Haandbryggeriet Norwegian Wood

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

Serve in Dimpled mug, English pint, Stein, Yard

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Tried at SIB. I was really looking forward to this one, and it was indeed a unique and worthy beer for the SIB lineup. Lots of smoke in the aroma and tatse mixed with a bit of sour fruit. A little oakey and earthy. I really enjoyed this; but smoke might be my favorite taste in a beer.

Dark copper with a big and firm slightly off-white head. Wood and smoke dominates the aroma, which also has a bit of dark fruit and caramel. I get some juniper after swirling a few times. Dry and bitter flavour with the juniper delivering a gin-like tinge. All in all it’s a very good beer and a traditional ale of the kind that makes you believe in the good stories of old tradition. The smoke and juniper makes it a bit heavy to drink though, so don’t buy a sixpack for Saturday night...

[Taster – Seattle International Beerfest]
Dark brown in color with a thin head. Woody and malty aroma. The flavor was that of a traditional ale. Medium body with a slight oxidized flavor. I am sure this bottle has had to travel. Not bad for a nice small brewery.

750 at the Seattle International Beerfest. Pours cloudy brown with very thin tan head. Pronounced sour smoky nose with some caramel there too. Medium body, tingly carb, forward flavors. Bold mid-palate; lots of smoke and sour, near-bacon notes. Rich and earthy. Clean enough finish with some ashy cling.

500 ml bottle. Reddish copper colour. Throws a tall fine-laced off-white head. Head clings to the glass. Rich piney and floral smoked malt aroma. Very balanced. Hops enhance the complexity. Smells absolutely wonderful. Crisp bitter flavours and a lively fine carbonation at first. There is quite a bit of malt flavours there, but they drown a bit in the rather bold bitterness. The bitterness stems from both hops and juniper berries I think. Still there is a lot of flavour and a little complexity in there. Long lasting bitter aftertaste. Overall this beer has a fantastic aroma, but it doesn’t really carry on to the flavour and aftertaste, both which is dominated by the bitterness. That said, this is a very characterful and rich beer that deserves to be inbibed.

Bottle (St. Urho’s, Helsinki) Lovely rich reddy-brow with a doughy creamy head, which stays as you drink. Sweet aroma, smells of gin. Enormous, but well-balanced bitter taste, resolves to smoky burnt malt. Burps juniper! Nice!

Bottle bought at the Matstreif 2007 festival in Oslo. Hazy copper with a big yellowish head. Sweet and smokey aroma, maybe a hint of sourness. Flavours are mainly smokey and sweet with some fruit. Medium to full body. Interesting and quite unique on the Norwegian beer scene.

Cloudy amber colour with a beige head. Malty, fruity aroma with a light smoky note. Malty, sweet and light fruity flavor with a dry and smoky finish.

Bottle at KØ07. Teaish, smoky aroma. Cloudy red/brown colour. OK sourness and a hint of smoke to the flavour. Horseblanket and powerful hop flavour. Good mouthfeel. Nice.

UPDATED: NOV 13, 2009 (Bottle 50 cl) Clear, warm amber golden - no head at all. Lightly smoked nose. Medium body with a fairly high carbonation and notes of burned caramel and smoke. Dry and very hoppy finish - perhaps the juniper also adds to the bitterness. 130507