Draugr
HammerHeart Brewing Company

Thick blackness, utterly impenetrable, rich cocoa-tinged head, leaving lace.

In the nose: Grassy, citrusy, slightly tropical-y, while just about covered up in dark malt flavors, too. Interesting, and exceptionally likable.

In the mouth: Clean and smooth, then opening up to greater complexities. A touch of smoke, which some consider de riguer for a Hammerheart brew, and further echoes of cocoa and espresso. It's like hops and ash in the same glass. Roast-toasty, with a touch of anise next to the ash. Nice.

Hey, if it's an NE-style, where's the haze, brah? I'm sure somebody's saying that, somewhere, someway, but I don't care.

I like this one. It's not for everyone, but it's for me.

Was it worth the $10.99 I paid for it? Definitely.

Black or Cascadian IPA using New-England IPA methods...you can't see the haze, but the effect is the same. We are pretty excited about this one. The art for this beer was illustrated by Jordain Kinnander...the Draugr is a featured creature in his book BEINGS OF YGGDRASIL: ANCIENT CREATURES from GERMANY and SCANDINAVIA. An excerpt from the book: "The Draugr was an Old Norse word for the corpse of a deceased person, which was reanimated after death...A Draugr came into being typically by either a curse from a sorcerer, or person with knowledge of forbidden magic, or out of a strong urge by the spirit of the deceased to seek revenge on those who wronged him in life."

On tap at Republic. Poured a jet-black color with a small, light brown head of foam. It smelled of roasted malt, toffee and pine. Nice roasty flavor with hints of coffee and a piney bitterness.