Ølfabrikken 100 gram IPA

Formerly brewed at Bryggeriet Ølfabrikken (Gourmetbryggeriet)
Style: Imperial/Double IPA
Roskilde, Denmark

I love to see foreign beers make it to American shores, especially great ones. In the past, I’ve been critical of foreign raters giving low scores to great American beers. With this one, however, it pains me to see Danes/Scandanavians giving this one low scores. If I loved across the pond, I’d kill to be able to procure this one regularly. Perhaps it’s a "familiarity breeds contempt" sort of thing. Anyway, rate and let rate, and on to my review (I call it a review, because the Ball Strums hate the word "rate"). The pour is hazy deep copper, heading toward ruby, with 2-fingers of frothy off-white head, and lace rings to spare. I swear I saw the Virgin Mary herself in the lace of this after I finished it (and no, she wasn’t taking a dump). The aroma. My God, Bob Griese, let me tell ’ya ’bout the aroma. Huge tropical fruit, heavy floral hops, solid caramel malt, with tangerine, pineapple, black pepper, mango, and definite watermelon notes. I spent at least 90 seconds smelling this one. The taste has caramel malt, candi sugar, wet hops, tropical fruit including mango, watermelon, honeydew, tangerine; all the fruit is wonderfully balanced by a hefty malt bill. The palate is rich, complex, creamy, very well balanced between the malt, fruit, and hops, with the hops predominating ever-so-slightly, as expected. This one has unvelievably well hidden alcohol, and gets a bit stickier and hoppier as it warms, but the awesome caramel malt base never accedes, and I was truly sorry to drink the last dregs, especially since my only other bottle of this is saved for a fellow Pennsylvania Beer God. I hope I get to horizontal this one with Dreadnaught one of these days, but as it stands, I dare say this one likely succeeds Dreadnaught on the surface. This is without a doubt one of the best (and by best I mean Top 3) IIPAs I have ever quaffed, and let me thank the beer rater’s best friend, Matt Capone, for having the intelligence, the guts, and the wherewithall to bring this one stateside. If you live near Capone’s, you really need to go get this one now. If you don’t, for Gods’ sake, find someone who will trade it to you. Yeah, man!!!!!!!!

Pours a copper honey color w/ a full, semi creamy froth. Superb head retention w/ a lasting full lace. Strong aromas of creamy hop chards and meaty caramel. Full nectar w/ mellow residual effers crating a full, rich, creamy texture. This brew is decadent. Mouth watering citrus rind and fat carmel malts play off eachother like a killer handball tourney. A moderate sweetness w/ nuances of popsickle sugars, meaty grapefuit, tangy tropicals, herbs, new leather, and a pinch of sodium. The finsh is long w/ sweet citrus caramel. Watch out Yule Smith. Great balance. Decadent flavor play. Highly recommended.

amazing aroma of citrus, loads of grapefruit, lemons, oranges, and citrus you can think of. THIS IS man candy, sweet citrus, and a wicked malt balance, outstanding beer!!!!!!!

Number 300- I’ve been looking forward to this a long time, Ølfabrikken beer! And in my fave style! Pours a hazy amber/orange. Formed a small off white foamy head. Aroma of pine resins, hops, wet forrest moss, and highland grass. Flavour is full bodied, hops, resins, caramel malts,with a tinge of cloves (?). Truly a remarkable and smooth beer. I would love to try this on tap or from the cask. I superior beer from our friends in Denmark. They have something special here, kick ass beer!!!

bottle from belmont station. pours a nice gold/amber, middling carbonation. aroma is just wow hops. a ton of funky, grassy hops in the nose. flavor is a hint of bready malt immediately annihilated by more of the funky, floral hops. this is downright excellent, one of the best expressions of hop flavor and aroma i’ve had in some time.

Tap at fynske øldage. Well here it is liquid hopp. And it tastes fantastic. The most wonderfull aroma I have ever experienced. Loads of hopps.

This one was better than i expected, and i was expecting quite alot. Hazy orange with a creamy baige head. Aroma is intense flowery with lots of citrus and grapefruit along with some sweet orange. Flavor is nicely balanced and therefor not over the top, the sweetness sticks to you lips, an the bitterness sticks to the back of your throat. Awsome

2008-03-05, bottle, 9-5-8-5-17=44
Beautiful deep amber color; creamy head. Wonderful hoppy aroma, resiny and fruity (citrus fruits), persistant. Good body, strong caramel and toffee flavor, with the complement of excellent hopping; sweet. Great.

Draught at Plan B, Copenhagen, 2007-08-07, 9-4-9-5-18=45
Hazy amber color, nice perlage; thick creamy head; nice lace. Wonderful hoppy aroma, fruity, citrusy, resiny, with pine needles; later, some cheesy note too appears. Very good mouthfeel, with a strong body, full malty flavor, almost oily, a lot of aweet caramel and fudge; but the sugars nothing can against such a strong bitterness; the hopping is very resiny, with a scent of bitter oranges; great because the malt and hops are very well mixed together. The final of course is strong, long and aromatic. Extreme. This beer improved a lot!

Draught at Plan B, Copenhagen, 2007-06-28, 9-2-74-14=36
Muddy brownish color, ugly; thin persistent head. Wonderful hoppy aroma, strong, also resiny. The body is not particularly strong, nor malty, nor sweet, but surely it’s hoppy, really resiny and a bit astringent. Completely unbalanced, and this lowers both Palate and Overall.

Draught at Københavnske Øldage 2007, 2007-05-11, 8-4-7-5-15=39
Muddy light amber color; thin creamy head. Strong hoppy fruity aroma and green hops. I would expect more malt, but the body is based on the extreme hopping. Extreme but good.