comes over like an alcoholic cafe mocha. Pretty nice. On top of that I get some anise, bourbon, oak, vanilla, and lingering bitterness and alcohol. The mouthfeel and body are substantial, but not overwhelming. Oily and mouth filling. Long dry gritty finish. Believe the hype.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2009 23:56:59 | More by tjthresh

JAXSON

Pennsylvania

4.3/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

2008 Bottle at Akkurat, split with a friend. I can't find my notes for this, or the other bottles we had at Akkurat. So everything here is from a foggy memory on a day where I hadn't slept in like 36 hours and was pretty much walking around in a daze. Pour was black with maybe some brownish edges. Nose was pretty wonderful, some elegant bourbon, oak, plethora of dark fruits, roasted malts, almost smoky. Sweet and amazingly complex flavors swirling around. Sweet malts, sweet honey, dark fruits, some spicy oak and bourbon, smoky, roasted malts. Really surprised at the smoke element in this. As it keeps breathing and warms some breathtaking nuances take shape, I think the honey became more pronounced. It should not be served cold. This was super complex and a delight to drink.

From another 2008 bottle, consumed August, 2011. Nose is lush roasted malt with a smokey edge, molasses, charred oak, rich bourbon. I always forget how prominebt the bourbon is in this. Mouth is super thick and chewy. Really heavy on the charred, roasted qualities. Possibly the thickest, creamiest beer I've ever had. Dry fudge and bourbon-soaked raisins. Lots of sweet dark fruits as it opens. A lingering heat and bitterness around the edges that isn't entirely integrated. Great, but probably not deserving of the highest marks, at least at this age, for this particular bottle. I've certainly had better imperial stouts, barrel aged or not, and much more attainable.

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2010 20:01:02 | More by JAXSON

ggaughan

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The bottle I sampled was a 2005 bottle that my cousin krkearney shared with me around the Christmas holiday, thanks Keith! The beer poured a deep black hole color with a deep brown head that runs away quickly. The nose had some wonderful chocolate and caramel notes. The taste has a definite bitter chocolate taste with some dried fruit notes and a great malty backbone. I am glad I finally got a chance to try one of the Narke beers.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2009 20:57:05 | More by ggaughan

tpd975

Florida

4.33/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

HUGE thanks to bossee for trading me all those gems from across the pond.

2006 Version

A: Pours a nice dark rich black with a small brown head. Some okay retention with just a few spots of lace.

S: Lots of roasty, dark chocolate, coffee, and mild oak.

T: Roasty and chocolaty up front. Coffee in the middle with hints of oxidation and coconut showing through. There is a nice malty sweetness that is nice without being too sweet. The oak is rather mild and can be picked up in the finish.

M: Medium in body, smooth and easy drinking.

D: Pretty good. Really look forward to the 2008 bottle I have on the way.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2010 19:14:13 | More by tpd975

HotHabanero

Denmark

4.38/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottled. Pours pitch black with a little brown head. Nose of raisins, prunes and burned malt. Flavour of caramel, smoke, vanilla, dark malts, dried fruits, dark chocolate and notes of honey. It is full bodied has a oily texture and a soft carbonation. Long malty finish. It is a very enjoyable brew.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2011 19:48:00 | More by HotHabanero

vacax

California

4.4/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

2007 vintage 250 mL bottle indicating 9% ABV. Thanks for sharing this gem.

The beer itself is black, possibly a very dark brown with a ring of translucence around the glass. Proper head and retention, plus a bonus surprise of leaving a brown coating when the glass is swirled. The aroma gives me dark fruits, mostly prune, large amounts of smoke, some chocolate, and peppery spiciness. It just about runs the gamut in different aromatic qualities in an imperial stout, with the smoke taking a bit much of a front seat for me.

The taste is firstly malty though, with dark chocolate up front followed by a smoke and prickly pepper quality. Midpalate does bring a bit of alcohol, but also roasted barley which extends to the finish and closes with a bready malt goodness. The body is respectably coagulated and complemented by mid-range levels of carbonation, which lifts up the smoke and highlights the dark fruit and chocolate nicely.

Very good beer for sure. Not life changing in the taste, but a reputation built on quality. One minor life change is that I can finally cross this off of my wish list.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2010 03:54:17 | More by vacax

bark

Sweden

4.4/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Vintage 2008.

The colour is black; the low head is warm brown. Some fine lacing occurs.

The warming smell got notes of wood and strong wine. Hints of alcohol. Lots of grand yet balanced flavours of coal, matured hops, mild bitter flavours and a hint of smoke.

The taste is very elegant with sweet caramelized notes, some fresh oxidized cask flavours, sour hints and a smoke that reminds of Islay whisky. It is overall matured, but some raw hoppy flavours make it more demanding and interesting. The strong aftertaste is malty with chemical hints of medicine and band-aids. Some alcohol in the finish.

The light carbonation is made of very small bubbles. The liquid is thick and sticky.

One of the most hyped beer during the last years... And while it is a splendid cask matured imperial stout, I found it a little too much for me.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2010 15:20:41 | More by bark

hotmanflab666

New York

4.4/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

said to be the rarest. had a friend ship to me from the brewery, strong powerful malty base with enough hop to round it out to a nice robust finish. exceptional stout. with no ego i can say its good but not the best, definitely worth the drink but by no means shell out your beer collection to grab it

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2011 02:53:00 | More by hotmanflab666

Overlord

California

4.43/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks Masterski!

pours black with translucent brown edges. Thin light tan crust, no real head.

Smells ... sweet? Whoa. Is that honey? Dark fruits, whiff of charred peat and/or malt, and ... molasses?

Taste is shockingly sweet for an RIS. The molasses, dark fruits, even the peat and whiskey feel like they were soaked in brown sugar ... very little chocolate, no coffee that I could taste. The charred/peat-y component that was evident in the smell follows through in the taste and adds an intriguing -bal aged background. The flavor just lingers and lingers. The honey just settles on the palate and makes its home there.

Not thick, but definitely creamy.

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2009 08:56:15 | More by Overlord

Arbitrator

California

4.43/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Chilled bottle into a glass. Generously shared by dabecassis. Thanks, Dobby.

A: Pours a dark coffee brown body; it's opaque in the glass. Small, short-lived light tan head that deposits no lace and maintains only a fine collar on the beer.

S: Smoke, peat, honey, baker's chocolate, and caramel. I'm impressed by the extraction of peat without that burning-tire aroma I frequently find (and hate) in whiskey-barrel aged beers.

T: This definitely strikes me as a "European" style of imperial stout. Peat flavors nicely complement a small element of char, smoke, and baker's chocolate. Dark fruits are noted; they contribute a small plum presence (though you could argue it's licorice, and I'd probably agree). The finish emerges with leather, tobacco, and a distinct aftertaste of spiced honey. Very complex and engaging. Well integrated barrel character.

M: I'm surprised to see so many other people refer to this beer as "coating." I found it fell off the tongue very quickly. It's medium in viscosity; the flavor is excellent, but it doesn't linger.

D: Very tasty stuff. I'd certainly have it again, though I'm still not convinced I need to chase it down at $50 and change.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2011 20:55:40 | More by Arbitrator

tarheels86

California

4.45/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

250mL 2008 ed

A- The pour is significantly improved over the normal 2007 Stormaktsporter. A very lively, large, blooming, deep brown head erupts on a near jet black body. Lacing is sheety, large, and sticky.

N- Very intense: fruity, floral, buttery, maple, something not unlike bourbon but more akin to brandy and spiced orange. As it warms, very heavy buttery bourbon comes through even though this has no bourbon component in the aging. More spiced orange comes through again with licorice and mild peat. Later, I get a lot more orange, potpourri, heavy clove and cinnamon.

T- Very different from the normal version. Up front this is sharp and citrusy, mild butter and spicy oak in the mid, and finishes neutral, tannic, and rich with bourbon, oil, and coconut similar to Goose Island Bourbon County Stout.

P- Slightly carboardy and mildly dusty. Not super oily or thick. Very different from the normal Stormaktsporter. Not coffee, chocolate, or bourbon forward. More neutral malty, bitter orange, mild coffee.

Pretty good but not mind blowing. Inferior to Misto BA or even De Molen Heaven and Hell. Overall weaker, thinner, mild, relatively tart.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2011 14:21:42 | More by tarheels86

CrellMoset

Virginia

4.47/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Review #1000, courtesy of bosse as part of my first international trade. 2008 vintage 25 cL bottle, poured in to a 12 oz. brandy snifter

Appearance: Kaggen! pours a dark, molasses black, thick, and even with an intentionally vigorous pour, you don't get any of that "glurgh" you need as it sloshes through the bottle neck in order to coax a head out of this one. Whether this is the result of some fluid force from the smaller volume or the neck shape/size or because this beer is so slick, so greasy that is just slides - whoosh - right out the bottle, I know not. The end result is a cocoa morass, capped by a quarter finger of fuzzy, furry chocolate sheen that fades within a minute to a dense but delicately creamy collar maintained by infrequent effervescence, a few eruptions and arcs of shiny lace, and the thinnest dollops of frost on the surface of the otherwise motionless, charred landscape. Agitation and the beginnings of the sipping ritual tosses up delicate and thin sheets of chocolate frosting, the staying power of which give me second thoughts about the score.

Aroma: And sooty is right. A great traditional RIS nose, heavy on the charred malts and the fruits. The char was the first thing I get, not harsh or astringent, but sort of like the way a beechwood bonfire smells when you're at a good distance. The smoky coal melds well with bittersweet cocoa, toast, and a few wisps of coffee. Agitation coaxes out the really good stuff, though, causing the aforementioned to transition seamlessly to cherries (a teriyaki overtone), plums, and figs, and dragging out some beautiful barrel notes, namely toasted coconut, faint leather, and oak. Agitation also releases the note that gets this one knocked down half a point - portable event toilet, slightly sour, slightly chemically. Soy sauce or perhaps red wine vinegar add a not undesirable twist on this one as it warms.

Taste: A definite honey-like sweetness is large up front, providing for a surprisingly light introduction. This is complimented by the char - or, rather, the void caused by the lack of too much heavily caramelized sweetness allows the char to come through - and the presence of green apple tartness. Shadows of caramel, toffee, molasses, sweet cocoa, and ligh toast mingle with diacetyls and tart esters of green apple and cherry, along with raisin and figs. The alcohol is incredibly fine, so well-integrated and smooth, its as if its presence is spread out so well, buried so completely, hidden so entirely that it's merely textual (or flavorful) white noise. Woodiness is larger here than in the nose, spicy, bright, and green, whereas leather is about on par and coconut far fainter, though the barrel on the whole comes through just as strong. Don't know why people are getting spirits out of this - these barrels taste pretty virginal to me.

Mouthfeel: Let this one sit open for a while while the carbonation dies down. Although I initially found the carbonation to be a little intense - a bubbly, large, slightly uneven feel in a body that was thick and pretty slick but not heavy or syrupy by virtue of its relative lack of unattenuated sugar - once it had stood in the open for about five minutes, the result was a smooth, oily joy, nicely carbonated, and nearly the perfect balance between crisp and assertive on the one hand and creamy, smooth, and even on the other. This one found its way home to near 5.0-territory in the end.

Drinkability: My initial thoughts were that I was very impressed but not utterly wowed by this beer. At least, not 4.6 wowed, or, alternatively, #2 in the world wowed. This was difficult, one of my first real attempts to go in to a beer this hyped with a clear head (it involved no drinking beforehand, for one, and forgetting about the price tag that came associated with this brew, for two). The aroma was probably the highlight, and from there is continued along at a pace, but nothing really completely hit a home run with me. What I did appreciate was its authenticity - it doesn't try to be too large, too bold, too dry, too sweet, or too in your face. This is a real RIS, full of bright esters, dark fruits, and yeast overtones, and doesn't take any prisoners in this department. To boot, it's a real RIS with a great barrel component. And finally, it hid its 9.5% extraordinarily well, better than many of the best.

But there are better beers out there, and now that I'm remember the price tag, I can add that there are better ones out there for the cash it took me to land this white whale. If you get the opportunity to try it, it may be worth it to knock it off your list, but I won't be looking to create a vertical or stash a few away in the ol' cellar. If anything, it's good to know that we here in America can make beers comparable to the best that they can throw us from overseas. So here's to a great beer, to American craft breweries, and to BA on this, the occasion of my #1000th review - cheers to all!

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2010 05:44:18 | More by CrellMoset

JohnGalt1

Idaho

4.5/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Footbalm (RB guy) brought this to a massive RIS tasting last weekend... This was the first bottle we cracked.. Fucking huge thanks Eric!! Never thought I would see one of these in person let alone get a chance to sip and savor it.. Reviewed from notes.

'06 vintage pours pretty much black with very clear mahogany highlites when held to a bulb... dark tan head drops leaving little lacing... leggy when swirled

Rich chocolate fudge.. subtle smoke and oak.. "I could smell this for hours"

Nice vanilla at the front... big and malty with only hints of char... milk chocolate cake .... honey essence is brought out by the maltiness .... finish is a bit smokey with tobacco and dry cocoa.... full body with a silky mouthfeel.

My notes only sorta do justice... I really liked this alot, but I think I built it up a bit too much in my head.

Amazing Eric... I appreciate the honor.

4.5/5/4.5/4.5/4

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2010 07:40:13 | More by JohnGalt1

ajsdad06

Ohio

4.5/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

With picnic tables full of incredible beer, Craig stands up from the table and exclaims, "you’ll want to follow me". I agreed, and without hesitation we were off. The bottle wasn’t half way out of the bag and I could not believe my eyes.

The pour was black and sticks to the glass. A small tan head was visible, but I am interested in how this smells and tastes.

The aroma was worth the wait: chocolate, dark fruits, vanilla, coffee, molasses, and licorice.

Can the flavor back up the nose? Yes, Kaggen was an awesome complex brew that lived up to the hype. Dark chocolate, caramel, vanilla, coffee, molasses, dark fruits, subtle wood hints, licorice, and well integrated alcohol.

Full bodied, chewy, and smooth. Thanks to Craig (cgarvieuk) for sharing this incredible beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2011 18:27:46 | More by ajsdad06