Haandbryggeriet Nissefar

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

500ml bottle - the first thing I notice upon opening the cap is that there is a bunch of dark brown gunk underneath the cap, and all up the interior of the neck of the bottle - I immediately think that this must have been seriously mishandled in shipment, as if it were stored upside down long enough for the yeast sediment to collect at the neck of the bottle, and stick there - pours dark brown, fizzy, cola-like - serious oxidation hits the nose first, like smelling an old coffee can full of pennies - underneath is some sour character that doesn’t seem intentional - and underneath that is some black malt, chocolate, tobacco - prickly carbonation in the mouth - taste is initially semi-sour, like an infection has had a little bit of time to settle in, but not to entirely ruin the beer - the sourness actually works with some of the dark malt character - semi-dry, some cocoa, leather, earthiness - moderate roast and a dry, bitter finish - there are clearly things happening here that the brewer did not intend, but it’s not an entirely unpleasant drinking experience.

Looks pretty good. Deep black with a thin beige head. Aroma is good, with some spiciness, charcole, earth, chocolate, raisin, quite christmasy. The flavour is good, but nothing stunning unfortunately. It’s quite dry, almost with tannins at times. It has adefinite tart/metalic nature much like a milk stout, but definitely a lactose-like element. Then there’s lots of earth, mineral a background fruitiness. Not much in the way of spices though... It is very porter like with an odd sweet/bitter quality. The palate is a bit off, too fizzy really... Overall the beer is good but could have been great if it were not for the mediocre palate and more spiciness. It could be more oily and thick in my opinion and mmore xmassy

What the...?! Did I get a bad bottle?! I think I’ve enjoyed everything from this brewery that I’ve ever had, but this is....eeeeewwwww! Colour... (the only redeeming feature) black with no head. Nose... eeeewwwww! Sour, musty, rank, vomit-like. Palate... even more eeewwww!! Too weird, funky and musty. Some malt but mostly, eeeeewwww!

Bottle: Pours a dark mahogany color with a nice foamy tan head. The nose is roasty with some sweet raisin and fig along with a tart cherry and fruit note. Very malty with a tart balance in the nose. The flavor is chewy with some chocolate and more tart fruit notes, tons of body and raisin. Finishes clean and balanced. Quite delicious and malty, very nice balance. Much better than the american hop forward christmas seasonals.

Bottle split with Dallas. Pours a black body with large brown frothy head. Lots of sediment present. Aroma is tart at first, followed by feint fruit and some roast - very interesting. The taste is light roast with hints of tarty esters. Great brew.

Pours pitch black, faintly translucent. Mocha, lingering head. Nose is very tart with slight roast. Tastes very roasty, almost porterish, but mainstains the tart taste. Slightly hoppy flavor. Thin finish. Almost too quick. Very nice brew.

Black, pretty much no head. Boozy, syrupy, molassessy aroma. Very heavy palate, but also very smooth. Some bitterness, some herbal notes, and quite a bit of coffee/chocolate. Pretty tasty...

Super dark brown/black pour with minimal tan head. Nose reveals roasted/burnt malts, coffee notes, and a bitter cocoa sweetness. Flavor is bold with roasted malts, star anise, and bitter chocolate. Has many dry stout qualities, and even brings to mind the flavor profile of a Koff Porter. Mouthfeel is quite nice, with ample carbonation to keep the boldness from becoming too much ... making it rather drinkable. Solid brew.