Haandbryggeriet Romjul

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

Great, fruity beer. This confirms what they have shown with their earlier offerings - Haandryggeriet are without competition when it comes to brewing premium beers that can be sold in Norwegian supermarkets. Cherries, prunes, full malty body, yet enough bitterness to make this well balanced. There was no need to make this a limited edition!

Bottle from ICA, Oslo. Pours Clear brown with small beige head. Spicy aroma with red fruits. Spicy taste as well with well balanced tartness. Low carbonation. Proof that a seasonal Christmasbeer can be great in august too!

500 ml bottle. Batch #102. Dark brown with a ruby hue. Light beige creamy head that clings to the glass. Musty, raisiny and nutty aroma with hints of cocoa powder. Dry flavours. Powdery texture. Low carbonation level. Thin body, but with an interesting leathery dry flavour. For a beer with this little alcohol this is absolutely wonderful. Complex, rich and very interesting.

Bottle at Chris_o birthday bash 08. Attractive deep amber. Some spice, mixed spice, some malt. Ribena blackcurrant flavour. Some decent malts. Ok choc.

Bottle. Pours a nice, reddish brown body with some clouds, and a small, beige head on top. Rum-raisin, sweetness, some roasted malt and caramel and a wee touch of yeast on the nose. Dry in the mouth, sweet in the background, roasted malt, caramel and hops in the flavor. Medium body. Quite bitter finish with roasted malt. The hoppy bitterness comes stronger towards the very end, lifting the experience slightly. A nice brown ale. Rating: 6-4-6-3-13-3.2. (080108)

Bottle, #102. It pours an unclear brown body with a reddish hue and a small, creamy beige head. There seems to be a little sourish note to the aroma, which mostly consists of roasted malt, caramel and dried fruits. Maybe rum soaked raisins instead of dried fruits? Or maybe some port-like scents? Not really sure what it is, it’s quite volatile and in the background. Maybe it’s the wheat playing a trick? Flavorwise it follows the same path as the aroma. There’s a tiny sourness I don’t remember from half a year ago, followed by caramel sweetness and roasted malt. No, it’s not sourness, it’s a little oxidation going on, both in aroma and flavor. There’s also some notes of yeast, and a weak, pleasant hoppy bitterness doing some work towards the end of the flavor. Medium body. Lasting finish with roasted malt, some sweetness, and both coffee-like and hoppy bitterness. A quite complex beer with good drinkability. If you don’t like oxidation, it probably should be drank fresh, but I really enjoyed it the way it tasted eight months after bottling. Went down easily in the summer heat. (080723)

Dark amber colour, clear. Off-white head. Aroma is dark fruit, plum, rosin, laqurice. Flavor is heavy, sweet, pleasent. A bit thin palate.

Bottle @ thewolf tasting.
[thank you Yngwie/Gunnfryd]
Pours a nice reddish brown - a fine creamy beige head on top. Rather quickly becomes a thin film. Aroma is sweet, light roasted caramel, some fruity plums and raisins. Light mouthfeel. Flavour is quite dry, some chocolate and a bit of dried fruits. Light spiciness as well. Really a nice Brown Ale.

50cl bottle from a friend. Batch 102. Brewed 2007-10. Best before 2009-03. It poured a dark red and brown colour with a small light brown head. Aroma is sweet and malty. Flavour is also sweet and malty. Notes of dark red fruits. Very carbonated. It has a short aftertaste.