Klostergården Alstadberger
Klostergården Håndbryggeri

On tap at Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger (also available there bottled). Hazy brown colour, low off-white head. Intense aroma of smoke, smoked meat, bonfires and ashes. The flavour is dry and surprisingly refreshing, lots of smoke but not undrinkable (even for me, and I am not the world’s biggest fan of stjørdalsmalt). Won’t be my daily indulgence though.

500ml bottle into a pint glass. Brygg #309, whatever that means.

Deep reddish brown body with copper highlights. Small off white head quickly fizzes away leaving a ring and no lacing.

Strong smoky hammy aroma.

On tasting, exactly follows the nose. There is a sweetness to it, but the smoke is the big story.

Mouth a little above medium, which is nice. Finish is smoke, but there is a very faint plastic note hovering in the background.

Overall, other than the finish, a strong tasting smoke beer. Would be nice once in a while.

Poured into a Fremont small snifter. Pours a medium to dark, very hazy orange-red, very fizzy, finally settling into a half finger light khaki head with good retention and lacing. Aroma of caramel malt, smokehouse smoke, dates and faint mixed stone fruit. Flavor is mildly caramel and biscuit malt, smokehouse umami, vague fruit esters, musty wood. A touch of peat in the finish. Medium bodied with light to moderate creaminess. This one made me nervous when it popped on opening with a mild gushing overflow and very active fizziness in the glass. However, once settled down, flavor and carbonation are fine for the style. The malt smoke is quite similar to Schlenkerla, with maybe a bit more peat, but with the same rich meatiness. My taste in smoked beers peaks with heavy bodied styles like stouts and rich malty one like doppelbocks (Schlenkerla Urbock is my top favorite). This one is a little lighter in malt depth, but perhaps one of the best tasting smoked beers I've had. The malt body supports the somewhat aggressive smokiness, but the smoked malt has a really nice taste with hints of the peat in good Scotch. I was very pleased with this. I was lucky to stumble on it and don't expect to see it again, but I'd buy it in the future if shows up. Nicely done.

 

Poured from a 500 ml bottle marked #309, into the test glass
A - Tawny copper color, steady carbonation feeds a quick to depart cap of off white froth. During the experience the ring clings to the glass wall. No lacing but that constant ring.
S - Well it is 52% smoked malts after all, so the nose is smoke forward. Add some candi sugar, earthy hops, late fall walk in the woods after rain. I also get a dry or candied citrus in there as well.
T - Smoked meat, caramel, a hint of red grape, a fun spicy element as well, like black pepper and a bit of clove and dark cherries. I feel it needs a side of roast potatoes!
M - A bit silky, with a moderate sweetness, that quickly shifts to a nice dry finish.
O - A very good smoked malt beer, the palate adjust to the smoked malts quickly, allowing other features of this beer to rise up. The feel get more slick with temperature increase. This is not for the faint of heart but a really well executed offering.

 

 

Clearly an acquired taste that I have not acquired enough of, Alstadberger is only my 6th smoked beer.
I think the danger with these beers is that smoking the malt too much or smoking the wrong stuff too easily leads to a bad experiment. And this beer is close to that danger. But given that it has 3 reviews, it at least has survived the experiment.

It actually Looks good, a nice ruby quality. Smells require a second and even a fourth snort to get used to; but once that is done, it is interesting. Tastes likewise require repetition and an open-mind to appreciate. Feel is barely above thin.

OA? Too intense. I much prefer the experts in Franconia who understand how to moderate the power of this. As for Alstadberger, I cannot finish this tonight and I cannot imagine myself going through the experience/experiment again tomorrow. We shall see.

 

Poured from fridge temp at a bottle share. Look is murky brown with good carbonation. Nose is smoke, spice, wood, and a strange formaldehyde smell. Taste is smoke, sweet, licorice, and hickory. Really nice. Feel is dry and medium.

 

 

Poured from the bottle into a nonic pint glass.

A deep ruby amber body color, with a tangerine edge and mixing red hue. Head creation is about three fingers, and a quite light khaki color which settles down with little retention to about half a finger easily. Some clarity to the body.

Smoke aroma is a bit pheloic with touches of medicinal novocaine quality, but not too badly. Camp fire embers, and a good woody tone sensing like on this as well. Minimal other malt character, and slightly spicy as well.

Very nice memorable palate. Smoke quality definitely filling nicely, but excellent malt sweetness and a great peppery flavor particularly on the finish. Almost silky finish, with excellent spicy character, almost like a green peppercorn aroma on the swallow. Slight fruity ester tones, almost strawberry like as well (English Ale yeast?).

A very unique smoke brew, would love to have this again, however the front nose at first was a bit touchy.

 

 

 

Bottle: Poured a clear copper color ale with a large foamy head with good retention and some lacing. Aroma of nice smoky notes with light caramel notes is pretty awesome. Taste is a nice mxi of smoky notes with light peat and woody notes. Body is about average with good carbonation. Nice dominant smoky notes with some balance with the malt backbone.