Ølfabrikken Islay Cask Stout
Ølfabrikken

Beer Geek Stats
From:
Ølfabrikken
 
Denmark
Style:
Russian Imperial Stout
ABV:
9%
Score:
Needs more ratings
Avg:
3.81 | pDev: 28.08%
Reviews:
4
Ratings:
8
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Aug 06, 2014
Added:
Mar 14, 2008
Wants:
  2
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
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Recent ratings and reviews.
Ratings by sideshowe:
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Rated by sideshowe from Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +5%

May 02, 2012
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4 by KAF from Iowa

Aug 06, 2014
Photo of corby112
Reviewed by corby112 from Pennsylvania

4.39/5  rDev +15.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Huge thanks to sideshowe for sharing!! I didn't think I'd ever get a chance to try this.

Pours slightly viscous and pitch black with no head or lacing.  Looks completely still but after a swirl there is some serious legs.

Smokey, roasted malt aroma with a peaty whiskey barrel presence that's nicely integrated without overpowering the other elements.  Some toasted oak along with smokey and spicy whiskey character and vanilla.  Strong peat presence but there's still plenty of malt underneath with hints of dark chocolate, caramel, coffee bean and oatmeal.  Smells great.

Medium bodied with a slick, viscous mouthfeel that never feels too heavy.  Similarly to the aroma, the barrel character is excellently integrated into the flavor of the beer without overpowering or becoming one dimensional.  Some dry toasted oak with a strong peat whiskey flavor as well as some faint coconut and vanilla.  The dominant flavor is the smokey/peaty whiskey but underneath there is a complex malt profile with subtle hints of vinous fruit.  Port like with hints of dark chocolate, robust coffee, caramel, toffee and oatmeal followed by dark cherry, fig and other dark berries.  Just enough sweetness to counter the heavy smoke character that lingers in the finish.  A very complex, flavorful and all around great beer.  
Aug 01, 2012
 
Rated: 1 by dsgolovin from California

Mar 19, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by ygtbsm94 from Utah

Jan 19, 2012
Photo of pokesbeerdude
Reviewed by pokesbeerdude from Colorado

4.27/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5
Big thanks to bosse for this bottle in a trade! 37.5cl corked and caged bottle, 2005 vintage, from cask #91, rotation 145, 1996. Mindst holdbar til 1/1/2012. Definitely the hardest bottle I have ever tried to open.

A: Pours completely black with no head, just a few bubbles around the edge of the glass, looks incredibly thick. Not one of the darker beers, but definitely up there. Looks like used crankcase oil.

S: Scotch whisky, without a doubt the smoky peat flavors that one associates with a scotch dominate the initial smells here. Incredibly smoky. Beneath that there are some chocolate malts, a nice dose of coffee and burnt malts that play nicely with the smokey whisky. An intense beer.

T: Intensely smoky, the cask flavors from a whisky barrel and oak are huge, smoky peat flavors. Underneath the huge whisky profile are some notes of molasses, roasted coffee, a little bit of brown sugar, and just a whiff of chocolate. The main emphasis though is the Islay whisky. Smoky rich and sweet. Some notes of dark fruits, mainly plums, especially in the aftertaste. Strong lingering flavors, especially the smoke. Definitely lives up to what is advertised on the bottle.

M: Definitely a casked beer, no carbonation at all, zero, non-existent, but it works in this style. Warm booze, dry oakiness. Thick and viscous. Very nice.

D: This is without a doubt a sipper, excellent flavors here. Very complex without being overbearing. The smoke and oak profiles really enhance what I can only imagine is a great imperial stout to begin with. Excellent beer, very happy to get my hands on this one.

Thanks Bo!
Jan 30, 2010
Photo of ShareANevada
Reviewed by ShareANevada from Ohio

4.32/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Very generously shared by Darren/brokenleadedcask. I believe thanks lie ultimately with Bosse for getting this across the world.

Pours a dead black. When I say dead black, I mean, makes used 30 weight look like a porter. There is a very bare amount of carbonation going on here, just enough to carry off the beer, but nothing notable in the head department. For this type of beer, I don't think thats a ding. Huge huge smoke and peat on the nose. As a scotch fan, I may rate this higher than some others, especially as this is from one of the more aggressive scotch regions, the Islay. There is no mistaking that this has spent some time in a fairly fresh barrel.

The time it has spent, in addition to the slightly fiery peat added, has toned down the body on this monster. The result is a smooth, fairly rich and well textured beer; quite nice on the tongue. The nose might tell you to turn and run, but the body will keep you around, as it is much more agreeable than suggested.

As with anything of this boldness or rarity, this is one to share with close friends. Very enjoyable.
Jan 26, 2010
Photo of MasterSki
Reviewed by MasterSki from Canada (ON)

4.46/5  rDev +17.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Shared this bottle with Urbain, Schuster, and my wife while visiting the new Struise brewhouse. Thanks to bosse for trading me this rarity. 2005 vintage 375ml corked and caged bottle. It took us a good 15 minutes to get the bottle open, as the cork just would not come out (we have a great video of Urbain trying to pull it out with vice grips) - eventually used a corkscrew. Served in snifter glasses.

A - Well, the cask in the title was accurate. Poured out nearly flat with only some wisps at the top of the glass. Tar black color with a touch of brown at the fringes when held to the light. There's actually a decent amount of lacing left behind as well.

S - Woah! Ridiculous amount of single malt scotch whiskey - the beer flavors are pretty secondary here. Smokey peat, oak, and other whiskey flavors I'm not qualified to describe (this ain't WhiskeyAdvocate.com). The base beer has some nice roast malt and dark fruit character, the latter of which I suspect has been enhanced by the age on the bottle.

T - Again, tons of smoke, peat, wood, whiskey, etc. This is one of the most extreme barrel-aged tastes I've had the pleasure of trying - it's almost like having a lower alcohol version of an amazing single malt. Lots of woody and tannic aftertaste.

M - Full bodied, viscous, smooth, creamy, cask-like. It's exactly what you'd expect from a cask-style RIS. Just the slightest hint of carbonation to keep it from being syrupy.

D - The 4oz or so that I had was a good serving, although I would have gladly had more. Obviously the flavor is very strong, and there is a very smoky, woody aftertaste that is palate-wrecking, but it's oh, so, worth it. For lovers of Islay single malts this is pure heaven.
Jul 13, 2009
Ølfabrikken Islay Cask Stout from Ølfabrikken
Beer rating: 3.81 out of 5 with 8 ratings