Närke Kaggen Stormaktsporter

Brewed by Närke Kulturbryggeri
Style: Imperial Stout
Örebro, Sweden

2006 bottle, courtesy hopscotch. Thanks so much Eric! Pours a dark chocolate brown body. Pure liquid fudge at the deepest point, glowing golden brown at the edge. A swirly tan head with a bubbly edge forms the crown. There’s no lacing to be found, but a tilt of the glass reveals thick, sugary legs the slowly meander back to the body. The aroma is nothing short of astounding. Melted dark chocolate and caramel are rich and decadent. Figs, cinnamon, and nutmeg add fruity and spicy highlights. Oaky bourbon and vanilla permeate everything, imparting the signature aroma of something that has been hibernating in a barrel for ages. The flavor is nearly as great. Fudge brownies drizzled with caramel come to mind. Bourbon soaked figs provide further complexity and depth, while candy licorice hints at a light smokiness. The body is medium-full, slick, and creamy. Finishes long and chocolaty, with the faintest hint of alcohol burn. Phenominal, world-class brew.

Courtesy hopscotch. Thanks a ton for sharing Eric! Pours black with dark brown edges, and a swirly light brown head. Smells of sweet caramel, bourbon, light vanilla and chocolate, and cocoa. All blended together magically. The flavor had a very thick mouthfeel, heavy on the palate. Big bourbon, oak, chocolate, and black licorice made up most of its flavor characters as well as some dark fruit poking out towards the finish. Alcohol was masked quite proficiently, as I only got a mild alcohol burn in the finish. Beautifully crafted brew. Can see why this is so sought after.

Merritt Island Throwdown ’08: Bottle, courtesy hopscotch. Poured a dark muddy brown, with red highlights. Minimal white head. Decent wet lacing on the glass. Aromas of chocolate, tobacco, caramel...nice. There’s a slight booze-factor there, too, and an intriguing smokiness. Flavors of chocolate and caramel hit you first, with licorice and dark candy next. Brown sugar hits you late, and finishes on a spicy note. Full-bodied, and very sticky in the mouth. Creamy on the palate, and thoroughly enjoyable. Can’t say this is #2 in the world, though.

Courtesy of Hopscotch. Pours a dark brown with a thin tan head. Aroma is mostly burnt coffee. Taste of vinous cocoa flavor. Little nutty taste. Has a sweet taste of figs and oak. Finishes with a slight cream feeling on the tongue.

Bottle 2006 vintage: Pours black with a small creamy tan head. Aroma, oak and some boozy notes, vanilla, chocolate, and some toffee. Flavor, woody and roasty up front, chocolate, toffee and vanilla round it out, some dark fruits, and a bit of ash, some coffee like bitterness. It finishes with some bready and boozy notes. Twas pretty good. Thanks to the Columbus guys for sharing.

2006 version. Pitch black with a brown creamy head. Coffee, chocolate, fruit, wood and hops in perfect balance. So complex

aroma of cream whisky and a wonderful espresso truffle nose. Almost no head but what reamains clings to the sides In micro bubbles. The ballanced is more than great it is trancendent. It is a strong brew for the true beer drinker yet it has ellenents of a childs chocolate drink or an Irish cream or white Russian. The components are, many pot du cream roasted sugars and Devon cream, if espresso were crema this would be the crema. Much better than the westvaletern. And at 250 sen it should be. Who nears to eat when you can drink this. i could expand on the. Notes but better to spend time in harrods food halls or any fine chocolutire or fine coffee roaster for that matter. Goes down as smooth as the finish. Well I should stop writing and enjoy.

2006 version bottle at Rover 2008-02-08. Pitch black and a little brown head. Fudge, oak, chocolate, kind of sweet scent. Also coffee and some smoke. All of this in a very long aftertaste makes a perfect finish for a very pleasant drink. Lean back and enjoy!