Garún Icelandic Stout NR.19 | Borg Brugghús
Brewed by:
Borg Brugghús
Iceland
borgbrugghus.is
Style: American Double / Imperial Stout
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 11.50%
Availability: Year-round
Notes / Commercial Description:
Garún is named for the strong and brave heroine of one of Iceland's most popular folktales "The deacon of Dark River (Myrká)." A tale of ghosts, undying love, and life triumphing over death told against the backdrop of elements essential to Iceland's character: ice, snow, and flooding waters whirling dark and mysterious. The same elements that inspire this rich, intense, bold and swirlingly varied Icelandic stout.
Garún is a dark aura of intense richness and haunting aroma with notes of chocolate, licorice and coffee. Skál!
Added by metter98 on 12-10-2013
Ratings: 199 | Reviews: 37
4.28/5 rDev -0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
12oz bottle from 2015. Served in a snifter glass. One of the several bottles I bought home from my trip...
Pours a dark black body, one finger thick brown head, tons of retention, bits of lacing. Smell is rich licorice, baker's chocolate, mild roast, espresso, cocoa powder, touch of smoke, dark fruit and trace burnt oak. Flavour follows, a nice complex mixture of chocolate, cocoa, espresso, roast. Not as much licorice as the nose would have. A bit of milk chocolate sweetness also, it's not a giant acrid bomb. Mouthfeel is medium full bodied, substantial, perfect medium carbonation for the style, easy to sip on, slight dry earth and toasted oak on the finish. A nice complex big stout with a great mouthfeel to it that brings me back to my times traipsing around Reykjavik and the southeastern parts of the island.
822 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
12oz bottle from 2015. Served in a snifter glass. One of the several bottles I bought home from my trip...
Pours a dark black body, one finger thick brown head, tons of retention, bits of lacing. Smell is rich licorice, baker's chocolate, mild roast, espresso, cocoa powder, touch of smoke, dark fruit and trace burnt oak. Flavour follows, a nice complex mixture of chocolate, cocoa, espresso, roast. Not as much licorice as the nose would have. A bit of milk chocolate sweetness also, it's not a giant acrid bomb. Mouthfeel is medium full bodied, substantial, perfect medium carbonation for the style, easy to sip on, slight dry earth and toasted oak on the finish. A nice complex big stout with a great mouthfeel to it that brings me back to my times traipsing around Reykjavik and the southeastern parts of the island.
822 characters
4.36/5 rDev +1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
This a good reason to visit Iceland for sure. Screw the potential for icebergs and volcanos. I would buy this beer over and over again. Smooth, tasty and just very very good.
176 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
This a good reason to visit Iceland for sure. Screw the potential for icebergs and volcanos. I would buy this beer over and over again. Smooth, tasty and just very very good.
176 characters
4.75/5 rDev +10.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
This is an amazing beer. I picked up a bottle at Spirit of Seymour asa last minute impulse buy amd I'm glad I did. Despite the heavy ABV, this has a nice creamy off-white head and a thick black body. It poured like oil. The aroma is chocolatey and boozy but the flavour and mouth feel is amazing. I had it as my first beer of the night (probably a mistake) so I benefitted from a clean palettte. I will definately get this one again if I see it.
445 characters
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
This is an amazing beer. I picked up a bottle at Spirit of Seymour asa last minute impulse buy amd I'm glad I did. Despite the heavy ABV, this has a nice creamy off-white head and a thick black body. It poured like oil. The aroma is chocolatey and boozy but the flavour and mouth feel is amazing. I had it as my first beer of the night (probably a mistake) so I benefitted from a clean palettte. I will definately get this one again if I see it.
445 characters
4.5/5 rDev +4.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Phenomenal.
11 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Phenomenal.
11 characters
3.52/5 rDev -18.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.44/5 rDev -20%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
4.19/5 rDev -2.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.14/5 rDev -3.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
3.36/5 rDev -21.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
4.2/5 rDev -2.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
3.64/5 rDev -15.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 3.75
Look: Jet black, small brown head with moderate retention & no lacing
S: Roasted malt, syrup, licorice, hints of dried fruit
F: Medium bodied, a little bit sticky, minimal carbonation, mild alcohol burn. Somewhat creamy; Surprisingly smooth for such a high abv stout.
T: Black coffee prominent, followed by licorice, sweet caramel balances out the bitterness, and finished with spiced rum
O: Good all around no BS stout. Not very complex. Suprisingly smooth for 11.5% abv
477 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 3.75
Look: Jet black, small brown head with moderate retention & no lacing
S: Roasted malt, syrup, licorice, hints of dried fruit
F: Medium bodied, a little bit sticky, minimal carbonation, mild alcohol burn. Somewhat creamy; Surprisingly smooth for such a high abv stout.
T: Black coffee prominent, followed by licorice, sweet caramel balances out the bitterness, and finished with spiced rum
O: Good all around no BS stout. Not very complex. Suprisingly smooth for 11.5% abv
477 characters
3.88/5 rDev -9.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
3.94/5 rDev -8.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
4.25/5 rDev -1.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.21/5 rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
4.35/5 rDev +1.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.31/5 rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.25
From the 330 ml. bottle Lot no. 012027. Sampled on June 27, 2016. My first beer from Iceland.
The pour is jet black but there is not a lot of head.
The aroma has an abundance of dark roasted caramel, black licorice, dark fruit, and some alcohol.
Full body and also creamy.
The taste has the same pointed dark malt and dark fruit character with the booze still in the mix. There is a semi-dry finish. I bet this one could sit for a couple years and still be good..
470 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.25
From the 330 ml. bottle Lot no. 012027. Sampled on June 27, 2016. My first beer from Iceland.
The pour is jet black but there is not a lot of head.
The aroma has an abundance of dark roasted caramel, black licorice, dark fruit, and some alcohol.
Full body and also creamy.
The taste has the same pointed dark malt and dark fruit character with the booze still in the mix. There is a semi-dry finish. I bet this one could sit for a couple years and still be good..
470 characters
Garún Icelandic Stout NR.19 from Borg Brugghús
4.3
out of 5
based on 199 ratings.
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4