Carlsberg Semper Ardens Criollo Stout

Brewed by Carlsberg Brewery
Style: Sweet Stout
Copenhagen, Denmark

Brown, almost black colour with a small beige head. Aroma of dried fruit, chocolate with roated notes. Flavor of malt, dried fruit chocolate and liquorice.

(on bottle)At last, a fine S.A.-product. Violet/black color. Strong chocolate sent, very smooth indeed. Extreemly soft and creamy ale, plesant like he*l.If you wait for it, it has some kaluhatones too. Great carbonation, at last; Carlsberg!

Bottle. Dark, deep red colour. Light brown head, which disappears rather quickly. Sharp alcoholic aroma. A touch of chocolate. The flavour is equally sharp and dominated by alcohol. Nuances of coffee right when it gets in the mouth. The chocolate is very hard to register - I only caught it glimpsewise in the aftertaste. Slightly dry. Generally I think it’s too alcoholic - the alcohol is completely dominating the other nuances. Not worth the high price.

There’s coffe and chocolate in aroma. Slight bitternes in taste with a hint of rosted coffe and chocolate. There is to me no finish, and the head disapears to quickly for a stout.

Very dark brown colour. Slightly roasty, cocoa-like aroma with hints of nuttiness. Full, creamy body. Smooth & sweet with lots of dark malt goodness and a distinct hit of chocolate. Very pleasing dessert beer.

(700 ml bottle). Pours very dark with a moderate head. Aroma and flavour of liquorice, dark chocolate and roasted malts. A bit too much liquorice in my book. Still, this is a very good stout, but not a taste experience that much better than Carls Porter - not enough to live up to the price difference IMO. I guess some of the point with the Semper Ardens range is that Carlsberg want to show the world: "Hey, we can brew good beer too - but that is VERY expensive!" Price aside, you have to give them props for trying. After they killed Wiibroe Imperial Stout Porter, Carls Porter is the only surviving moderately priced quality Carlsberg beer - innovation is reserved for the Semper Ardens range, just pay and be happy!

Bottle. Black color, chokolat caramel aroma and taste, medium body, long finish. Interresting.......?

Pours a basically opaque black with a thick, puffy light tan head. Aroma is a mild balance between dark chocolate and caramel with a touch of smoke. Starts lightly grainy and earthy with some caramel sweetness, and a roasty bitterness, that borders on tartness. Finishes smooth and dark chocolatey with a touch of hops. A nicely rounded and drinkable stout, but not as complex as it could be. Thanks Mads!