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Garún Icelandic Stout NR.19 | Borg Brugghús
Brewed by:
Borg Brugghús
Iceland
borgbrugghus.is
Style: American 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!
HISTOGRAM
View: Beers
Ratings: 233 | Reviews: 51
4.23/5 rDev -1.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
A surprisingly great stout for a reasonable price. Had this sitting in my basement 2+ years - shared 4 ways, so just a taste. Pours a moderately thick black with short lived mocha head - no cloudiness but too dense for light to pass. Aroma is up front roasted coffee, dark chocolate, but definite licorice without being over powering. Do get a sense of the booze on the nose also.
Taste sweet coffee, chocolate, licorice with a little char on the finish - ends with a slightly boozy full biitersweetness balancing out very nicely.
532 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
A surprisingly great stout for a reasonable price. Had this sitting in my basement 2+ years - shared 4 ways, so just a taste. Pours a moderately thick black with short lived mocha head - no cloudiness but too dense for light to pass. Aroma is up front roasted coffee, dark chocolate, but definite licorice without being over powering. Do get a sense of the booze on the nose also.
Taste sweet coffee, chocolate, licorice with a little char on the finish - ends with a slightly boozy full biitersweetness balancing out very nicely.
532 characters
4.93/5 rDev +15.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Best beer I’ve ever tasted.
29 characters
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Best beer I’ve ever tasted.
29 characters
4.87/5 rDev +13.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
4.59/5 rDev +7.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.25/5 rDev -0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
2018 bottle. Tan head. Black color.
This is the expedition stout of Iceland. Coffee, roasted malts, chocolate, cocoa, and licorice. Full bodied. Thick. A very nice stout!
172 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
2018 bottle. Tan head. Black color.
This is the expedition stout of Iceland. Coffee, roasted malts, chocolate, cocoa, and licorice. Full bodied. Thick. A very nice stout!
172 characters
4.25/5 rDev -0.7%
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
4.41/5 rDev +3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Thanks to my friend Johann for bring this back to the states after his recent journey back to the homeland.
This is an outstanding stout. Hints of licorice, coffee and cocoa balanced out by a smooth finish and mouthfeel. Very happy to have tried it. Makes me want to go trekking in Iceland.
293 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Thanks to my friend Johann for bring this back to the states after his recent journey back to the homeland.
This is an outstanding stout. Hints of licorice, coffee and cocoa balanced out by a smooth finish and mouthfeel. Very happy to have tried it. Makes me want to go trekking in Iceland.
293 characters
4.11/5 rDev -4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Look - black thin syrup with slight lacing and slight disappearing film
Smell - very very slight dark roasted malts
Taste - black licorice booze and dark malts
Feel - pretty thin with a light carbonation
Overall - fantastic strong beer
235 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Look - black thin syrup with slight lacing and slight disappearing film
Smell - very very slight dark roasted malts
Taste - black licorice booze and dark malts
Feel - pretty thin with a light carbonation
Overall - fantastic strong beer
235 characters
4.25/5 rDev -0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Enjoyed in Iceland
Black color, decent head
Nose plenty of dark chocolate, little roasty, fudge, cocoa, little dark fruits
Taste dark thick fudge, dark chocolate, cocoa, roasted coffee, some roasty char and little charred burnt roast slight acrid, fair bitterness, little licorice
Mouth thick chewy nice fizzy carb, touch of alcohol tingle
339 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Enjoyed in Iceland
Black color, decent head
Nose plenty of dark chocolate, little roasty, fudge, cocoa, little dark fruits
Taste dark thick fudge, dark chocolate, cocoa, roasted coffee, some roasty char and little charred burnt roast slight acrid, fair bitterness, little licorice
Mouth thick chewy nice fizzy carb, touch of alcohol tingle
339 characters
4.75/5 rDev +11%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
4.61/5 rDev +7.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
3.97/5 rDev -7.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
4.25/5 rDev -0.7%
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
4.06/5 rDev -5.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Sable brown beer with a fine head the color of chocolate frosting pulled back to leave a healthy ring and good lacing.
Faint grapes with some ash - interesting but lacks some punch.
Taste follows nose but with an unexpected herbal quality supplanting the typical sweetness. Alcohol and coffee finish.
Smooth and full with the expected warming from the alcohol.
Nicely done but strangely not picking up any of the licorice influences the brewers assert and that I have experienced with American Imperial Stouts.
511 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Sable brown beer with a fine head the color of chocolate frosting pulled back to leave a healthy ring and good lacing.
Faint grapes with some ash - interesting but lacks some punch.
Taste follows nose but with an unexpected herbal quality supplanting the typical sweetness. Alcohol and coffee finish.
Smooth and full with the expected warming from the alcohol.
Nicely done but strangely not picking up any of the licorice influences the brewers assert and that I have experienced with American Imperial Stouts.
511 characters
3.71/5 rDev -13.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
4.25/5 rDev -0.7%
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
3.84/5 rDev -10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Dark fruits, roast, and molasses on the nose. Fairly standard for a stout, although the nose implies more single-digit ABV porter than big, bold imperial stout.
Roasty and bitter on the palate. Dark fruit and grapes. Char and burnt toast, toffee, and blackstrap molasses. Peppery and earthy rye.
Big and bold, but very smooth. Flavor profile more matches up with a robust porter or stout, but it's an excellent beer with plenty of depth.
439 characters
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Dark fruits, roast, and molasses on the nose. Fairly standard for a stout, although the nose implies more single-digit ABV porter than big, bold imperial stout.
Roasty and bitter on the palate. Dark fruit and grapes. Char and burnt toast, toffee, and blackstrap molasses. Peppery and earthy rye.
Big and bold, but very smooth. Flavor profile more matches up with a robust porter or stout, but it's an excellent beer with plenty of depth.
439 characters
3.54/5 rDev -17.3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Opaque black color. Creamy brown 2 finger head, lasting around 5-10 minutes, with no legs and swirl reaction but strong lacing. Flavors of dark grains, prunes, raisins, clove, wood, spices, coffee, and herbal hops. Slick and oily medium to full body with light carbonation. Strong strength finish, rich deep roasted and dark fruity feel, with a soft smoky Rauchbier and light barrel effect. Good intensity, balance, and complexity. Alcohol is well hidden. Overall very good quality craft.
488 characters
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Opaque black color. Creamy brown 2 finger head, lasting around 5-10 minutes, with no legs and swirl reaction but strong lacing. Flavors of dark grains, prunes, raisins, clove, wood, spices, coffee, and herbal hops. Slick and oily medium to full body with light carbonation. Strong strength finish, rich deep roasted and dark fruity feel, with a soft smoky Rauchbier and light barrel effect. Good intensity, balance, and complexity. Alcohol is well hidden. Overall very good quality craft.
488 characters
4.21/5 rDev -1.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
3.84/5 rDev -10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Borg Brugghus 'Garun Icelandic Stout 19' @ 11.5% , served from a 330 ml bottle purchased for $4.30
A-pour is a dark cola brown from the bottle to a near black in the glass with a quick dissapating tan head leaving a minimal lace ring along the snifter
S-sweet
T-sweet & strong , bold boozey big swallow
MF-mild carbonation , big full body
Ov-big beer from Iceland
prost LampertLand
381 characters
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Borg Brugghus 'Garun Icelandic Stout 19' @ 11.5% , served from a 330 ml bottle purchased for $4.30
A-pour is a dark cola brown from the bottle to a near black in the glass with a quick dissapating tan head leaving a minimal lace ring along the snifter
S-sweet
T-sweet & strong , bold boozey big swallow
MF-mild carbonation , big full body
Ov-big beer from Iceland
prost LampertLand
381 characters
4.47/5 rDev +4.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
4.25/5 rDev -0.7%
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
4.68/5 rDev +9.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Garún Icelandic Stout NR.19 from Borg Brugghús
Beer rating:
4.28 out of
5 with
233 ratings
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