Haandbryggeriet Nissefar

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

What a gusher. Brewed 06-08, BB 06-11. The beer is a very dark brown with a massive, fluffy, beige head which settles to a pillowy, tan head but minimal lace. The nose is interesting with some rich notes to match Belgian farm notes; lots of dusty yeast, figs and dates, light molasses and toffee, light barnyard funk, faint herbs and spice, and faint roasted grains. The flavor is similar but with more grain notes; figs and dates, toasty/roasty grains, bread toast, more dusty yeast notes, toffee, chocolate, faint musky/barnyard, faint herbs and spice. The palate is not bad with a medium body, a dry/round mouthfeel, and a soft to lively carbonation. The finish is dry and fairly long with chocolate, spice, roasted/toasted grains, and bread crust. A very nice rich farmhouse winter beer but the dryness and overbearing grainy notes into the finish prevented the beer to be great. A very nice, complex nose with fruity and malty notes complementing each other. Nice beer for the winter season.

Bottle, thanks to akevitt for sharing. Batch #163, pours a red-hued, dark brown body with a brown foam head. Aroma is initially similar to a sour beer on the initial pour, but is mostly malts, bread, and some spice. Flavor is the same with a strange tartness and a dark fruit/prune flavor. Medium-bodied with a smooth mouthfeel. I get prunes on the finish with a slight vinegar tartness.

Bottle and served in my NB Worthy glass: Pours a deep brown with a small but lasting frothy tan head and okay lace. The aroma has notes of dark candy syrup, roasted, aromatic and special B malts, raisin, grains of paradise and anise esters, and some leathery earthy yeast tones. The taste starts strikingly a tad smoky and peaty along with dark sweet and fruity malts. A bit doughy and muddled in the midsection before a yeasty and slight lacto sour finish. The mouth feel is medium-bodied and oily but still also seems watery due to the short and soured finish. You know what this is, it is what New Glarus Old World Porter should have been, the sour twang on the finish is more restrained and you can still enjoy the malts and spice. I liked this more and more as it warmed.

This poured close to black with a very attractive tan head with lots of lacing. The nose is ripe fruit, sweet chocolate, and coffee aromas with some spices. Medium body and smooth rich mouthfeel. Flavor of roasted chocolate malts and some floral hops.

Gusher. just slowly lifting the cap a tiny bit unleashed a volcano. body is black, foamy dark sienna colored head. aroma is sour roasted malt, charred oak, some beef jerkey, prunes, and yeasty. flavor is more tart/sour roasted malt, dry oak, and yes - a little salty cola. possibly infected, but it kind of still works - smoky bitter earthy malt finish and aftertaste

Pour is perfect hazy dark brown. Aroma is banana bread and yeast. Flavor is weaker than expected. Some malty roasts and raisins. Some very minor tart finish.

Bottle. Pours a ruby brown with a thin tan head. Not very lively. The aroma is fruity, somewhat sour, with a good bit of earthiness. Flavors are tart to start, sweet to finish, heavy on fruits, some oak, a little bit of a toasted note. Finish is pleasant and lasting.

Dark maroon color with a slight edge head, no real lacing to speak of. Aroma of a chocolate shake with fresh vanilla beans thrown in. Flavors follows the nose – chocolate milk and vanilla beans. Posses almost a thickness, so great marks for mouthfeel. Second best beer of New Year’s Eve 2009, this one is worth looking for.