Närke Kaggen Stormaktsporter

Brewed by Närke Kulturbryggeri
Style: Imperial Stout
Örebro, Sweden

Date: 04/04/2008
Mode: Bottle
Source: Trade
Vintage: 2006

Appearance: black, fine tan head, streaks of drippy lace, tick viscous liquid coats the inside of the glass and turns it brown,
Aroma: huge dark chocolate aroma with sweet dark caramel and honey plus a touch of vanilla, a fair amount of balancing oak,
Body: big thick body,
Flavor: rich dark chocolate flavor, lots of honey and dark caramel sweetness comes in with some vanilla to enrichen the chocolate, touch of roasted adds bitterness, the oak rises up to add a whole new dimension of complexity, alcolol comes in after a while to open it up and add additional sweetness,
Overall: the thick rich chocolate rules the day with the honey and vanilla sweetness backing it up

Aroma: 8/10; Appearance: 8/10; Flavor: 8/10; Palate: 8/10; Overall: 18/20
Rating: 4.2/5.0
Drinkability: 8/10
Score: ***4

Special thanks to hopscotch for saving a slice of this even though we were running late for the tasting. Dark brown, muddy. Rich, tarry, boozy aroma. Tarry body, too, hot, woody with thick chewy malts. The added boozy, woody notes of the barrel interferes with what was otherwise a wonderfully malty beer.

2009-06-16, bottle at Glenfiddich Warehouse N.68, vintage 2007, 10-5-9-4-18=46
The bottle is served too cold.
Black color; the creamy head reduces quickly. At first it has a nice cheesy aroma; then liquorice and some roasted malts and ashes; it evolves as it gets warmer; very late, there are traces of vanilla and paper, tobacco, alcohol and very light paint remover. The cheese crust is the best part for this kind of beer.
Very good body strength, the mouthfeel is oily but not sticky, extremely smooth; possessive chocolate and roasted malt flavor, with a minimal sweetness to complement it; some vanilla appears only late, creating a dynamic effect; the liquorice too can’t miss this appointment; the subdued alcohol presence is vibrating. The final sensation in the mouth is still full, turning maybe too much on the roasted malts for my palate, but expected; and there is some pleasant espresso touch too, and tobacco.
Great!
I remembered a more complex brew.

2007-05-08, bottle at Akkurat, 30€, vintage 2005
Black ink color; creamy head. Huge and wonderful aroma: glue, chocolate, sweet coffee, Xerès and Porto wines, wax, black raisins; deep, complex. Full mouthfeel; incredible; mix of flavors: ashes, vanilla, tobacco, malt, sweet caramel, toffee, rhubarb candies, medium dark chocolate, creamy; hint of liquorice and traces of roasted malt; alcohol warmth. Simply wonderful….

[Bottle @ Den Tatoverede Enke to celebrate 600th rating] Black with thick brown head. Aroma is sweet and very vinious with roasted malt, liquerice, coffee and overripe fruits. Rich flavor with roasted malt, chocolate, liquerice and coffee taste. Overripe fruits very viniuos and pleasant alchol notes. Nice!

1. From the Bottle at the GBBF Bar Sans Frontiers Earl’s Court, London 08/08/2007 Lots of chocolate and fruit aromas. Black strong in alcohol and smooth on the palate. Some dryness. Caramel and chocolate prevalent in the finish. 2. From the Bottle at Tom’s Ultimate Glasgow Tasting, Blackfriars 01/12/2007 Strong and sweet whisky aroma. Small tan head. Black with lots of alcohol present. Rich on the palate with coffee and spiced flavours. A little bitterness in a warming finish. (2006 Version)

(Bottled vintage 2006). Sampled to celebrate my 40th birthday. Courtesy of oh6gdx (who brought this bottle from GBBF 2007). Pitch black color, good dark brown color. Oak (oak barrels), tobacco, dark malts, vanilla, some licorice in the nose. Full-bodied. Main flavor is licorice, dark roasted malts, molasses, dark chocolate. Then nuances: oak, vanilla, honey in portwineish palate. Very very complex and highly drinkable. Kick of alcohol in the atfertaste. Long mix of roasted malts and vanilla in the aftertaste. Normal Stormaktsporter is one of my favourite beers and this even tops it.

2006 Bottle bought at GBBF 07. Black colour with a thin tan head. Intense choc aroma. Like the highest cocoa chocolate you can buy, plus a distinct heather aroma. A little bit of petrol and tar too. Opened with very little carbonation but carbonation is evident in the glass. I’ve had this twice before at GBBF and at RBESG and both times I was blown away by it. Serving temperature is very important. Too cold and you lose a lot of depth of flavour. Pours oily, clear dark brown. Heathery aroma is quite distinct. Lovely in mouth, but for me, the outstanding thing about this beer is the finish and is possibly the best finish I have tasted. Breath taking. It stops me in my tracks. As it warms up, the beer opens up and the aroma and finish are truly sublime. Gorgeous, lovely and I have another 2 bottles to hone my review. Heather gives it a final spicy kick. Worthy as my 4k beer.

Københavnske Øldage 07. Bottle, vintage 2005. I have stared at the computer now for a long time, it’s starting to get embarrassing.... I still do not fully grasp that I were one of few, who shared this bottle kindly donated by the brewer, HG, and guarded by Omhper.... Thank you, thank you, thank you - this one beer would have been enough to make my trip worth while! The beer is pitch black and the aroma has notes of oak, port wine, roasted malt, coffee and vanilla. The mouthfeel is thick and oily. The flavour has an incredible balance and complexity, and I only can compare the smoothness with velvet and silk against my skin. It has refined notes of oak (not in a clingy way), coffee, vanilla, port wine, licorice, chocolate, the alcohol is well hidden, but gives warmth, and the finish is good, dry and very, very long. What an amazing beer.... 2226