Akevitt Porter (Barrel-Aged Porter) - HaandBryggeriet

THECPJ

Delaware

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

Reviewed from notes had at Monk's.

appearance: dark brown black with a 1 finger mocha head that dissipates quickly.

smell: caramel, coffee, chocolate, malts

taste: little smoke, caramel, mocha, roasted malts/barley

mouthfeel: mild carbonation, medium to full body

overall: very nice barrel aged porter with lots of roast and coffee flavors.

Cheers,
The CPJ

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2011 17:49:51 | More by THECPJ

jwinship83

Illinois

3.55/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

500ml capped bottle drank from my stone IRS snifter. batch 288 bottled june 23, 2010.

A- this one pours out an opaque black as night colored body with a small coffee colored head on top. the head lasts for a while and leaves behind small rings of lacing.

S- the first thing i pick out of the nose is booze. both fusel alcohol and some sort of spirit i cant quite place. must be the akevitt. after that i get some dark roasted malts and chocolate. both milk and dark. a little bit of vanilla from the barrel. a hint of smoke. slight coffee at the end.

T- the taste starts out with the dark roasted malts that i could smell. after that i get some dark and milk chocolate. subtle vanilla/oak. fusel alcohol and what i guess is akevitt throughout.

M- the bite and warmth from the alcohol is pretty strong. the body is on the fuller side of medium. somewhat highly carbonated.

O- i think this one needs more time in the cellar. the alcoholic bite is pretty harsh still. ill check back on the other one i bought in a year to eighteen months.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2011 03:04:03 | More by jwinship83

jzeilinger

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Pours a deep mahogany cherry color with a THICK one fingered toffee colored creamy head. Very viscous appearance as it sticks to the sides of the glass.

S - Chocolate powder, mild anise, light bourbon, oak, and faint vanilla presence.

T - Dry oak, chocolate licorice, toasted maple, and a very mild smokey flavor. Has a slight taste of wet cotton and moderate booziness.

M - Extremely dry, heavy side of medium body, smoked chocolate, and oak. The booze lingers on the palette after a moderate alcohol burn in the back of the throat.

O - Well brewed and balanced.

Serving type: on-tap

03-22-2011 00:09:49 | More by jzeilinger

JohnnyP3

Alaska

2.55/5  rDev -36.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

50cl bottle poured into a C&B Belgian beer glass. I note that the bottle says ABV is 9%, not the 10% noted in the profile here. This bottle is from batch 247. Brygget 30.09.09, best before 30.09.11. This bottle has a lighter blue label compared to the one pictured. Aged in Akevitt oak barrels.

When I popped the cap, no sound whatsoever...a bad omen. The beer poured completely flat with no carbonation whatsoever. Other than that disappointing aspect, it poured a nearly midnight black with some red/brown hues around the edges when held to the light.

Smell is very earthy--like moist soil. Also some smells of coffee and chocolate/caramel.

Taste--well, something is clearly not right with no carbonation. So, this is hard to judge. There are some hints of nice flavors in there--similar to what is in the nose of the beer, with a bit of a peaty whiskey finish. But it's rather weak and watery, and not what I think the brewery intended. Too bad as I was looking forward to trying this one and was saving it up.

Mouthfeel--Falls flat on its face.

Drinkability--none with this bottle. Will revisit if I can locate another bottle.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2011 20:28:24 | More by JohnnyP3

Bubba83

California

3.88/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I will preface this review with the fact that I don't actually know what Akevitt tastes like.

Poured from a 16.9 oz bottle at around 50 degrees into a snifter. A soft pour produced a lot more smooth head than I expected, about two finger widths. Jet black body, the head is a two-tone tan, with a lot of small bubbles. Lacing is quite nice and the retention pretty crazy, it kept like one finger width the whole way through the long session...

Aroma of milk chocolate, caramel, smoke, tobacco leaf, vanilla, and anise. Complex, but the combination strikes me as a little bit odd as well. There's also sort of an off-inky aroma wafting out of the glass too, but it's not too apparent.

Tastes a lot like I remember Paradox Islay tasting. Some of the sweeter flavors up front. I get the chocolate, more like cocoa powder, and then caramel, followed by a decent amount of roast and a peaty quality that reminds me a lot of islay scotch. Licorice notes sort of round things out on the swallow and a decent hit of alcohol. Again, interesting and has some very nice aspects, but feels a bit jumbled in a way and that's what's holding it back.

The mouthfeel is a bit overcarbonated. The consistency is pretty good, about medium, but it's just a bit too lively for a big barrel aged porter. On the plus side, head texture is nice.

Drinkability takes a bit of a hit from the alcohol contributing a good bit towards the end of the sip. If you don't mind a bit of peaty scotch, it's not a bad finish though. I thought this beer was worth trying since it was interesting, but overall I think it could have been a bit more polished and incorporated into a sum of its parts. The building blocks are here for something great.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2011 08:56:40 | More by Bubba83

Yesac

Georgia

3.95/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

A- Appears jet black in the glass. Cascading head settles to a small one finger light brown/tan colored hear.

S- Charred wood, heavily roasted malt, hint of chocolate

T- Smooth roasted malt, earthy tones, some dark fruits, bitter chocolate. Over all roasty and smooth.

M- Very smooth, velvety, low/medium carbonation.

D- Great porter over all. Smooth, earthy, roasty. However lacking some flavor by not being as complex as others.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2011 02:27:57 | More by Yesac

BeerResearcher

Massachusetts

3.43/5  rDev -14.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

16.9 oz dark brown bottle. Bottled on 23.07.10
Poured into Sam Adams fluted glass.
It pours a very deep and dark root beer-hued spent motor oil color along with a lively mix of large and medium sized tannish bubbles. Some patchy and webby lacing sticks and stays.
The aroma is a must smell... ASAP! Smells of fresh robust espresso and dark chocolate fumes fill the air surrounding the glass. A nice whiff of black licorice and Akavit is quite noticeable and lasts throughout. A slight woody smell mingles with a bit of grapefruit rind.
The flavor is all over the damn place! Sorry to say, after the lovely aroma experience, the flavor profile sort of falls apart. There's coffee, Akavit, citrus hops, green wood, dark chocolate, followed by an off-putting yeasty sourness. A bit of a copper metallic tang seems a little out of place. Porters, Baltic, Robust, or Imperial should not have any funkiness in the flavor department.
A change of yeast is called for here. I believe this would be a first class beer if only the sour/tart flavors were mellowed out.
Try pairing with ginger candies or very dark, bitter chocolate nibs.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2010 01:38:28 | More by BeerResearcher

SolomonGrundy

California

4.2/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

'Twas the day before X-mas, and all through the house, awesome Norwegian beer was to be had by all!! Pours a beautifully dense, dark brown to almost black. A finger of creamy, dark tannish head foams up, then falters slowly into a small rim. No idea how well-carbonated. Wonderful, complex aromas. Tangy malt, a licorice-like scent way in the back that speaks to the barrel-aging. A distinct liquor scent is in there, but it's impossible to place. Must be the Akevitt. It has a spicy-floral smell to it. Really quite awesome. A hint of smoke, too. Definitely a porter, but also richer. The barrel-aging is excellent. There's this crazy, liquor-like note to the finish that is unique and inticing. Really accents the robust malt notes well, and rounds the beer out by giving it a certain faux-sweetness. 9.6% ABV but painfully expensive at $10.99/half-liter bottle. Worth trying.

What I like most: The wonderful, unique flavor profile from start to finish.

What I like least: The price.

Verdict: SOOOO worth trying, even at the heady price point. Find and drink.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2010 22:09:42 | More by SolomonGrundy

corby112

Pennsylvania

2.83/5  rDev -29.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Pours a deep dark brown color, almost black and completely opaque without even the slightest hint of lighter color when held to a light source. Fizzy dark chocolate/coffee colored head that immediately fizzles away without leaving a trace of lacing. Visible carbonation bubbling up.

Fortunately, the aroma of this beer is much more pleasant than the appearance. Huge silky chocolate malt presence with hints of roasted malt, coffee bean, burnt toast and oatmeal. The nose is really complex with hints of dark fruit and alcohol sweetness complimenting the spirit presence. I'm not familiar with Aquavit but it's presence is noticeable. There's also some slight earthy oak and subtle hints of spice and vanilla. This smells excellent!

Soft carbonation tickling the tongue up front followed by a silky, slight viscous chewy mouthfeel that thins out toward the finish which is hot and dry. The spice from the liquor is prominent as well is the aquavit flavor. Although this beer is over a year old it is still pretty hot. Peppery spice with slight anise and dark fruit notes. Hints of plum, raisin, grape and dark berries. The silky chocolate malt notes from the aroma are very faint and are completely overpowered by the overwhelming heat. The earthy/oak barrel notes are also faint and the vanilla hints from the aroma are absent. An interesting take on barrel aging, especially with the spicy traditional Scandinavian spirit, but this is kind of one note, not very well balanced and too alcohol heavy. I'm glad I got to try it but at the high price tag I would recommend avoiding it.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2010 06:39:11 | More by corby112

CampusCrew

Florida

4.63/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

apperance: deep dark brown, almost ebony

smell: deep dark malts. heavy coffee, woodsy

taste: wow, very ipresseive depth of flavors. vanilla, oak, sublt smoke

mouthfeel: full bodied

drinkability: I want this again period. fantastic beer and it wowed me even after just drinking a dreanuaght for the first time.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2010 18:48:01 | More by CampusCrew

mdfb79

New York

4.1/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From 11/13/10 notes.

a - Pours a black color with one inch of tan head and light carbonation evident.

s - Smells of bourbon, strong coffee, roasted malts, and chocolate. The smallest hint of oak as well. Very enjoyable.

t - tastes of bourbon, strong coffee, oak, roasted malts, and chocolate. More oak than the smell and a touch hot, but still quite good.

m - Light to medium body and light carbonation. Again, a touch hot, but I was surprised how light this beer was on body and carbonation.

d - I thought this was a very good barrel aged porter. I loved the smell; very complex and lots of great bourbon in there. Would definitely like to pick up a bottle of this one.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2010 03:31:55 | More by mdfb79

Halcyondays

California

4.13/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

16.9 oz. bottle,

A: Pours black with a big tan head originally (3 fingers) but recedes into a standard one finger. Fizzy, solid lace.

S: Roasted malts, coffee, brown sugar, notes of spirit.

T: Dark chocolate is heavy throughout. Aquavit is an interesting spirit, it's not going to take over a brew ala bourbon, but it is going to give a nice undercurrent of flavour and this is what it does here. Malt is bittersweet overall with notes of treacle and a boozy spiritous finish which is where the aquavit reaches the forefont.

M: Full-bodied, smooth and creamy, soft carbonation, a big beer.

D: Aquavit is a spirit I've had before, but have never experienced a barrel aged beer from its barrels. An interesting experience, I wouldn't say it's worth $10 a pint, but its something most beer drinkers will greatly enjoy.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2010 02:47:25 | More by Halcyondays

Xul

California

4.1/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours dark brown with some ruby highlights around the edges, capped by a finger and a half of foamy, tan colored head. Retention is moderate as the head settles down to about a half finger where it holds steady.

S: Mild, sweet chocolate up front with roasted malts and light coffee, along with some faint dark fruits. Some barrel notes lurk in the background with an herbal spirit character.

T: Roasted grains, sweet chocolate and some light mocha flavors up front. Akevitt character comes in on the mid-palate along with a dose of dark fruits, leadig to a finish of chocolate covered cherries.

M: Medium bodied with low to moderate carbonation.

D: ABV is well hidden, very drinkable for a barrel aged porter.

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2010 04:26:58 | More by Xul

womencantsail

California

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

Thanks Bobby.

A: The pour is a dark brown color with a thick tan head sitting on top.

S: A subtle smoke/peat character that I find enjoyable in such a dose. The roast is prominent and there are mild milk chocolate and coffee undertones to the beer.

T: There's a decent amount of chocolate, coffee, and roast to the beer which stand up nicely to the pronounced, but balanced, peaty flavor. A slight spiciness as well as some alcohol and spirit presence.

M: The body is medium and the carbonation is somewhat low, but smooth and lends itself to a pleasant mouthfeel.

D: I'm not always a fan of the peaty and smokey beers, but this was good. Well balanced and quite enjoyable overall.

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2010 08:20:18 | More by womencantsail

emerge077

Illinois

4.3/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bottled: 15.09.09
Exactly a year old.

Black with a dense layer of chocolate milkshake foam on the surface. It doesn't lace much, but the retention is good considering it's 10% abv. The lace slowly ebbs back into the foam it came from. Trails of tiny bubbles are visible at it's edges.

Ominous char, dark and roasty aroma. A light brown sugar sweetness peeks out, suggesting spiced cookies, somehow a little floral (maybe an expression of the akevitt).

Chewy feel with some initial bitter black char, that slowly evolves over time. At first it's big and brash with bitter dark chocolate, becoming mellow with traces of wood and tobacco in the finish, with occasional flashes of unknown herbals. The long, slow fade of it's flavors really make me want to slow down and take my time with this. Definitely rich, this surpasses RIS' from lesser breweries. Carbonation is mellow and the alcohol is in check.

Very nice effort from HaandBryggeriet, they are one to watch.

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2010 00:14:16 | More by emerge077

jikvig

Norway

3.4/5  rDev -15.2%
look: 2 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Dark dark brwon, but no foam at all. I think there was something wrong with this bottle, so you should test this beer out for yourself.

Nice nose with yeast, burnt malt and a hint, just a hint of carraway. It ends up with coffee as well.

No foam in the mouth, it got a rich taste with just alittle to much sweetnes, got spice, vanilla and licorice.

This bottle had to be flawed, that`s the only thing explaining the lack of Co2.
If it had any Co2, it would be a B-

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2010 09:14:12 | More by jikvig

kbutler1

Minnesota

2.78/5  rDev -30.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Bottle. Poured into a tulip glass a dark brown with a tan head. Aroma is of dark malt with toasty notes. Pick up a faint slight tart flavor that must come from the barrels. Smoky and alcohol taste. Not very smooth. Sweet, spice, booze, and barrels with a bitter ending. Alcohol is way to prevalent in this.

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2010 17:44:08 | More by kbutler1

TMoney2591

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Served in a Devil's Backbone willibecher.

Batch 225, bottled 9/15/09. Another gem acquired on a side-trip to State Line (well worth, it, I tells ya!). It pours a very nice black-brown topped by a thick finger or so of tan froth. The nose comprises chocolate, booze (similar to bourbon), oak, vanilla, caramel, molasses, roasted malts, blackened biscuits, and charred wheat. Very nice. The taste encompasses all of the above, adding in some honey-covered biscuits as well. The booziness adds a decisive burn, but it is not unbearable, nor is it really all that bad at all. It's all lovely concoction. The body is lighter than expected, a solid medium, with a light carbonation and a very smooth and creamy feel. Overall, a wonderful (wow, I never thought I'd say wonderful again...) brew, one I wish had many of. Get some!

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2010 01:17:05 | More by TMoney2591

jdhilt

New Hampshire

4.43/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Will pour a five finger brown head that fades quickly to a thin layer, leaving traces of lace. Black color, no highlights, ton of yeast left in bottle. Good carbonation and heavy bodied. Chocolate and oak nose. Flavor is roasted chocolate, smooth, higher ABV is hidden. Batch #225, bottled Sep 9, 2009. This ages well. Pricey at $11.95 for a 500ml bottle from Colonial Spirits Acton, Ma.

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2010 22:17:43 | More by jdhilt

coldmeat23

Oklahoma

4.38/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

GLASS: Sam Adams Perfect Pint Glass
TEMP: Cellared @ approx 55 degrees
BATCH: 225 BOTTLED ON: 15.09.09 TOTAL BOTTLES: 2160

This one pours up a nicely impressive black color. Two-fingers of loose, chocolate brown colored foam sit on top. The retention is okay and the lacing is good, but fairly slippery.

Lots of the expected porter notes are in this nose. Big hints of dark roasted malts. A fair amount of coffee beans and a decent showing of chocolates. Nice hints of oak and some interesting herbal notes are here, as well. There is almost a 'neutral grain spirit' kind of scent here also, but it's very faint.

The porter flavors follow the nose and are quite tasty, but then I've come to expect that from the brewers at HaandBryggeriet. They make some damn fine beers.
Along with all of that chocolate/coffee/roasty goodness though is a little something extra. A mild hint of grain alcohol, along with a good dose of herbs. Caraway is easily spotted, along with fennel and anise and a light hint of cumin. This is very interesting, to say the least. Nicely complex.

This is full-bodied with a nice, medium level of carbonation. It is smooth and deliciously creamy, just like a good porter should be.
Nice.

The 10.00%abv is very warming, within this beer. It's a very tasty beer, but I believe that a little will go a long way.
Definitely something to be on the lookout for, if you've never had it.

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2010 05:06:06 | More by coldmeat23

bluejacket74

Ohio

4.47/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

500 ml bottle, Batch #225, bottled 9/15/2009. Served in a snifter, the beer pours dark brown/black with about an inch brown head. Head retention and lacing are both decent. Aroma is chocolate, caramel, roasted malt, dark fruit and some oak. It's a mostly sweet and strong aroma. There's a lot going on with the taste of this brew! I can taste roasted malt, licorice, caramel, smoke, oak, dark fruit, herbs, vanilla and chocolate. Mouthfeel/body is medium/full, it's slick and creamy with good carbonation. Drinkability is pretty good, it's smooth and just plain goes down easy. I think this is a very enjoyable brew, I've liked the other beers I've had from HaandBryggeriet in the past, and this one is likely the best one I've tried from them.

Serving type: bottle

07-10-2010 23:19:00 | More by bluejacket74

tpd975

Florida

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

Big thanks to SeaBass

A: Pours a dark black nice tan head, little retention and only spotty lace.

S: Aromas of roast, mild chocolate, dark fruit and a touch of smoke.

T: Nice roasty flavors, hints of licorice, mild wood, and chocolate. Some coffee lies beneath with a bit of earthy tobacco.

M: Medium in body, light in carbonation.

D: Good pretty tasty brew.

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2010 21:01:24 | More by tpd975

pmccallum86

Minnesota

3.68/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to the mothman for busting this out.

Pours a dark brown/black color with a small cocoa colored head that dissipates quickly.

Tons of cocoa and roasted malts with some wooden barrel notes as well.

Taste is of chocolate cocoa and caramel with some oaky wooden vanilla notes from the barrel aging. Some light spiciness as well, interesting beer, but something just seems a little off.

Light bubbly full mouthfeel, pretty nice.

The drinkability here is decent, and interesting beer to try but something just seems a little off.

Serving type: bottle

07-02-2010 20:44:38 | More by pmccallum86

mothman

Saskatchewan (Canada)

3.88/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours 1/2 finger of tan head that fades down quickly to nothing. Color is a fairly black for a porter.

Aroma: Some sour notes, then the oak and spice from the barrels kick in. Chocolate, caramel, and dark dried fruits.

Taste: The spice notes from the barrels show right away. It brings some floral flavors to it. Then the chocolate and caramel malt show. Has some roasted/smokey flavors to it. Some oak, light vanilla, and dark fruits to it.

Mouthfeel: Very roasted, smooth, and dry. Medium to full bodied with a decent amount of carbonation. Ends dry, malty, and boozy.

Overall, this beer is boozy with a big floral/herbal flavor. Lots of the barrel aging shows here. Somewhat drinkable, but there is a sour flavor that adds an odd flavor with this beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2010 17:07:16 | More by mothman

weeare138

Pennsylvania

4.53/5  rDev +13%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Batch # 225
Appears a dense midnight toned black with a small tan cap that slowly fades away into a mild film and hearty collar. Scattered bits of lacing are left around the glass.
Smell is of cocoa, vanilla, raisins, brown sugar, port wine, and floral notes.
Taste is of the aromas with a remarkable flavor with a port wine, warming, vanilla, caramel, mild smoke, and cream. Perfect.
Mouthfeel is full bodied, warming, smooth, and lip smacking with residual sweetness.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2010 02:07:22 | More by weeare138