Carlsberg Semper Ardens Criollo Stout

Brewed by Carlsberg Brewery
Style: Sweet Stout
Copenhagen, Denmark

[The new version] A pitch black beer with a nice foamy head though quite fast disappearing. The aroma is sweet with chocolate and fruit notes. The flavor is really nice, well balanced with a good sweetness to start off with subtle notes of chocolate, licorice, and fruit. Then the flavor turns smoked (a light smoke taste for a stout) and finally it ends on a good bitterness. Really a great beer from start to finish. [The old version from 2000 - tasted 4 years old - different recipe] The aroma is sweet chocolate combined with nuts. The color is brown with an orange-brown head. The flavor is chocolate, chocolate, coffee, and alcohol ending in a nice roasted dry finish. This has really matured well, so I'll definatly but some away rating for this version 6/5/9/4/18=4.2

(Bottle 70 cl) Version 1: Bottle #2737. This is the original 2001 vintage of this beer at 6,5% ABV.
Pitch black, opaque beer with a creamy, brownish head. Starts creamy, greasy almost cream-like. Some sweetness quickly relieved by a dry, coffeeish bitterness. Very sophisticated brew with 4 different malts, cocoa, chocolate and English licorice. In many ways a great beer. 240901

(Bottle 70) Version 2 - vintage 2003. More chocolate, less licorice. 7/4/7/3/14=3,5 130603

75 cL bottle, vintage 2004 at Jacobson from the Carlsberg cellar. Pours deep brown to black with a dense chocolate brown head, large sediments floating around - tasty though :) Aroma is thick chocolate with a mild roasted note - has a whiff of a wineous tone too. Flavour is smooth chocolate - the ageing suites this brew well. Has a soft smooth chocolate and malty finish with a mild wineous tone. Nice.

Bottled. Near black. Lovely aroma of anise and coffee followed by a pleasant flavour of salty licorice that lasts into the finish, but also a complete lack of adequate body. The mouthfeel is sharp and thin - where is the malt?

Bottle. Black color with a off-white head. Roasted malts with notes of coffee and chocolate, licorice and bitterness.

Bottle, 6.8%. Bittersweet aroma, some dark bread. Very dark brown colour. OK stable light brown head. The flavour is quite sweet, getting slightly salty. Starts off with some liquorice, then gets more chocolaty in the aftertaste. Gets a bit sour after a while. Not as good as I remembered.

Bottled. Deep ammbery brown colour with mediumsized beige fluffy head. Leaves some lace. Aroma is caramel malts, mild roasted notes as well as grass and some liquorice and chocolate. Flavour is quite much the same in a bit more complex way than the aroma. Pleasant to drink.

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.