Haandbryggeriet #1000
HaandBryggeriet

ps first. This is a really 'different' kind of beer and will be hard to score, and I imagine a beer that will strongly divide opinion.
L- Deep red-brown, quite cloudy, with much sediment left in bottle (despite having rested for weeks). Pours with 2mm tan head. Formation of a head took rasing the height of the pour by 5Cm to encourage it.
S- Somewhere between almond and wine.
T- Notably winey, in that respect it's almost more like drinking wine than a beer, a pretty dry and rather sour red one. [ps. How on earth do I score that observation?.... Hmmm.]
F- Like drinking wine. Carbonation was hesitant to start, now even less apparent. An anticipated and usually show-stopping ABV of 10.4% doesn't bring the warmth and roundedness you'd usually expect. You notice the ABV% as you might in a glass of wine, rather than you'd hope for in a Quadrupel beer ie having in parallel depth, and some richness balanced by gutsy power,
O- This is a very unusual beer. Before you buy it (it costs mucho-$) you should be aware it (in my view) is effectively like drinking a dry red wine. I've had a handful of other beers matured in ex-wine barrels but none of them have imparted SUCH strong wine characteristics into the beer as this one. This is a mighty strange brew.
330ml bottle £7.59 from Beerhawk UK BB: 01/02/2021 (laser-etched into lower side of bottle).
p.s. This might be an interesting one to blind-taste a friend on - 'Is this a beer or wine?'.

 

330 ml bottle, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. ABV is 10.4%. Hazy dark brown colour, small off-white to beige head. Pleasant aroma of malts, Amarone red wine and oak. Medium sweet flavour, distinct notes of oak, also brown malts, brown kandij sugar, dark dried fruits and red wine, moderate hops. Good beer.