Haandbryggeriet Dark Force

Brewed by Haandbryggeriet (Norway)
Style: Imperial Stout
Drammen, Norway

Bottle shared by eyedrinkale. Very dark brown beer, with a massive thick tan head. Very sticky lacing. Aroma is loaded with oak and charred grain. Salty, licorice flavour with more heavy char. Dark roasted espresso, molasses and a lingering roastiness. Fairly prominent bitterness. Unusual brew, but it works pretty well.

Bottle at Travis’ (El_Duderino) Bday party. Pours with a black body topped by a thick, tan head with a good amount of lacing. It’s slightly sweet and smokey wiht a little malt and some chocoalte. Medium to full bodied and smooth.

My Bottom Line:
A soothing malt vortex languidly reels you in with its intertwining dark chocolate, coffee beans, vanilla, blackberry jam and molasses, until you are released to a polite green hop, roasted malt and wheaty finale. This is an Imperial Stout in which complexity and drinkability coalesce.

Further Personal Perceptions:
-Towering foam slowly recedes into the black hole.
-Its big bubbles might be overbearing early on, but if you let the beer breathe its mouthfeel becomes easily manageable.
-The rich cereals provide a huggable body.
-The aroma is not quite as seductive as the flavor profile.
-That meshed-in fruitiness is truly appetizing throughout.

Bottled in May ’07.

Bottle bought in Ølkonsortiet, Aalborg. Batch # 60. Brewed in Dec. 06. Pours a pitch black colour with a very nice sticky creamy dark brown stady head leaving a very good lacing. Lovely aroma of dark chocolate, roasty coffee, roasted malt, alcohol, dark fruits and cocoa. Very good thick mouthfeel. The flavour has a very nice roasty maltiness, dark chocolate, roasted coffee, some dark fruits, nice bitter hoppiness and wheat. Roasty bitter dry long lasting finish. Imperial Wheat Stout... well darn nice indeed!

Bottel at home. Smoke over everything else. Don’t like it! ------ at No. 5. Black with a large brown head. Aroma heavy malty (licorice, roasted, burnt) and hoppy. Flavor heavy sweet and bitter. Full body, creamy, the alcohol is felt. Rated 7-4-7-4-14, result 3,6.

Apparently the boys tried this one at Bierkraft in Brooklyn and there was much diversity in opinions and descriptions of flavor. So let’s see what happens here. Pours pitch black of course with a darker tan head. Nose is dusty. Nice thick malts. Flavor is smoky. Minor bitter edge. Very meaty. Extremely robust. Lasting flavor and a lasting aftertaste. Smooth liquid feel with a thick body. Good level of carbonation. Overall very drinkable. But for the price? Absolutely not. For what I paid for this, I better be getting some serious character, which I don’t really feel like I get here.

Bottle, batch #75. Very dark black pour with a brown head. Aroma is roasted / burnt chocolate malt and coffee. Smooth and milky mouthfeel. Flavor of sweet chocolate, some roasted coffee, brown sugar. Slightly crisp / dry finish.

Bottle 0,5 l at Tromsø Ølfestival 15 Aug 07. Black as coal. A brown creamy head. Strong aroma of fruit and malt. Heavy flavor dominated by fruit and berries. Dry aftertaste.