Närke Kaggen Stormaktsporter

Brewed by Närke Kulturbryggeri
Style: Imperial Stout
Örebro, Sweden

Bottled (Thx Bierkönig for sharing). Pitch black coloured. Dense brown head. Roast, spice, apple, chocolate, light coffee and a touch of vanilla and barral. Very balanced nose. Flavour is as good as the aroma. Again the barralaging is quite subdued and balanced. Light cigar (Yes I like that flavour), sweetness, vanilla, spiced, roast and light chocolate. Balance, balance, balance. Flavours are very well adjusted to each other. Medium to full bodied. Chocolate, spice and vanillasweetness mingles in the perfect end. Reminds me a lot of the ordinary Stormaksporter, which I like as much as this. This for sure is a good beer.

Many thanks to Per for hooking me up with a bottle of this beer. Pours dark brown with red hints and a light brown head. Smells of fruit, spices, chocolate, hints of oak and cherries, boozy in a complimentary way, caramel. Tastes of chocolate, dark fruit, hints of warming alcohol, lots of burnt coffee hints, caramel, dry oak, charcoal. Mouthfeel is oily and slick and the finish on ths one yields a nice oak character. I could easily drink this all winter if I were local to one of the places that sell it.

Huge thanks to pilsnerpeter for the chance to try this one. Deep pitch black beer with a thin creamy dark brown head. The aroma is incredibly intense. Very rich dark 80% chocolate, tootsie roll character. Black licorice and a very interesting herbal/cocoa aroma. As it warms it gets a little bit muddy. The flavour is fairly boozy. Soft peppery spiciness, a touch of pine and even a light earthiness. Not really tart per se, but there is a lightness that is quite unusual for an impy. It’s big and slightly sweet but it isn’t syrupy. Light sage like herbal character. Man, this stuff is very tasty and very unique. Fairly savoury character with a lingering roastiness. Man, this stuff is so good. A lightly pruny sweetness as it warms up... awesome stuff.

Bottle, at the Rover, Gothenburg. (2006 vintage, 10%) Served in a Triple Karmeliet glass, which proved to be a nice choice from the barman. There’s just nothing to complain about regarding the appearance of the beer. It’s jet black, with a creamy, tan head. The aroma is smooth as hell, with lots of mocha doing a good deal of the job, but has company of a sweetish vanilla and marzipan scent. The alcohol can be detected, but is very weak. In the mouth, it’s very sweet in a good way, with flavors of mocha, some vanilla and a hint of alcohol and dried fruits. It’s very low on bitterness, and also on hops, but it’s just delightful. Sort of leaves me lost for words. (080710)

180mL bottle, 2005 vintage, generously shared by kramer17801. Thanks Jason!
Appearance is deep black, no apparent light passing through the edges of my glass. A deep brown head sites on top, and when swirled the brown, thick lacing clings to the sides of the glass and slowly crawls back down. Very attractive splotchy lacing. First impression of the nose is rich dark chocolate and a slighty hot aroma of whiskey with faint charred wood as well. For sure the whiskey is not overpowering, and I’d probably say it’s one of the few beers that used whiskey barrel aging is a truly complimentary role. The (faint) char, rich (but not heavy) smoke, and malty scotch notes work together really, really well. First taste is rich chocolate and sharp whiskey, again, complimentary rather than dominating, with oak barrel and delicate, toasted chocolate malts coating the mouth. Over the back it’s slightly warming, very mellow and smooth, leaving a rich toffee, amaretto and resinous whiskey coating on the tongue. A few times I even pick up some nice, moist tobacco as well. One of the better barrel aged imperial stouts I’ve had.

Bottle@Home, vintage 06, Mar 08, 4.7: I’m such a lucky guy to get to try this again. Thanks a lot Menno! Strong moccha, honey and whiskey aroma. Pours a thick black liquid with a dark brown head leaving nice lace. Sweet, chocolate, moccha, honey, whiskey and vanilla. Thick and warming mouthfeel. Wonderful balance, very flavorful. Bottle@Home, Jan 07, 4.5: Peaty, smoke and moccha aroma with a hint of varnish. Black as hell, brown head, good lace. Light sweet, moccha, peaty, coffee, roasted bitter, oily. The flavor doesn’t disappear. I guess after breakfast tomorrow morning it will still be there. Wow!

Bottle vintage 2005 from a blind tasting @ Bishop’s Arms, Malmö. Pours a black color with a lovely tan head. Has a roasted malty aroma with lots of chocolate and coffee and some honey hints in the background. Also some hints of dark fruit. Sweet roasted malty thick mouthfeel of chocolate, coffee and some oak hints. In the background you have the honey flavor aswell. Finish is dry roasted malty with some hints of alcohol and some nice bitterness in the aftertaste.

Bottle. Super dark with a beige foam. Aromas are sweet coffee with soy sauce. Sweet, spicy and salty. Flavours are rich malts with chocolate and mollasses. Smoky with soy, liquorice and salt. Quite viscous. Powerful.