Batch One - Amager Bryghus

beerman207

Kentucky

4.4/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Found this sitting on a shelf at one of my favorite beer stores for $2.99 clearance.

A: Wow - pours a dark cloudy orange and has 1 finger of head that lingers forever.

S: Nose is candied apple, malt, honey, and some raisin. Wow. Very powerful and very inviting

T: Taste is a bit smoky with apple and honey hitting the plate. Bitter finish that lingers

M: Smooth and a bit strong in the alcohol finish. Doesn't take away from it but it warns you to slow down.

O: Wow. For $2.99, this beer is fantastic. I believe this may be my first danish beer as well!

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2011 01:37:51 | More by beerman207

Peyton5410

New Jersey

3.75/5  rDev -1.1%

03-16-2013 21:39:10 | More by Peyton5410

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - Must have been from 2010 or 2011 so at least a year old. For that though it is well carbonated bubbles traveling from the base to the head making a 1/4 inch opaque colored ring that sticks around for quite a bit.

S - First thing I could smell from the bottle neck was sherry and toffee. In the glass I get more sherry, citrus hops, and more sweet malts.

T - Still quite boozy but light in the flavor. Mild toffee mixes with a faded citrus hop blend. The actual sherry I smelled seems to just came and went so with age it just blended I guess.

M - Very drinkable but still sip worthy. Age seem to make it a tad watery.

Overall I never had a barleywine from Denmark so it was worth the 5 dollar pass. I will stick to my Monster Barleywine (or since it's been retired Avery's Hog Heaven) if I need a more vivid hoppy barleywine. Would love to try this fresh if brewed again.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2012 22:39:42 | More by DrDemento456

BEERchitect

Kentucky

4/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The same devilish twist that the American brewing culture did to the English barleywine recipe, the Danes are bringing back to the Scandinavian regions of Europe. Where one suggest influence, another may suggest envy.

Batch One pours like the prototypical American strong ale: A deep amber hue saturates the glass with ruby, maroon, and garnet colors that illuminate through a heavy yeast and hop haze. Medium-weight foam tops the beer with a frothy, creamy whipped appearance. The glass becomes adorned with leopard prints of lace that's evenly dispersed about the glass.

The dialogue of malt and hops start their stalemate when the gravity of malt aromas clash with that of citrus pith and piney scent. Both rise to the ultimate limits of their entitlement to beer but without wavering to the other.

As this clash of sweet and bitter interplay continues in taste, the upheaval of fruit esters take the form of oranges, cherries, and figs. As esters inform the sweet starchy taste of barley malt, the spiciness of alcohol rises to side with the citrusy hop bitterness that excel in aftertaste.

The bready textures become the battlefield on which the war between the hops and malt play out. As the creaminess subsides, the malts turn from caramel sweet to malty-dry. Hops turn from citrus flavor to pithy and resinous bitterness to finish. But the reluctance to fade from either the malt nor hops actually benefit the drinker in allowing for an indefinate linger of both malt and hops to extend well into the next sip.

This is the story of American barleywine, and one in which Amager captures very, very well. If conflict equals balance, then those complexities are delivered in full force to even the most expectant palates. Batch One is a complex beer that's not for the faint of heart.

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2012 06:14:18 | More by BEERchitect

JohnK17

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -1.1%

10-09-2012 19:13:10 | More by JohnK17

t0rin0

California

2.5/5  rDev -34%

08-18-2012 13:42:58 | More by t0rin0

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +5.5%

07-31-2012 22:35:54 | More by RblWthACoz

jdhilt

New Hampshire

3.9/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Pours a four finger light khaki head that stays leaving a good lace. Hazy amber color. Light-medium carbonation and medium bodied. Dark fruit nose and flavor is sweet dark fruit and some alcohol. Light bitter aftertaste. $8.99 for a 500ml bottle from Beverage Warehouse Winooski, VT.

Serving type: bottle

07-05-2012 21:50:42 | More by jdhilt

Drewrd1988

3.75/5  rDev -1.1%

05-02-2012 20:05:23 | More by Drewrd1988

LiquidAmber

Washington

3.95/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Review from 4/2011 notes. Poured into a Black Raven pint glass. Pours a cloudy red-orange amber. Moderate one finger light tan head and nice lacing. Aroma of caramel malt and a hint of light fruit. Caramel and sweet malt, slight light fruit, some vanilla and dark fruit. Abrupt bitter finish without aromatic hops. Moderate, creamy body. A decent moderately complex barley wine, but does not stand out in the crowd. Certainly would drink again, but not seek out. 6 month old bottle.

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2012 03:35:36 | More by LiquidAmber

claspada

New Jersey

3.78/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a hazy copper-amber color with a solid finger of sticky, off-white head.

Aromas begin with copious amounts of toffee and caramel with a good dose of brown sugar. Just a touch of chocolate and very minimal faded earthy hop notes.

The tastes follow the nose but are slightly less interesting. Toffee and burnt sugar provide the sweetness with minimal hop presence, light earth and citrus but nothing substantial. Flavors are all well integreated but nothing pops.

The mouthfeel is medium bodied with a moderate level of carbonation. Finish is lightly sweet and boozy; alcohol helps it from being overly dry.

Overall this is definitely a solid beer, though I'm not sure it's the sort of thing I could drink a lot of. Glad I had the chance to try this one, on draft no less, but nothing that needs to be sought out or one I need to have again anytime soon.

Serving type: on-tap

03-19-2012 13:38:12 | More by claspada

ucsbmullet

Colorado

4/5  rDev +5.5%

02-04-2012 16:24:50 | More by ucsbmullet

UCLABrewN84

California

3.5/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a murky honey brown with a 2 inch foamy light beige head that settles to a film on the top of the beer. Thin foamy streaks of lace stick to the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, brown sugar, citrus zest, and some very fruity aromas. Taste is of malt, citrus zest, citrus fruit, and some Fruity Pebbles/Flintstones vitamin type flavors. There is an assertive and astringent bitterness on the sides of the tongue after each sip. This beer has a nice crisp mouthfeel with a medium body. Overall, this is a pretty good barleywine but the aromas and flavors seem a bit muddled together and unbalanced.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2012 05:02:12 | More by UCLABrewN84

whartontallboy

New York

3/5  rDev -20.8%

01-02-2012 22:09:22 | More by whartontallboy

TasteTester

Ohio

3.5/5  rDev -7.7%

12-31-2011 01:06:23 | More by TasteTester

seeswo

Ohio

3.75/5  rDev -1.1%

11-23-2011 20:56:41 | More by seeswo

Rochefort10nh

New Hampshire

4/5  rDev +5.5%

11-18-2011 20:15:20 | More by Rochefort10nh

setexascustoms

Texas

3.2/5  rDev -15.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

I acquired this in a recent trade with Exiled.

A: Dark brown and opaque, with about one finger of head with fair retention and nice lacing.

S: Floral, herby hops fallowed by syrupy malts, caramel and some slight booze.

T: Nutty malts with some toffee. Quite rich with a slight hop bitterness. Boozy, in fact a bit too boozy. The alcohol seems to help accentuate the sweetness of the malts to the point it's nearly cloying.

M: Full bodied and slightly syrupy, but it does start to dry out in the finish.

O: If they'd managed to cover the alcohol a little better, this would be one delightful sipper. However, I've had beers over 11% ABV that hid their alcohol better than this, and combined with the sweetness of the malts it becomes a little too much. It was easy enough to finish the bottle, but certainly not something I'd seek out in the future.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2011 00:09:22 | More by setexascustoms

FanofHefe

Illinois

3.1/5  rDev -18.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Bottled poured into a Duvel tulip; no dating on the bottle or label. Slightly hazy brown body, with a good two-finger, dense, tan head. Decent retention and a little lacing.

The aroma it not very complex, as I'm getting only caramel malt and candy sugar. The bottle says Simcoe hops are used to dry hop. They must have faded as I am getting nothing in the aroma.

The taste is likewise very sweet. But, I get a very tiny note of an earthy hop flavor. Overall, the flavor is way too sweet for me to enjoy.

Medium mouthfeel and little carbonation. I expect this is old, but in my experience, barleywines age fairly well. Not so much with this one.

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2011 19:53:24 | More by FanofHefe

Pintofbrown

Iowa

3.58/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Looking at a dark amber body with golden red highlights. This beer had two fingers of head when set down on the table. After a few minutes it has depressed to a slight film with copious amounts of lace.

Smell: The nose is full of ester notes, and also some floral ones while we are at it. Mingling in there is some caramel malt sweetness.

Taste: This barley wine is certainly fruity. The fruit seems to be orange and strawberry in nature. It has a very bitter finish with a wheat malt backbone. There is also a slightly unpleasant cough syrup taste in the finish, almost like it is coming from the esters. Probably one of the most...interesting tasting beers I have had.

Mouth feel: The feel is actually quite full with no carbonation to lift it up off the tongue. The bitter finish diminishes how smooth it could be. It feels like a well crafted beer.

Overall: Barley wine? Lager? Who can say? I certainly can not. This beer is very different, and not all that enjoyable. Was it worth trying on tap? I suppose.

Serving type: on-tap

08-29-2011 23:45:07 | More by Pintofbrown

claytong

Vermont

3.95/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

this is really a one time brew?
dont know much about this brewery, can anyone feel me in?

appearance - first thing i noticed was the beautiful head. very controlled pour lands a 2 inch head that after 5 minutes has become an half inch and is stick to the side of the glass. burnt orange with some copper hints.

smell - fruit and sugar come first then the alcohol. definitely not as pretty as the appearance. not sure the date of the bottle but no hop presence. as it warms caramel comes in

taste - precisely like the nose. with caramel and alcohol being more dominating than the fruit here. not sure the age, so cant say if this is normally more hop loaded.

mouthfeel - as for the head, it isnt as strongly carbonated as you might think. pretty drinkable for being a barleywine. also on the lighter end so perhaps thats why. creamy with a bit too thick of a body (thick from sugar)

Serving type: bottle

08-09-2011 22:01:12 | More by claytong

Ryan011235

Ohio

2.6/5  rDev -31.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Poured into an E&J Cask & Cream glass on 5/11/11

Rustic, coppery color with amber hues at the base of the glass. One and a half finger head doesn't last long. Half skim and half bubbled retention. A decent bit of large-webbed lace.

Smells simple, boring and sub-par. Caramel, bread, dough and a faint earthiness. The Simcoe hops mentioned on the bottle don't shine. I'm not picking out any citrus and there seems to be only a smattering of pine.

The taste is as unflattering and one-dimensional as the aroma. Sure, there's an acceptable amount of hop bitterness, but the vibrancy that can come with Simcoe hops is entirely missing. Beyond that are notes of doughy bread and caramel. A bit toasty and thankfully not much for sweetness. A hint of butter toffee as it warms.

Medium-full feel accented by a fine grittiness. Moderate carbonation seems appropriate enough. One big drawback is the presence of alcohol heat which, in the absence of complexity, readily makes itself known.

I have no idea how old the bottle is (I've only recently seen it in Columbus) so either this isn't as hopped as the label suggests or the hops have faded. In any case this is a lackluster brew at best. I only finished half the bottle.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2011 04:41:52 | More by Ryan011235

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

3.9/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Max's today.

The beer pours a slightly brown amber color with good head retention and lacing. The nose is intriguing, showing brown sugar, fresh honey and vanilla. The flavor profile replicates the nose in this fairly sweet beer, except I'm impressed by the complex, melange of flavor I get. In addition to the obvious honey and brown sugar, there's some cherry, more vanilla, and some decent hoppy bitterness on the finish. Mouthfeel is pretty full, and there's a hint of alcoholic heat on the finish.

Definitely a solid beer, though I'm not sure it's the sort of thing I could drink a lot of. Glad I had the chance to try this one....

Serving type: on-tap

04-15-2011 20:58:45 | More by johnmichaelsen

uturn

Florida

4/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

500ml oz capped bottle poured into a Dogfish Head snifter.

This beer is no longer brewed and has been in my "cellar" for a little over 2 years.

A: This beer poured an opaque reddish brown with a half finger off white head leaving a minimal lacing on the glass.

S: The nose was of sweet caramel, toffee, some dried fruit and a bit of citrus hops.

T: The taste was like the nose, started off with sweet caramel, toffee, dark dried fruits and some dark chocolate; the hops have completely faded in the taste.

M: The mouthfeel was moderate to thick with a nice carbonation level and very nice warmth from the alcohol.

D: The drinkability was very good for a Barleywine.

Too bad I have no more in stock, or I'll be looking for another, but then again this beer is no longer brewed :(

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2011 16:51:26 | More by uturn

msubulldog25

Oregon

4.1/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A 16.9 oz. (500 ml) bottle, acquired at Liquid Solutions' liquidation last January (2010). No date on the bottle, but ~obviously~ at least a year old; poured to a short snifter at cellar temperature.

A: Without the benefit of light, this looks like a muddy, cinnamon-tinged cocoa; held to light, it glows ruby, a bourbon-amber - really lovely! One has to look closely, but the smallest carbonation flourishes here, rising to a creamy khaki lid that - no joke - lasts for over an hour. Fragmented lace in fiery licks up the glass. Possibly the prettiest BW I've seen, and that's saying something.

S: For as gorgeous as it looks, I'm a little let down by aroma. No doubt the 'fresh citrus-like character' the label brags about has waned on the shelf, but the aroma here is really *just* sweet toffee, with hints a sugared fruit and cocoa. Smells like, well, an English Barley Wine... where as I *think* the point was/is for greater Simcoe awesomeness. Godd strength, however.

T: Not sure what the difference is between a 'Danish' vs. 'English' vs. 'American' Barley Wine is, but this one proclaims itself as the 'Danish' version. Here we have LOADS of spice and fruit, and what seems to be a yeast strain that's Belgian (again, SPICY). Baked bread and a raisin pudding, then something a little vinous/grape-like. Curious beer and certainly not like the standard barleywine.

M: Alluring creaminess, fine and seemingly barely carbonated. Softness belies a steady warmth. Medium body grows heavier and develops more the nearer to room temperature it gets, excellent lasting finish, with blended spice and bitterness.

D: Plenty drinkable, no question about that - at least as drinkable as 9%+ can be. As a 'retired' beer, one expects some deterioration, but the result here is an aged beer that marries wonderfully with my palate. The look had me enthralled until the final sip, and feel and flavors were wonderful throughout. Here's to hoping to have this one again, however unlikely that is.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2011 23:40:02 | More by msubulldog25