Lizard
Brouwerij De Moersleutel

Copenhagen 14/12 2021. 44 cl can from Din Øl web-shop (dinol.dk). A hand trying to grab a distant star on the can. An eyeball and a wrench in the background.

Pours opaque, murky dark brown with a small light beige head. Settles as thin rim of foam running along the side of the glass. No lacing.

Aroma is intense with a sweet, pastry- and cake-like odor mingling with dark alcohol. Chocolate cake, raisins, coffee, fermented plums, vanilla and brown sugar. Dark rum and almond liqueur.

Low carbonation. Thick, viscous, soft, smooth, creamy, almost flat texture.

Flavor is intense with a heavy sweetness followed by a moderately strong sourish bitterness. Aftertaste is heavy with a light bitter undertone. Lingering. Finish is semi-dry with a searing, alcoholic burn.

Intense, pastry brew soaked in alcohol.

Got this from the webshop. Cheers!

From a 44cl can into a snifter
Canned 2021
Desert Freeze Distilled Black Barleywine with caramel, chocolate, hazelnuts & muscovado sugar

APPEARANCE: Pours a 2+ finger, medium, foamy, light brown head with okay retention. Bistre brown body with no real carbonation evident. Head recedes to a full, foamy cap and then down to a thick ring. A splotchy wisp remains leaving touches of lacing on the glass as it empties.

SMELL: Bold nose with sugary caramel, hazelnuts and chocolate for sure, some dark fruits, molasses, grapes and some boozy red wine. Very aromatic and plenty desert-like.

TASTE: Caramel, hazelnuts, some chocolate, black strap molasses with some leather and alcohol at the swallow. Bold and flavorful, and plenty boozy. Bold finish of chocolate, sugary caramel, nuts, molasses, some leathery flavors, grapes, red wine and plenty of alcohol. Flavorful with and lots of character.

PALATE: Fuller body and medium carbonation. Heavy on the palate, syrupy and slightly prickly, goes does down okay with a decent burn and finishes somewhat sticky. A good deal of heat lingers.

OVERALL: This is really good. Ice distilled beers can turn into booze bombs but this one is far from it. Sure, it’s 16% as advertised, but there’s plenty of character from the base barleywine and the adjunct additions make it a delicious treat. Desert beer for sure, though I’d suggest spreading it over an entire evening. These guys never cease to impress, and this bruiser of a brew is no exception. Well worth checking out if you’ve got access to it. Cheers!