Närke Kaggen Stormaktsporter

Brewed by Närke Kulturbryggeri
Style: Imperial Stout
Örebro, Sweden

Opaque black with a small, tan head that left nice lacing on the glass. Aroma of vanilla, roasted malts, smoke, chocolate, coffee, and light alcohol. Taste of roast, dark fruits, coffee, chocolate, vanilla, nuts, and caramel. Much thanks to Joe for sharing this last night!

This has been on my wantlist for years. I had the luck to try the 2007 and 2008 Kaggen on draft at the Stockholm Beer and Whisky fest, alongside draft Stormaktsporter from 2008 and 2007, and bottled Stormaktsporter from 2006. The 2007 Kaggen was my favorite of the bunch, it was a bit better rounded than the 2008.

Pours very deep brown, nearly opaque, capped with a thin brown head. Beautiful lacing. Aroma of dark chocolate, coffee, molasses, oak and perhaps a bit of honey. Flavor begins with roasted chocolate malt, coffee, licorice, and molasses, with oak and charcoal in the background. Hop bitterness builds a bit towards the finish, and remain on the palate along with dark chocolate. Some alcohol in the finish as well. The body is a bit thinner than I expected. I’m glad I finally got to try this; especially in the vertical/horizontal with the Stormaktsporter. I enjoyed this and wouldn’t pass it up if I encountered it again.

RBESG08 grand tasting
... and then a bottle of Kaggen came in front of me. Gotta love those grand tastings. Poured an opaque brown/black. Very stable tan head. Nose... sweet maltiness, chocolate, coffee, yeast, some alcohol. Superbly balanced taste. Roasty, smokey maltiness... woody, tannine. Liquourish. Just lovely, but still not my favorite beer.

Bottle from the Bieres Sans Frontieres at the GBBF, so another thanks to Andy for getting this rare drop to England. (I met a guy from Sweden while I was at the bar who said he lived 30 miles from Närke Kulturbryggeri, and apart from one bottle at a beer bar, BSF was the only place he’d seen Kaggen for sale.) And after all the anticipation, a pour for me, a pour for Traci, and we begin: Brown-highlighted black, lovely rusty crema-like foam. Aroma begins with a bright dose of dried fruit: raisins, moves to dates, then figs. Now a touch of muscovado sugar, now vanilla, bananas, cardamom. Underlying all that, a building dark chocolate awareness that several sniffs in takes charge. Then eventually is replaces by rum cake. Deep sustained high-cocoa content chocolate flavor--someone playing a "chocolate" note on a grand piano and holding down the pedal. Even a minute after a sip the chocolate coats in sticky bitterness. Vanilla sweetness that is tentatively present from the beginning begins to grow, but the iodine bitterness keeps if from getting sticky. This is such an interesting beer to beer to be #1. It’s certainly a big beer, but it’s one of the most subtle, refined Imperial Stouts I’ve tasted. It doesn’t surprise me at all that this is a recipe grown out of years and years of homebrewing—it tastes like every flavor has been subtly tweaked to exactly how the brewers wish.

Bottle, 2005, Akkurat, Stockholm, Sweden. Inky black pour, opaque, with a lasting filmy head of dark brown foam. Aroma is multi-dimensional and incredibly impressive, with hints of tobacco leaves, honey, every decadent dessert (truffle and fudge cake,) and a light touch of whiskey. Wow, what a nose. Flavor is incredible, but doesn’t have the expression, definition or finish of the regular Stormaktsporter. Flavors of chocolate and caramel, toffee and cappuccino, while the barrel contributes a touch of whiskey. A world class beer, but I prefer the regular Stormaktsporter.

On tap @ European Beerfestival 2008. I had pretty much given up on tasting this one. Thanks to Närke for bringing it to the festival. Pours black with a beige/yellow head. Smells of honey. Sweet with aromas of roasted malts and some chocolate. Also aromas of honey and lots of vanilla and oak. Full bodied with a slightly sticky mouthfeel. Low carbonation. Dry finish with aromas of honey and a slight alcoholwarming sensation. Good - to say the least.

Bottle tasted at Copenhagen Beerfestival 2007. (Vintage 2005) Black colour with a nice head. Nice port aroma with notes of roastedness oily and sweet chocolate. Wonderfull tasty and smooth flavour of chocolate, port-like, roastedness and hints of oak and little alcohol. Very nice endeed. I also tasted version 2006, but I prefer 2005.

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.