Viking Brewing Copperhead

Brewed by Viking Brewing Company
Style: Dunkel
Dallas, Wisconsin USA

12 ounce bottle from Blue Max in Burnsville, MN (June 2007) served a bit below cellar temperature from a Hair of the Dog glass. Pale, very clear amber-copper with just a touch of quick-disappearing off-white foam....buttery, diacetyl-ridden aroma is hard to work with, but after a little effort is made there are light pale malts, a hint of toastiness or even smokiness, a bit of vanilla....the body is cloying, sickly sweet at first, but quickly an inappropriate lactic sourness shows up and essentially kills the faint grainy malt notes and the hints of dry grass....finishes quite sour and unpleasant, with a soda-like mouthfeel. Definitely off, and not that high quality to begin with I’d say, much like the Mørketid from the same brewery that I just had; this one is worse, basically undrinkable after a few sips.

Clear bright amber body. Sweet grass, and nutty malts in the aroma. Crisp, sweet-grassy and dandelion hops compliment a dry malty base. Lingering walnut shell finish. I’m digging this stuff because of its assertive, crisp and quenching hops. It’s approaching a pale ale but with more interesting malts.

Sweet malt smell. Nice lingering head this orangish colored beer. Light nutty malt flavor.

From a 12 oz bottle, pours a dark caramel with an ivory head that stays around for a few minutes. Aroma of citrus and ripe apples. Taste of malt barley and apples. Smooth finish. Very nice done.

12 oz bottle. Poured a clear orange color. Head was creamy and off white with good retention and lacing. Light malty caramel aroma with a whiff of sprucy hops. Dry on the tongue with a bitter grainy note. There is some dried cherry, subdued flowery hop, and a hint of sour fruit. Pretty average.

12 oz bottle. Pours a nice copper color, but no head and very low carbonation. Nose had some banana esters, basically it smells like bad yeast. Initially the first taste is not bad, some nuttiness, vanilla notes, and carmel. Light mouthfeel with little to no bitterness. There is a strange aftertaste that is too hard to describe, but it is not pleasant.

From a bottle with the newer label. A dark copper colored body with a slightly yellowish thin head on top. The aroma is meaty with honey ham. There is also a little bit of walnuts and some caramel. The taste is slight tobacco with a little bit of cherries and some iced tea. This is toasty and warm. Pretty good for Viking and the style.

Not good. I have only tried one other Viking brew and it had the same weird buttery type of aroma. Pours a hazy amber with no head. Flavor isnt even worth talking about.