Jakeldricka
Heavyweight Brewing Co.

On tap at the Down for the Count event at the Drafting Room in Exton. This one was cask-conditioned. This was a very interesting beer. It poured a hazy amber color with a slight off white head. The aroma was a bouquet of spices running around and a bit of smoke. The taste was dominated by a smokey body that was a bit overwhelming but there was some balance with the herbal and spice notes in the background. At first I thought the server brought me a Cinderbock instead but found out this was truely the Jakeldricka. The beer left a lasting smoke flavor in my mouth and had a medium body. A very interesting beer to say the least. I have a few bottles of this in the cellar that I will try at some point to see if there is any real difference between the cask and bottle.

I had this at the Down for the Count event at the Drafting Room. It was the one cask-conditioned offering from the 15 beers they had on tap...and boy was it different. The aroma was very smokey with a bit of spice and some bacon bits. The taste was extremely smokey and the bacon bits came out stronger. The little hints of spice in the nose were barely noticeable in the taste...the smoke and bacon were just too strong to let anything else come through. This the only beer I had there that I new I wouldn't be having again before I left. Different, for sure...enjoyed by many...just not me.

Presentation: 750ml flat bottomed brown glass Belgium flask sealed with a simple brass colored crown cap. Single main obverse gray & white label has the letters ‘OTOP’ rotated 90° counterclockwise to the right hand side with the word ‘BEER’ superimposed over it on the right hand side. To the left of this in the top corner the words “Jåkeldrickå” above a curious almost Celtic like design. Has a very intriguing lack of information, nothing at all, no strength, no style and no description.

Appearance: Utterly devoid of any carbonation, it comes to rest with an appearance of a staid 3 year old straight lambic jugged up from a Payottenland cellar. Not a single bubble breaks the tranquil dead pool surface. Serene faded copper-amber exhibits a light milky haze.

Nose: Immense spice in the nose, some boiled cabbage lurks in the background but the majority of the aroma is supplied from a fistful of exotic herbs and spices it seems. Set against a backdrop of coniferous pine needles, freshly chopped wood and peeled bark all mixed with other forest floor residual detritus. A delicate flash of peppermint leaves add freshness whilst a little smoke flutters by once in a while.

Taste: Dry start with a slick herbal finish. Spiced middle with yet more wood but it has a clear earthy aspect to it. Berries and caramel are littered with mint laden spices. Sweetness breaks into the equation, honey-like almost, adds a soft edge. But the finish is earthy, spicy and rounded. A strange blend; but with an attractive structured dimension rather than a hodge-podge feel.

Mouthfeel: Medium body, the sweetness adds some depth but the mint tends to balance this with a watery feel. The lack of carbonation, any carbonation that is, lets this one down.

Drinkability: I’m torn between thinking that this one didn’t come out quite right, or rather it did, and I just don’t understand it. Huh! Either way, it’s a strange concoction that seems to work in one way, yet just seems plain crazy mad in another. Sadly the carbonation lets this one down a little, otherwise it is a drinkable brew for those that like the obscure spicy brews, and I include myself in that group.

Overall: A very unique and mysterious Heavyweight brew, probably my last even. Supplied all way from the last ever Open House by my Heavyweight crack dealer. Thanks to BA Erica for this strange named brew with a Viking heritage - it is hardly a raping and pillaging brew, but it is very interesting one.