Haandbryggeriet Dark Force

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

Pour: dark chocolate black. Head: dark tan, creamy, frothy, thick. Aroma: rich, alcohol, some burnt smell, sweet malt, roast. Flavor: roasty, alcohol, burnt, bitter, rich. Palate: thick in body. Finish: burnt.

I don’t think I’ve had a "regular" wheat Stout before, let alone an Imperial one (the 9% U.S. version). The thick brown liquid turns black in the glass, even when held up to sunlight. It’s capped by a thick and sustained cream & cocoa head that laces the glass heavily. Nice aroma of espresso, dark bittersweet chocolate, licorice, wood, and a splash of alcohol. It seems like some roasted barley is added to the flavor along with an almost smokey woodiness, all blended together smoothly and tastefully. Finshes on a mildly dry note. Quite well done.

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At GBBF Courtesy of Duff, duly noted as Haandbryggeriet Shane in my notes. Great looking beer, black with a tan head. Nose of dark chocolate, roasted malts and espresso coffee. Taste is much the same with a slightly woody character. Good mouthfeel, although a tad slimey but ultimately another great stout from the Netherlands.

(50cl bottle) Large brown head atop brown-black body. Aroma is medium sweet, vinous, some smoke, banana. Taste is medium sweet, coffee, some chocolate, anise, smoke, light cinnamon. Smooth, medium-full body -- alcohol noticeable but not dominant.

500ml bottle from GBBF (I think). Yep, well that’s a black coloured beer then with a thick tan head. Big impy stout aroma. Big bitter choc, espresso coffee, not so much hop as some. Just a bit over carbonated. Lots of choc. Not sure the whole works. A little bit oily, soy sauce. Some charcoal, very intense. Some good hop on end. Good pepper.

Black, huge medium-dark tan head that refuses to dissipate. Nose is dusty malt, some fruit (raisin), good amounts of bitterness, a hut of cherry, some chalky chocolate. Flavor is dry port, lots of cocoa, some cherry & oak notes. Quite dry dusty cocoa finish. Nice burnt malt bitterness.

This beer has the aroma of a rich coffee porter, with coffee, roasted malt, and chocolate. Thick and heavy, almost purple in color. Roasted malt flavor with more coffee. Nice palate, sort of English in style with very low carbonation and a light port character, as well as considerable hops. I really liked this.

(bottle, thanks Akevitt) Pours black with a dark tan head. Aroma of roasted malt, coffee, cocoa, and slight hops. Strong roasted coffee flavor, that yields to a somewhat bitter finish, and it also has a very thick mouthfeel.