Odin's Tipple - HaandBryggeriet

barczar

Kentucky

4.33/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Pours a jet black color with a modest deep tan head that fades to a ring of foam.

Aroma is deeply roast malt and heavy soy, with alcohol reminiscent of brandy. Very unique. Notes of chocolate are subdued.

Flavor is incredible, soy initially, opening to dark fruit and berries, finishing with nutty, roasty malt. Very complex. I've never experienced such a melding of contrasting flavors.
A bit of floral hop emerges late. Licorice and sherry also surface. There's a vinous character that adds complexity.

Body is fairly thick, smooth, with minimal carbonation and substantial alcohol warmth.

Excellent brew! Glad I bought a bottle.

Serving type: on-tap

11-15-2012 22:47:21 | More by barczar

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

Alieniloquium

Florida

3.55/5  rDev -16.7%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

500 mL bottle poured into a CBS snifter. Whole thing into one glass. Nice. Batch 297. Brewed 6/30/2010

Appearance - Vigorously dumped into the glass with a slight mocha head that settles to nothing at all. It's dark. That's about it.

Smell - Alcohol burn in the nostrils as I search for flavors. Definite hop presence about it. Dark roast takes a back seat to hops and booze. It's actually a bit discomforting to take big whiffs of it.

Taste - It is tasty, though. Chocolate malts are most predominant. Deeper roasted malts seem lost here. Molasses sweetness that doesn't really build into anything cloying. Hop flavor builds into a grassy bitter finish that thins out the flavors. The combination with a really boozy finish kinda kills the endgame of this beer, but it's a vast improvement over the alcohol-ridden smell.

Mouthfeel - It's not really that tough to drink, considering the hoppiness and bitterness, but it's not easy. Boozy burn in the finish with a warming sensation. A little thin feeling despite that I can't imagine this thing is low in final gravity.

Overall - The size of this stout works against it. Where's the roasty flavors? A lot of the characteristics I'm looking for are completely lost in the alcohol and hops. They're all there, but masked by sugars and fermented sugars.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2012 01:22:24 | More by Alieniloquium

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

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

This poured out as a very dark black color. The beer looks like heavily used motor oil. The head is very minimal on this one even with an aggressive pour. The smell of the beer is rich with sweet malt aromas with plenty of chocolaty roasted notes as well. The taste of the beer has some burnt flavors, with a subtle sweetness in there that almost give off some elements of dried fermented dark fruits. The mouthfeel of the beer was heavy, it had a love carbonation to it. Overall I found that this one got better as it warmed up... by the last couple sips the booze on the nose had increased and it also left some heat behind in the finish after swallowing. All in all though this beer is good, really nicely done.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2012 01:41:19 | More by Knapp85

Fatehunter

Oregon

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

Poured into a tulip glass. Black in the pour and black in the glass. Only a little head, but it's black too.

Powerful smell of burnt malt, molasses and brown sugar.

Bold tasting with waves of flavor. First burnt wood and molasses. Second a burnt sweetness, touch of bitterness and then alcohol.

Texture of tar, sticky and alcohol heat. No carbonation, heavy body.

My words don't do it justice. It is simply amazingly complex.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2012 01:54:31 | More by Fatehunter

bashiba

Iowa

4.68/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Poured a dark reddish brown, almost a murky purple, just a thin soap ring of a head.

The smell is big, sweet candy fruit, light smoke, and chocolate.

I don't know where to begin on the flavor, wave upon wave of huge flavor comes at you, big smoked malts, sweet candy and fruit, a huge blast of syrupy chocolate, a powerful shot of anise and fennel. This beer is almost overpoweringly decandant, a desert beer like no other, every sip seems to bring on new flavors. Now im getting Vanilla, butterscotch, and mint along with a dark heavy molasses. A sweet excess, but done in a great way.

The mouthfeel is very warm and thick, syrupy.

This beer almost defies explanation, and really needs to be experienced, just great!

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2012 02:07:02 | More by bashiba

Blakaeris

Iowa

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

Pours very dark brown, almost purple in color. Head is a very slight tan ring.

Aroma is rich and malty dark grain sweetness, chocolate and anise. Underlying dark fruit and aromatic cedar. alcohol comes on hot and strong.

Taste is massive malty sweetness. Smokey dark grain, generous chocolate, and anise. Plenty of bourbon soaked dark fruit - notably date and raisin. Finishes with more of the aromatic cedar quality from the nose, nutmeg and mild peppery spice.

Mouthfeel is full, chewy and sticky.

Very interesting. Flavor is so rich and bold. Smokey, sweet, fruity, and spicy. All in one unusual beer. I haven't had anything quite like it. This is one that needs to be experienced.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2012 02:06:19 | More by Blakaeris

SLeffler27

New York

4.38/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours syrupy and black with a modest, dense head that is black walnut. The head quickly dissipates, leaving no lace. Wow! Each swirl leaves actual legs on the Dogfish Head snifter.

Odin’s is a cocktail of chocolate syrup and dark, roasted malts that drips sweetness. Progressing through coffee, vanilla, molasses…this one continues to unfold with each sip, ultimately leading to tobacco, bourbon and licorice.

Sweet, though nowhere near that suggested by the aroma. Roasted malts help bring balance. Flavors include molasses, cocoa, licorice and a light smokiness. Each sip opens new portals including blackberries. There is a long, full finish of malted chocolate.

Rich, full and velvety. Alcohol is as expected. There is lively carbonation.

This is a fantastically decadent beer, worthy of its namesake. Indulgence hardly describes the experience of wonderful flavors and aromas that cause warm memories to rush forward.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2012 13:18:07 | More by SLeffler27

4.68/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

500ml savoured in my duvel glass

Pours the deepest of black and oily, with definitely the darkest 2cm head I've ever seen. Looks intimidating.

Charcoal upfront, soy sauce and abrasive permanent marker, ouch my nose just cried for mercy. As it warms, delicious whisky and cocoa nibs dominate.

Delicious, rich layers of all kinds of chocolate, liquorice, raisins, dark rum and syrupy espresso - wow! The finish showcases the most satisfyingly rich toasted malt bitterness, wow again.

The mouthfeel is something to be believed, very creamy indeed. It's like drinking some sort mythological melted chocolate that doesn't actually exist yet.

Very few times in my life will I come across such a beer that is so delicious and rewarding. Seek. Out. This. Beer.
Definitely one of the most underrated breweries out there.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2012 10:21:10 | More by

Meerkey

Virginia

4.55/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Little bit of beige head. Black, impenetrable.

S: Yum! Dark chocolate malts. Roasted notes. Alcohol, nutty. Maybe some fruitiness.

T: Lots of roasted malts. Vanilla and blackberries. A little nutty. Bourbony alcohol. SO good.

M: Thick, silky, and smooth.

O: This is delicious. I love it, I will definitely have another if I ever come across one. Definitely recommended.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2012 03:57:48 | More by Meerkey

AgentMunky

Alabama

4.58/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from half-litre bottle into a Dogfish Head signature glass. Batch 297. Brewed 30 June 2010.

A: Pours black and viscous. Little head breaks about into whitish bubbles that cling to the side. Completely opaque; so black it sucks up the light.

S: Complex, but bourbony. Oats? Whiffs of alcohol; berries and booze.

T: Utterly fantanbulous. It is actually viscous, thick, and imposing. Lots of alcohol, whiskey-like, but also roasted malts, sweet vanilla, and blackberry. A swirling whorl of flavour and emotion. The writeup on the back sums it up well: "...the 'Hand' brewers imagine Odin in later years, when his victories on the battlefield were but shadowy memories, his reflections tended toward loftier themes such as life's meaning, and his drink would have been a deep, dark, and contemplative one." A deep, dark, contemplative brew indeed. Yum.

M: Very little carbonation after a year and a half, but smooth...it rolls off the tongue.

O: I almost gave this a 5, but something held me back. Trust your gut. That said, this is wonderful imperial stout that is highly recommended to everyone. I would love to drink again. Completely worth the price. Hot damn.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2012 03:49:37 | More by AgentMunky

exodus1369

California

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

Just getting back from Japan and the "beer" they have there I have been easing my way back in to realms of beer with gravity well above water level. This beer catapulted me back in to the big leagues! Pours like some one stabbed super man with a kryptonite dagger and bled him out. So dense it has its own gravitational pull. So dark I am almost sure it was sucking the light out of the room like a miniature black hole. The aroma is of dark and rich nature. A touch of dark chocolate and a slight sweet fruit pleasure the nose. The first taste is nothing less the a shock to the taste buds. The chocolate, coffee, and light fruit. As far as mouthfeel... Did I drink a beer or eat a stake shake?! Wow that is a full flavored beer. OUTSTANDING!

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2012 04:16:03 | More by exodus1369

AlexanderCsamaj

Pennsylvania

4.22/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This is very good beer if you are looking for a stout dark beer with big smooth flavor and nice ABV. I nursed one bottle for over an hour. I was content for the evening. I will be going back for a few more bottles to keep in reserve for quiet Friday nights or snowy days.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2012 19:42:27 | More by AlexanderCsamaj

brentk56

North Carolina

4.25/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Batch 297; brewed 30.6.10

Appearance: Black as midnight with just a ringlet for a head; minimal lacing

Smell: Dark fruit, peat and a hint of funk layer on top of the chocolate and roast

Taste: Dark fruit soaked in Scotch Whisky, up front, with chocolate and peat flavors developing by mid-palate; rather boozy through the swallow, with a bit of yeasty complexity that shows up and lingers in the finish

Mouthfeel: Medium body with low carbonation; quite a lot of warmth in the gullet

Overall: I like to think about this beer more than I really enjoy drinking it as I am not a fan of really boozy beers; still, the peaty Scotch Whisky flavor adds a really interesting element as does the yeasty complexity; this is definitely not just another big RIS

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2012 01:32:20 | More by brentk56

mindspin315

New Jersey

3.95/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Black as night with the smallest of brown bubble lace on the side of the glass.

Huge roasted malt on the nose. Chocolate malts, burnt toast, toasted nuttiness, and roasted coffee bean aromas peak through after the initial roasted malt aroma.

Lots of huge roast. Roasted malts plus espresso/coffee, strong dark bitter chocolate, molasses, and a woody flavor. Burnt toast in the background. Alcohol is very prevalent which ramps up in the finish and spikes the tongue. Bitterness hangs around through the finish and in the aftertaste.

This is a true definition of a big RIS. I'm looking for a little something more to make this truly a stellar RIS though. Finishes a little bit thin. For the amount of roasted malt I would like a bit more body at the tail end to smooth it all out. Instead it sort of fades away rather than continues on.

[89/100]

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2012 06:47:38 | More by mindspin315

coreyfmcdonald

Georgia

4.25/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours pitch black, as in opaque during the pour. Have to pour vigorously to get a head, but I was able to get a finger's worth of creamy, dark tan/light brown head. Really a nice looking beer.

S: Lots of roasted and burnt malts, some dark and milk chocolate, and light smoke. Good, but fairly mild.

T: Woah! I did not expect that from the aroma. Strong dark and milk chocolate, roasted malts, and smoke. Some dark fruits in the background with a good amount of hop bitterness to support the sweetness in the beer. A tad on the sweet side for me, but a very, very nice tasting stout.

M: Very thick with light carbonation. I like the carbonation light in my stouts, this might be a touch too light. EDIT: upon drinking more bottles of this, I saw more appropriate carbonation.

O: I had heard this beer was under appreciated, and now I'm a believer. This is right up there with some of the best stouts I've ever had. It could use a bit more roast and bitterness, but a very good imperial stout.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2012 03:43:26 | More by coreyfmcdonald

4DAloveofSTOUT

Illinois

4.18/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

poured into snifter glass.

Appearance: Oily black bodied beer with small brown head. Nice lacing.

Smell: Heavy malts that are roasty and sweet. Dark fruits are noted as well. really an aeromatic RIS.

Taste: Big malt profile with not a lot og hops coming through. The malt profile is more sweet than roasty, but its fairly balanced between these characterists. The sweet part of the malts come from notes of chocolate candy bar, dark chocolate, and subtle rasins / fig. Little bit of coffee roastiness at mid-palate and in the aftertaste.

Mouthfeel: Medium boded beer with low end of moderate carbonation levels. Super smooth easily drinking RIS. It has a little bit of silkiness to it as well. No alcohol burn, its just awesome.

Overall: Probably one of the better non-barrel aged RIS that I have had it quite some time. It impressed me!

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2012 13:51:50 | More by 4DAloveofSTOUT