Närke Stormaktsporter

Brewed by Närke Kulturbryggeri
Style: Imperial Stout
Örebro, Sweden

This beer was intense and had levels of depth and complexity that most beers never possess. We had a unique opportunity to taste this beer, it showed enhaced layers of aromas and flavors that ordinary beers didn’t offer. Overall, a top notch offering from a brewery I’ve never sampled previously. I would be willing to search other offerings from this producer without question.

Big thanks to those who allowed me to taste this rare beer. Pours pretty dark, good carbonation for the ABV. Something smells a little smoky, mostly dark fruits, though. Carmel and ripe fruit flavors abound. It is coating on the palate, overall a good beer.

Rating #600, bottle via trade with the ever generous Marsiblursi, thank you Andreas and Maria. Pours a perfect pitch black with a half finger not quite full head of light brown. The nose is quite full of roasted malts, chocolate, coffee and maybe a touch of smoke. The chocolate and the roastiness are the most pronounced scents. The taste is very rich with notes of coffee and chocolate and a lot of chocolate malt. The taste pretty balanced and has a number of nice characteristics. The palate is smooth and nicely moves the brew around my mouth and over my tongue. This is pretty damn good, I have to say, and I’d really love to try its big brother the infamous Kaggen.

Thanks to everyone involved in allowing me to sample this fine brew - Aroma is strong roasted chocolate malts that gives off a powdery bakers chocolate nose and a touch of smoke. Pours black with a small brown ring for head and no real lacing. Flavor is intense bakers chocolate, light smoke and a nice roasty finish that simple lingers for a long time after each sip. Alcohol is well hidden. The palate is amazingly clean and smooth for such a flavorful brew. Very tasty and it goes without saying, I wish I had more.

Vintage 2006, I had it in Göteborg in the beginning of July 07. It’s pitch black and the head is beautiful and creamy. The aroma is very smooth and complex, and at the same time raw and direct. It has notes of roasted malt, coffee, licorice and much more. The flavour is full-bodied and it has a light sweetness combined with a perfect and very direct bitterness, notes of licorice, coffee, some smoke and it’s slightly vinous. I thought this would be far from the wonderful Kaggen, but it’s not. I think this still very young porter has extremely much to offer, it’s very complex and both smooth and feisty. A clear world-class!! 2381

RB #999. From 25 cL bottle huge thanks to Grovlam. Pours dark/black with a creamy brown head. Liqourice and alcohol aroma. Flavour is chocolate, mild liqourice with an alcohol note. Clear alcohol presence. Dark and dry finish of alcohol, malt and liqourice. This is good, but no doubt that the Kaggen version is that bit closer to perfection.

Bottle. [again, thank you so much Grovlam, another experience]

Well, I thought the Mikkeller Black Hole was black - this is black. Absolute pitch-black as the Scandinavian nights with a fine creamy brown head that quickly dissolves into a thin film. Aroma is mostly rye bread, coffee and chocolate, but very complex put together. Mouthfeel is extraordinary, oily, creamy, full, living and just plain stunning! Flavour begins on a sweet malty tone then turns towards a more dry roasted edge, combined with lots of wood, vanilla, raisins and an underlying vinious streak. This is a magnificent brew, and I can’t wait to taste the Kaggen at some point.

[Bottle, both 05 and 06 versions at Bishops Arms in Göteborg] When I tasted these beers I thought that I had tasted the best beer that I would have in Sweden--then I got lucky enough to try the Kaggen and found that I was wrong. Although I don’t think that it can compare with the Kaggen, it is still an excellent beer.