Haandbryggeriet Dark Force

Brewed by Haandbryggeriet (Norway)
Style: Imperial Stout
Drammen, Norway

Serve in Snifter

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Bottle from Secret Santa (Norway version, Batch #60) and served in my Stone IRS snifter: Jet black with an never ending frothy tan head and outstanding lace. The nose detects massive charred and dry bakers chocolate malting, very slight prune ester, an old a.k.a. oxidized aroma that could be part cellaring and part use of wheat. The aroma reminds me more of an old English Impy than anything else, this is not a bad thing personally.

The taste starts with a light lactose twang and some prune flavor before an onslaught of heavy charred and grainy malts come rushing forth to smack you sideways. There is a noticeable espresso bitterness more towards the finish along with a dash of that bakers chocolate for good measure. When this warms it became more aggressive and sharper on the flavor profile. The mouth feel is honestly not as creamy as I would have figured a wheat Imperial Stout would have likely been. Very dry and a slight warming sensation on he finish.

This is an interesting Impy for sure. At first I was underwhelmed but then as it warmed it really grew on me. I need to find me a fresher American version just to compare.

Full bodied stout, with a dry texture. Pours completly black, with a light-brown head, that leaves a nice lacing. Aroma of pine, coffee, wood, chocolate and some liquorice. Warm alcohol feeling at the end, but not too dominating. A good balanced and tastefull stout that I would really recommend.

Dark black with white head. Roasted malts, coffee, dark chocolate. Nothing too original here, but a high quality imperial stout. I don’t get the use of wheat, as it is masked by roasted typical stout flavour. Nevertheless, a good beverage.

500mL bottle, batch 353. Pours opaque black and throws a thin and wispy dark tan head. Aromas of roasted malt, soy sauce, molasses, a little smoke, some alcohol. Medium sweetness, mild burnt bitterness, flavours of caramel, dried fruit, chocolate, coffee, toast, some alcohol. Full bodied, soft carbonation, very creamy, a slight astringency with a long bitter-sweet finish.

This beer is confounding to me because it’s one of the few that just completely overwhelms. To me it tastes significantly stronger than it actually is, and has such a thick, distinctive character to it that it just takes over-- the couple times I"ve had it, I"ve not really wanted to drink anything else. Just let it have its way with me and be gone. So, good, and incredibly interesting, but no real drinkability for me.

A - pours opaque brown with very high coffee brown head that solidifies and lasts. Leaves a 1/2 finger fluffy ring. S - strong aromas of smoke, astringent, burned malts. M - strong bodied simple palate. Lingering simple smoke flavor. T - smoked malts, toasted malts, astringent and a metallic tinge. Hint of coffee. O - pretty good. But very simple smoked oatmeal stout. 6+/7-

Bottle at Craig’s house, thanks! Dark brown, with tan head bourbon nose. Chcocolate, cola, fizzy carbonation, dry chalky chocolate and a hint of coffee in the finish.

In bottle. A black beer with a fair tan head. Aroma of dark chocolate, roasty malt, vanilla and a little smoke. Similar flavours with mild carbonation and an oily mouth-feel. Alcohol is well balanced. Lovely.

Bottle. Pours a pitch black color with a tan head. Aroma is of wheat, dark fruits, dark cherry, roasted malt, coffee, dark chocolate and a tartness. The flavor follows the nose with lots of dark fruits and dark cherry, roasted malt, wheat, red apple, dark chocolate, coffee, roasted malt and a subtle tartness. The body is on the full side of medium with a dry mouth feel. Overall a pretty different and tasty Imperial Stout.

Dark brownish black with a chocolate head that leaves behind a little lacing. Aroma is liquorice, raspberry, plum, chocolate, coffee. Smoky on the palate, slick mouthfeel, good bodied, subtle bitterness on the finish.  Taste is liquorice, molasses, chocolate, smoke, coffee, brandy, touch of soy sauce. Well balanced, delicious, and I think the wheat adds an interesting character.

Batch 411. The beer pours a used motor oil black with a dark beige head that dissipates quickly. Smells light dark, bitter chocolate with hints of red fruit and date. Full body. Has a great both feel foe being a wheat. Red fruit followed by a bitter chocolate and finishes with a dark roasted coffee. ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone