Odin's Tipple - HaandBryggeriet

freneticamnesic

Netherlands

4.85/5  rDev +13.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

A - poured thick and black, syrupy, with a very thin dark brown head that dissipated rather quickly

S - Hard to detect much in this one. I did smell some coffee or roast malts, but it was very very subtle

T - Tastes of toffee, brown sugar, some hoppiness and dark fruits at first, finishing with some very nice coffee and a hint of hop bitterness at the end

M - Creamy, moderate carbonation. Very smooth and full. Really what I like in an imperial stout

Overall, the beer looked and tasted fantastic. This is really what I enjoy in this style, and I was very impressed with how well balanced and delicious this beer was. I purchased this at random, having never heard of it before, whilst here in Denmark, and I'm very happy I found this beer, would definitely drink it again! Only real reason I marked this down is because of how light the smell was. I would of liked a little bit more than what was there. But that's really a minor issue compared to the rest.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2013 10:53:09 | More by freneticamnesic

TwelveOunces

Kentucky

4.43/5  rDev +4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

.5L poured into a snifter

A- Pours pitch black like dirty motor oil. Insanely dark beer and one of the darkers brown heads I have ever seen on a beer. A surprisingly large head with good retention. Intense alcohol legs. A sight for sore Eyes.

S- Super roasty. A pungent dryness on the nose. A refreshing, strong bitterness to compliment the intense roasted notes. A massive dark chocolate and burnt caramel. A touch of smoke and yeast.

T- A massively roasty beer. A pungent burnt dryness on the tongue. A strong lingering bitterness that helps balance. A lot of smoke and ash in this beer. Deep down there is a hint of a dark fruit and cherry pit. A burnt caramel and leathery taste. A manly tasting and massively roasty RIS.

M- Thick. A bit high on the bitterness and carbonation. Alcohol is well hidden and taste but is there in feel.

O- This is a fantastic RIS. One of the best non barrel aged stouts I have had. Great stuff.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2013 01:06:43 | More by TwelveOunces

jvillefan

California

4.36/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A: A pitch black body with a deep brown/mocha colored head. The head was very large and took a while to poor because it was so large.

S: Very subtle aromas present, they are not strong by any stretch of the imagination. There is very subtle chocolate, coffee, and very darkly roasted grains.

T: Amazingly rich flavors. There is roasted malt in the front of this beer. There is a rich chocolate and coffee flavors accompanying as well.

M: Very heavy and silky body with perfect carbonation.

O: Great RIS. One of the better ones out there. Well worth getting.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2013 06:11:41 | More by jvillefan

peensteen

Ontario (Canada)

3.79/5  rDev -11%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Thanks to Rutager for the bottle!

Jet black in colour, faint ring of tan head, no lace, even a hard swirl produces any head, lokks fairly still and inky. Smell is full of dark chocolate, big deep roast, anise/liquorice notes with a bit of dark fruit, ends with char and chocolate. Taste of dark chocolate and soy sauce, deeply roasted near burnt malt, mildly astringent, liqorice with darker fruit. Light carbonation and medium bodied. Not bad but the burnt and astringent flavours become a little much after 8oz, solid effort otherwise.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2013 20:31:40 | More by peensteen

heygeebee

Australia

2.18/5  rDev -48.8%
look: 1 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5

From Platinum Cellars. Bottled 6/11. Batch 376.

Pours jet black and oily out of the bottle, and... Flat. Oh dear. Not good. No lacing no film.

Aromas are muted, licorice, roasts.

Taste is the same, but really missing a whole lot. Moderate roasts moderate chocolate.

Mouthfeel is, well,you can guess, understated. Medium to heavyweight, oily, cloying.

Really, I don't want to pan this but a flat aged RIS is a worry, and does no one any favours. And expensive...

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2013 11:49:40 | More by heygeebee

SawDog505

New Hampshire

4.31/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.25

Poured into a 16 oz snifter. Pours a viscous black, with a two inch mocha head, that leaves nice lace behind. Smell is licorice, dark fruit, tobacco, smoke, roasted coffee beans, and dark chocolate. Taste is all of that, as aggressive as the nose, loads of tobacco, extremely complex, vanilla, molasses seep in, and some warming alcohol in the finish. Body is chewy but smooth, perfect amount of life for the style, dry, and a sipper that goes down a touch fast because of the different flavors you pick up from every sip. One of the most complex stouts I have ever had, but that doesn't mean I love every flavor I get.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2013 16:03:23 | More by SawDog505

Mantooth

North Carolina

4.44/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a bottle purchased in a snow storm by my beautiful wife in Lousiville, at the Louisville Beer Store.

Pours jet black with a thick mocha head. The lacing is luxurious, viscous and oily. The taste changes dramatically as it warms, as is true with any grand brew. It's almost smokey to a fault when cold but warm, tobacco in a glass. Lots of earth and some dark cordial cherry without the overt sweetness. The mouthfeel is slick up front with a very bitter finish. One hell of a great beer that I'd enjoy pairing with something sweet and tart in the future, a cobler perhaps? Gr8 brew. Thanks Chez!

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2013 22:29:45 | More by Mantooth

Jimmys

Pennsylvania

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

0.5L bottle into tulip. Batch 507. 1 of 3500 bottles.

A: this stuff is dark. pours maybe a shade under black, but seriously dark. even the head looks miserable. dark grey to start, transitions to a dark chocolate brown. retention is firm. lacing limited.

S: rich dark chocolate, lots of vanilla. smells like dessert. certainly some coffee. oats. a little bit of heat.

T: a lot of sweet dark chocolate starts the body off. unfermented sugars keeps things warm. a little bit of alcohol. this beer has a distinctively earthy finish. tobacco for sure, reminds me of when you finish a cigar.

M: super smooth. exactly what a stout of this size should be, has the texture of a firm whole milk. full bodied.

D: all I keep thinking about is sweet cane sugar and a boatload of tobacco. it really is a cigar of an imperial stout. terrifically smooth and worth picking up if you are a fan of these big guys.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2013 04:18:05 | More by Jimmys

PaterMorse

Indiana

2.54/5  rDev -40.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.75

I'm happy to shrug off the "sissy" label; but this was just over the top. I acknowledge that some folks prefer Russian Imperial Stouts; I simply enjoy sampling them now and again. To me, the line for this beer is between those who drank Jagermeister in their younger days because it was a quick buzz and those who sipped it because it was enjoyably tasty. I was the former...

A: One of the best looking stouts I've sean. Pours flat-out black. Dark brown head with redddish hues. Gorgeous! Gone too quickly, but leaves a nice "tan on black" centered massing of lace. As dark, thick & syrupy as any stout I've ever seen. A+

S: Licorice. Jagermeister. Fruit (cherries) & spice. On second pour, chocolate notes in the head; but then back to Jagermeister.

T: Wow! Neck-snapper, nose clearer, throat burner. Packs a wallop, with some real heat to it. Unfortunately, the heat's not just in the taste (as with the Tyranena Benji's Smoked Imperial Porter); it's also in the mouth and down the hatch.

M: Creamy, full body.

O: Again, this obviously gets good marks; and I'd like to be in the "cool club" of those who claim "World Class" status... But I'll just be the lame kid in the corner who sheepishly (but candidly) proclaims: "This wasn't too enjoyable..."

Repeat? Maybe a pint or two to serve when with friends sampling different RIS pours -- purely for comparision. But I'd never choose it again on personal preference (just like I wouldn't actually say, "Yes, I'd really love a Jagermeister for its taste...").

Two Words: "Rocket Fuel" or "Jagermeister Lite"

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2013 02:30:05 | More by PaterMorse

Dope

Massachusetts

3.83/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.5

Batch 507 (bottle count 3500)

A: Pitch black pour with a dark chocolate brown head. Foam is big and very dense. Fades very slowly with great head retention - never fully fades. Almost no lacing sticks around, it all slides down the glass.

S: Lots of chalky, ashy char in this one. Dark bitter cocoa. A bit earthy perhaps?

T: Loads of char, cocoa and smoke up front with some sweet caramel in there too. Very meaty in the middle, like drinking charred bbq beef. Turns a bit bitter, acrid, ashy and chalky in the finish with tons of char and smoke and more meat (less here though). Long acrid, earthy, charry finish with the tiniest hints of dark fruits. Charred meat lingers between sips.

M: Light carbonation, heavy and thick.

O: Well, definitely a must-try for the umami lover. This beer is basically bbq campfire char, smoke and meat from start to finish. Little in the way of typical roasted malt characteristic such as chocolate and coffee or even anise. Not as complex as I would like for a big 11% RIS for sure. I wasn't a huge fan as I'm not much into smoke or umami in my beer and this beer brings it in spades. Nice mouthfeel at least, properly thick and chewy. Decent balance of flavor despite the relative simplicity.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2013 04:59:16 | More by Dope

TommyC

California

3.94/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 4

Pours very thick and very dark.

Carbonation is sparse and weak; barely any head develops even with an aggressive pour.

Nose is sweet and pungent: fruit; spice; ethanol.

Taste is more balanced, mild and subtle than nose would indicate: coffee; chocolate; caramel; cherries; nutmeg. Mostly coffee. Flavors are well proportioned: malts dominate, but do not overpower the hops. Aftertaste is surprisingly clean.

Overall, I liked this: flavorful yet balanced; potent yet drinkable. I would have preferred if it had more carbonation though: a little more CO2 would open up the flavors and give the mouthfeel more creaminess.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2013 11:24:44 | More by TommyC

BierJager89

California

4.56/5  rDev +7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Poured from a Viking-Metal-gasmic bottle into a small snifter. Shared with many metalheads (along with Eclipse EJ 20, Old Rasputin XIV, Jester King Black Metal and others).

A: Black with a brown head.

S: Licorice and roasted malt in the nose.

T: Taste is pretty much the same as the nose, delicious.

M: Full bodied, don't remember the carbonation level.

O: I need to try this again and write better notes. I was probably drunk by the time I drank this. Sooo good. Goes great with Amon Amarth.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2013 20:18:11 | More by BierJager89

Ryanm1

Pennsylvania

5/5  rDev +17.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Imagine unscrewing the drain plug and letting the oil from your car drizzle into a drip pan. This is the same sensation you'll feel observing a pour of this brew into a bottle. This was the thickest, darkest, most syrupy beer I have ever seen. Not sure how one of my friends as able to snag a bottle of this Scandinavian wonder. When swishing this beer around in your glass you'll note that it has better legs than an '07 Cabernet from Napa Valley. It'll actually create a yellowish/brown layer on the glass when swirling it around.

With that being said this beer was amazing, and giving it less than a stellar write up would be an injustice.

It's in the category of Stouts and follows the typical remedy of dark color, malty smell, but goes the extra mile with thickness and consistency. Very thick, syrupy and a slight sweetness to it. Malty, coffee, chocolately. If I could compare it to anything it would be the Founders Breakfast stout which also garnishes world class ratings. An 11% abv, a must buy if you ever see this on the shelf. Straight rocket fuel. Sensational. An experience unto itself.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2013 02:06:23 | More by Ryanm1

falloutsnow

Illinois

3.9/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

From: Ultimate Wine Store, NJ
Date: None, but "Batch 349"
Glass: Tulip

Odin's Tipple is a very strong, ethanol-aggressive imperial stout that I would normally lambast as an example of poor brewing and restraint, but the other flavors generally overwhelm this error, an are so rich and delicious, that it's difficult to find fault with the overall beer as a whole. One that, despite the obvious ethanol, I'd purchase again if ever seen.

Pours a 1cm head of the darkest brown foam I have ever seen: the bubbles are intensely small and packed, making this look very frothy, like you could pick it apart with a fork. Retention is about average for the style, lasting only a minute or so as it fades to a thin ring of foam around the perimeter of the glass. Body is an opaque brown to black, with no visible carbonation.

Aroma of burnt toast, molasses, roasted malt that yields the darkest of chocolate and slight coffee, a bit of prune and raisin, and ethanol.

Front of palate picks up roasted malt sweetness mixed with acridity, vanilla, chocolate, and coffee. Mid-palate of roasted malt yielding very dark chocolate, burnt coffee, ethanol. Ethanol is well-tasted on the back of the palate, and while this is somewhat problematic, it's also virtually drowned amidst a swirling cascade of dark chocolate syrup, Turkish coffee, and burnt bread. Aftertaste is of ethanol, lingering chocolate, stale coffee, and raisin puree.

Beer is medium-heavy to heavy in body weight, with medium-low levels of carbonation. The result is a beer with just enough carbonation to slowly propel this across the palate in an appropriate fashion for an imperial stout. Ethanol heat is definitely felt across the entire palate, both warming and annoying after a time. Substantial stickiness across the palate

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2012 06:41:00 | More by falloutsnow

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

2.95/5  rDev -30.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Bottle: Poured a pitch-black color stout with a small dark bubbly head with almost no retention. Aroma of black chocolate and lactose notes are quite dominant with some warming alcohol that can also be easily detected. Taste is also dominated by huge black chocolates notes with some sweet notes reminiscent of lactose and some fusel alcohol notes which are not the most pleasant. Body is full with engine oil texture with almost zero carbonation and a ton of alcohol was easily noticeable. Definitely sub-par with way too much alcohol noticeable and some what gross sweet notes.

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2012 19:55:25 | More by Phyl21ca

libbey

Washington

4.53/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

500ml poured into a NB globe. Thanks to trxxpaxxs for the chance to finally try this.

A: The beer pours a pure black with zero light penetration. A large coco head settles slowly throughout the session leaving a trail of sticky lacing.

S: Big wafts of dark roast, bakers chocolate and dark fruit. Touch of booze as it warms. This smells decadent.

T: Follows suit with the nose. Big hits of roasted malt and dark chocolate and a finish on the back end of charred wood and dark fruit. Great stuff.

M: The overall mouthfeel is super silky leaving layors of flavors lingering on the pallet. Carbonation is perfect and carries this full bodied stout all the way through.

O: Overall this was an awesome Imperial Stout. World Class pursue accordingly.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2012 23:57:57 | More by libbey

Arbitrator

California

4.28/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Lightly chilled bottle into a glass. Shared by Bubba83. Thanks, Kevin! From notes.

A: Pours a motor-oil black with very slight edge translucence. It's a little leggy, which is surprising (and pleasing).

S: Roasted grain, dark chocolate -- it has a very "meaty" aroma (autolysis?) with a little smoke. Dark fruit. Very rich and 'filling' on the nose.

T: This hits all the right flavors for an RIS: roasted grain, dark chocolate, raisins. The latter works well with the meatiness and smoke of the beer; the flavors are very complementary and in harmony. There is some char in the aftertaste.

M: Rich, velvety body. It has a lush, wet finish with lingering stickiness.

O: Kevin mentioned that this was bottled with brett, but we couldn't pick it up at all. Given how far the beer is from dry, it seems the brett hasn't even started to work. Maybe it'll have some more of that as it ages. But fresh, it tastes just fine.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2012 20:21:58 | More by Arbitrator

CheezyBlaster

Massachusetts

4.8/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

2010 bottle.

Mother of god. Black as night. Minimal head.

Licorice, booze. Cherry. Dark chocolate. Pure. Creamy texture. Malt shake. Milk chocolate. Welcome alcohol warming sensation. Coconut. No imperfections. Smooth. Full bodied, obviously, considering the creamy nature. Feed me.

I have nothing to say about this. It's nearly perfect. Highly suggest aging.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2012 00:32:52 | More by CheezyBlaster

CHADMC3

Connecticut

4.35/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Batch 376

Pours a slick black body, impenetrable to light beneath the thin ring of mocha lacing around the glass which quickly disappears to leave no sign of its existence.

Massive boozy aromas of roasted malt, wood chips, and milk chocolate float from the glass with a tingling booziness to follow.

Robust flavors of huge roasted malt with a fainter milk chocolate malt assault the palate with spicy wood notes and a boozy finish.

A robust body and medium carbonation highlight the mouthfeel with the strong vinous, boozy finish.

An all around fantastic RIS packed with flavor and abu dant aromas. One of the best I've had.

Serving type: bottle

09-14-2012 23:48:44 | More by CHADMC3

lacqueredmouse

Australia

4.25/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Uncaps without a hint of carbonation escaping. Hmm, an inauspicious start.

Pours pleasant, despite this: a rich, thick, oily black with a fine ring of deep chocolate brown bubbles around the edge of the glass. Some fine gauzy lace when it's tilted, but not much in the way of carbonation proper. I mean, really, this is a sinister looking beer.

Nose is incredible. Thick dark roast coupled with gorgeous, sensuous, devilish sweetness, touched with smoke, laden with gravity. Hints of char and pepper in the sinuses, everything you could possibly want. Just phenomenal.

Taste is also excellent, but it doesn't rise to the levels of bliss the nose was promising. In fact, it starts off surprisingly light, without a big-bodied sweetness on the front, or a big roasty character. Instead, the feel creates a chewy nothingness, before the roast and depth creep up later. By the mid-palate, you're in the middle of a bold crescendo, with roasted malt, liquorice and a hint of toffee making a clamour. And by the end, a huge rush of coffee and high-cacao chocolate gives a powerful finale. It's great stuff, but it's surprising how late they leave it to hit you with everything they've got.

Very backward on the palate, but that creates a genuine interest in the beer. And Haand are nothing if not interesting.

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2012 11:19:50 | More by lacqueredmouse

superspak

Michigan

4.23/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

900th review! 500 ml bottle into snifter, bottled 1/20/2009. Pours dense pitch black color with a small foamy dark brown head with decent retention, that reduces to a ring of lace and a small patch of foam in the center. Minimal lacing on the glass, but plenty of alcohol legs cling to the glass. Aromas of big dark cocoa, char, smoke, oak, molasses, caramel, licorice, earth, toast, raisin, prune, and light herbal. Very nice and well balanced aromas with good strength and complexity. Quite intense but not overbearing at all. Taste of big dark chocolate, caramel, molasses, toast, smoke, vanilla, raisin, licorice, prune, earth, oak, and light herbal spiciness. Lingering notes of dark chocolate, vanilla, caramel, molasses, dark fruit, licorice, and earth on the finish for a good bit. High complexity of flavors are nicely balanced; and change across the palate over time. No cloying sweetness at all. Medium-low carbonation and very full bodied; with a nice creamy, slick, and fairly oily mouthfeel. Alcohol is well hidden with only a small warming noticed after the finish. Definitely a slow sipper. Overall this is a highly excellent imperial stout. Nice flavor balance and complexity; and quite smooth to sip on. Highly enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2012 03:59:29 | More by superspak

BarryMFBurton

Indiana

4.35/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A Russian imperial stout from a Norwegian brewer – now that is something I’ve never come across until now. Their Flanders Oud Bruin was incredible, so I have high hopes for this “Dark Norse Ale.”

A: My god, that is the darkest beer I have ever seen. Pours like motor oil, sludgy and black, with nothing but tiny, momentary bubbles for a head – and even those are a deep, chestnut brown. Tiny circles of lacing.

S: Dark chocolate aromas swell maddeningly from the body: bittersweet, savory scents that one could only describe as rich. As with many great Russian imperial stouts, there’s a bold scent of oaky alcohol that brings this nose to a powerful height, accompanied by a deep, earthy fruitiness. Espresso, tobacco, fig, black currant, char, malted milk, and decadent honey scents abound. Invitingly smoky toward the end.

T: POWER in a glass – what a drink. It builds slowly and carefully, tasting first of mild, nutty earthiness: cinnamon-roasted almonds, raisin, hazelnut, and smooth oak. Nutty umami tastes, mainly. Then, with a surge of intensity, there’s bitter cacao, stinging alcohol, leafy hops, fiery pepper, and pure cinnamon powder. And as soon as the spice hits, it’s gone, fleeing the palate with such haste that it makes you wonder how the brewer did it. Wow. The aftertaste is thick and chocolaty, leaving residual sugars on the tongue so long that it’s nearly all you remember after it’s gone (almost like it had been brewed with lactose sugar). Touch of alcoholic dryness lingers, as well, with a mighty layer of smoke.

M: This beer has almost no carbonation and, with such a thick body, comes out with the consistency of milk. It’s not all that bad, but it does get hard to handle after half the bottle is gone. Make this an hour-long sipper, folks.

O: Another astounding beer from this brewer – it really is a brew fit for a Norse god. Strong and complex, there’s really nothing more you could ask for in a Russian imperial stout.

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2012 17:20:43 | More by BarryMFBurton

LiquidAmber

Washington

4.63/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Review from 11/2010 notes. Poured into a Nostradamus flute glass. Pours black with blood red highlights, quite dramatic. Thin medium tan head that dissipates rapidly, leaving modest lacing. Powerful dark fruits, dark malt and alcohol aroma. The most powerful fruit aroma I've ever experienced from a beer. Dark chocolate, malt, molasses and dark fruits, very intense. Vanilla, fruit and light coffee middle and finish with light hops. A remarkable, intense beer. Really glad I was able to try this. Hope I see it again.

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2012 03:41:24 | More by LiquidAmber

mlazzaro

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

.5L bottle cellar temp in pint glass. Batch # 210 Brewer 20.1.09

Creamy brown head that holds like a champ despite ABV. Opaque black body. Poured extremely thick.

As soon as I opened the bottle I could smell intense dark chocolate and roasted barley, mixed with serious booziness. Lots of coffee mixed in. Pretty sharp hearty aroma.

Flavors like espresso, molasses, dark chocolate and ash. Roasted barley of course. Intensely bitterness to match intense alcohol. Viscous aftertaste mouthfeel. I find it a bit abrasive. Has an off-putting ash tray flavor.

Pretty adventurous beer. Recommend saving for the winter. This one "warms you up."

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2012 01:17:07 | More by mlazzaro

Arborescence

Finland

4.48/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Batch 376

Appearance: Pitch black. Hardly pours a head at all, but you can see that it's not supposed to: it's oily and soupy, maybe the thickest beer I've seen. What does remain of the head is a brownish layer of foam.

Aroma: Rich, leathery, malty. Strong alcohol, wood smoke, burnt coffee, licorice. Heavy stuff, no doubt about it!

Taste: This is packed in with burnt toast, espresso, raw chocolate, and malt. You can't hide the alcohol in a beer like this, but it's not overwhelming by any means, it's well supported by the robust body.

Mouthfeel: Velvet! Heavy body, but so smooth. Oily. No carbonation.

Overall: I wasn't really in the mood for this beer when I drank it, but it did convert me. It's an impressive concoction, not to be taken lightly. Beer of gods, no less!

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2012 00:40:53 | More by Arborescence