Viking Brewing Big Swede

Brewed by Viking Brewing Company
Style: Imperial Stout
Dallas, Wisconsin USA

12 oz bottle courtesy of The_Enemy. Pours to a deep brown to black color, with a soapy, tan head, and moderate carbonation. The nose on this beer is excellent with lots of big aromas of dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, dark roast, and hints of licorice. The palate is soft and fat on the tongue with bold flavors of dark malt, dark chocolate, and coffee. Big Swede finishes with more good dark malt, chocolate and coffee notes up front, then ends with some roasty bitterness that lingers. Very well done Imperial Stout. Another impressive beer, from an impressive Wisconsin brewery.

Hmmm. When I poured this from the 12 oz bottle I thought I had a bad bottle because there was almost no carbonation. So I poured another - same thing. Apparently this is a common problem as of late with Viking. Other than the carbonation mishap this beer is not too bad. Heavy on the chocolate syrup but also espresso, black licorice, and a little bit of acidity to dry it out. The palate is well done, without the insane thickness of some impys. It is also nice that they dont go overboard with the burnt grains. Overall a good beer but I am hoping next time I get some carbonation.

Thanks Badgerben. Pours dark black, thing brown head. Bigtime coffee, and dark chocolate, then an espresso aftertaste. Great mouthfeel it makes you smack your lips, just a good imperial stout.

Bottle: Dark motor oil in color with slight butterscotch head. Some light lacing at first but diminishing quickly. Smoky char flavor with hints of chocloate. A very nice tingle on the palate.

Bottle into tulip, The Friday imperial stout tasting, summer 2005. Number 26 on the tasting list, this was one of the first to impress. Dark in the glass with a creamy beige head. Expansive musty smell is impressive but not necessarily enjoyable, with moldy notes over the coffee and dark chocolate. Also smells acidic and brown sugary, and kind of like menthol. Flavor explodes on the medium to full body, lots going on that’s not just straightforward malt: acid at first translates into an enjoyable tang on the end; middle is chewy and raisiny, almost doppelbock-ish; coffee emerges late from the tang and dries out the finish. This one’s kind of different, and I like it.

This beer has a plethora of scents infused to create its aroma: bananas, chocolate, licorice, dates, yeast, cherry, oak, and a slight hint of maple. This beer’s large mocha colored head settles over a solution that is darker than midnight on the floor of the jungle. This thick beer is full and heavy and leaves you sucking your gums and licking your lips trying to savior all the flavor until the next drink. This beer produces a taste ensemble of caramel, dates, and sweet hops. It fades leaving a chocolate taste tingling the palate and throat.

Bottle had no date and gold label, different from the one pictured. Black pour. A few miniscule yeast floaters and a small, short lived tan head. Aroma of roasty malt, licorice, and chocoffee. Same flavor with a dry, yeasty finish and a roasty, slightly sweet aftertaste. Smooth medium/full body. Very easy drinking. Great brew.

Courtesy of Davesarman <P> Strong aroma features dark fruits, perfumey notes which I assume are a combination of alcohol and other aromas, chocolate and a weird sort of coffee/beef stock combo. Sounds bads smells great. Deep black with a quickly diminishing tan head. Lots of raisin, molasses, prune, fig and candied pulms in the fore. Mild cocoa notes. Finish is a melange of dark fruits which leave a lingering fruit juice sweetness. This tastes like an Imperial Schwarzbier or Dunkel. Quite different and much appreciated.