Haandbryggeriet Haandbakk

Brewed by Haandbryggeriet (Norway)
Style: Sour Ale
Drammen, Norway

Murky brown with a small greyish head. Aroma is promising, sour and wet woody with a small brown malt foundation. Flavour is less exiting and more acidic than I hoped for, a bit one-dimensional and just simply woody and sour without much fun fruit or anything else worth mentioning. Overall very woody, rather acidic and "milky" with a dry simple ending.

Bottle at the brewery. Pours brownish orange with a small forthy tan head. The aroma is of vinegar, lemons, spices, tart berries, wood, some alcohol, some solvent, yeast, and a slight cheeselike note. Massive tartness on the tongue, quite lively carbonated. Alcohol not detectable apart from in the aroma. Intense.

Bottle, vintage 2008. Dark brown liquid, the brownish foam was not large and went down quickly. The aroma was interesting, the sour notes were there, as well as scents of oak, black currant, licorice and vinegar. Interesting and different. The taste was also interesting but not only interesting but also good. Besides the souerness, licorice was the first thing I reacted to. Vinegar, dark berries, raisins and oak. Wonder if I also noted a slight, slight smokiness, yes I think so. The body was medium and the fluid rather dry. Different and fun beer from Norway. Balanced and the alcohol (7.5%) felt not at all.

bottle. acetic nose of burnt band aid, walnuts, balsamic vinegar, sourced/buggy crystal malt. highly acidic, puckers the lips. malt is mostly chewy, very bready up front, more sour nuts/wood/bark on the back. syrupy texture, but of tobacco in the finish. interesting and with considerable depth. oak is more visible than i’d prefer but overall it’s well-made.

Bottle (50 cl) from Systembolaget. Shady deep red, medium head. Strong vinegar and cider aroma, with notes of green apples and wood. Medium bodied, soft carbonation. A bit too agressive sourness.

Bottle. Batch 49. Brewed on 10/10/2006. Drank on 11/13/2009. Pours to a deep mahogany body with a thin tan head. The aroma has sour rhubarb and wood with black currants and sour mash. The flavor has a strong currant flavor and sour mash. Sherry and tangy oak. Velvety body on the finish with an extreme over-carbonation up front. Leaves the mouth watering.

Bottled. Pours out in a dark brown colour with a small tan-coloured foam. Strong tart and acidic aroma of balsamic vinegar, oak and black cherries. Medium-bodied with notes of black cherries, blackberries, oak, vinegar and caramel. Long dryish finish of red berries, oak and balsamic vinegar. Completely hidden alcohol. Tasty!

Pours a very dark chestnut brown color with dark mahogany edges when held to a light source and a 1.5 finger frothy tan head. Pretty good retention, only slowly fading into a thin lasting cap and ring that leaves spots of soapy lacing behind. Tart funky vinous aroma with a nice oak/wood character and lots of dark fruit notes, especially dark cherries. Slightly vinegary with a nice blend of earthy oak, dark fruit and funky tart notes. Tart and vinous with a very prominent dark fruit presence. Hints of plum, raisin and dark cherry with a dry lactic tart sour flavor. Nice earthy oak and subtle vanilla balance out the tart and sweet notes perfectly. While this beer is pretty funky it is very well balanced and the 8.5% ABV is excellently masked. Very complex and dangerously drinkable. Highly recommended!