Haandbryggeriet Norwegian Wood

Brewed by Haandbryggeriet (Norway)
Style: Traditional Ale
Drammen, Norway

Brewed April 07. Nice flavorful head. Smoke aroma on the nose. Dark caramel in color. Smokey in flavor.

Bottle (batch 72, brewed Apr 07). Head is initially large, frothy, off-white, mostly lasting. Body is hazy dark amber, bottle conditioned. Aroma is lightly to moderately malty (toasted grain/nuts/bread, dark chocolate), lightly hoppy (herbs, flowers), with a strong note of smoke, lighter notes of rosemary, cassis, earth, wood. Flavor is moderately sweet, lightly bitter. Finish is lightly sweet, moderately bitter. Medium body, velvety texture, lively carbonation, lightly alcoholic. An extremely fun beer to sample, the sort of beer that can re-invigorate a beer geek that’s gotten jaded (not to suggest I am anything of the sort). Big hit of smoke in the nose, but what I like is that it’s not as dense and overwhelming as, say, Schlenkerla...you can smell other things under it without straining. Exceptionally clean tasting and well-balanced. Very classy.

Bottle from Uto, shared with Mes, Chris_O, Harrisoni and HogTownHarry. Amber with a lasting off white head. Quite gassy. Smoke and juniper in the nose with some yeasty notes. Bitter hops and smokey wood, reminded me of rauch weizen with a fruity hint. Not bad overall but still unsure of smoked beer at this point.

I was a bit hesitant, as I thought I did not like smoke in my beer. This beer may have changed my mind. Smoked malts and juniper dominate, I know boboski said Christmas on fire, but is like my aunt at christmas, the one with the Marlboro and Gibson’s gin on her breath. I am smitten. Flavor is bold and odd. Smoke, juniper and a nice bitterness dominate the flavor, though nothing is over powering or off putting. I am going to have to get a few more bottles of this stuff.

Bottle (500ml). Shared with chris_o, mes_and_sim, harrisoni, reakt and duff - via ... reakt?. Amber-copper pour, bubbly, large lasting frothy off-white head. The aroma was coming at me from many directions - belgian spicy yeast, peaty malt, dry, woodsy - now I see it was made with juniper, I realize what I was trying to pin down. The taste is quite dry, and there’s quite a hit of smoke and iodine, very much like an Islay scotch - finishes bitter and minerally, long and sharp. The mouthfeel is lively, minerally and has a tangy aftertaste. Iron and even vague sour fruit - what’s not to like?

Bottled, Batch 70, BB 03/10. Poured lightly hazy medium caramel with a creamy cap of beige head.. stuck around for quite a while. The aroma was quite odd, but enjoyable.. lots of sour oak, smoked peat, some vanilla, and juniper branches in the background. The flavor didn’t mesh as well.. very sour from the berries and oak, chalky caramel, more dark fruits, and toffee in there.. smoky sour finish. Sharp and sour on the palate with too much barrel influence.. felt good otherwise.

500 mL bottle. Pours a very natural-looking hazy brown/red color with a very large cream-colored head. Aroma is yeast, oak, bourbon, smoke and alcohol with a wee bit of fruit sweetness. Flavor is whoa, incredibly smoky... I feel like I am drinking a campfire. It’s well-balanced though, nice sweetness to it, a really unique beer. I have to say that smoky beers are not the norm for me, but this one seems abnormally complex and drinkable. It’s good.

500ml bottle. Batch #70, brewed March 07. Upon popping the cap a generous amount of brown foam gushed out of the top. Poured ridiculously carbonated - a dark red/brown body underneath a plethora of rocky, off-white foam. Plenty of yeast makes its way into the glass. Aroma tingles the nostrils. Prickly wood, pine, cedar, and a lot of smokiness. Very oaky. Char. Taste is very strong. Flavor of smoke is intense and in your face, surely the most smoke I’ve tasted in a beer before. Charcoal and oak in the flavor as well. Salt and peat. Mouthfeel is a bit thin and carbonated, though it doesn’t detract from the enjoyment. I am a fan of smoke but this one is almost too much. An admirable beer but a bit over the top on the flavor for me. Still glad I tried it though.