Hëvvy Mettül
Alvarium Beer Company

A: opaque; very dark brown with mahogany highlights; 1 finger finely pored tan head that receded to a moderate collar; no lacing;

S: bright bittersweet chocolate;

T: balanced between black coffee and bittersweet chocolate; moderate bitterness at the end;

M: medium bodied; moderate carbonation; moderately dry finish; smooth;

O: very nicely done;

 

Hëvvy Mettül pours a black color with a small, long-lasting tan head. The aroma is strong, with oatmeal notes. The flavor is strong, with lots of sweet oats and a hint of honey. Good feel. Overall, it is a big, strong oatmeal, oatmeal-flavored stout.

 

 

 

Pours a nice russet brown. Not quite as dark as I usually imagine for an oatmeal stout, but this also isn't some massive behemoth, so I suppose it makes sense. Still, as arbitrary and imaginary a line as it is, it looks more like a porter to me than a stout. Nice little khaki head that fades to a simple fringe with swirls in the middle.

Nose has some nice sweet roasty grains that drive the profile. There's some dry ashy char to the back end as well.

My first impression is woodier and a bit sweeter than I expected (not to say it's any sort of sugar-bomb as has become so en vogue among dark brews these days), but that impression does not last. The ashy char is still present, there's that same woodiness I suppose, the ashy char, some round roasty character, and a touch of sweet on the back end, before finishing with a nice charred dry bitterness to close things out.

The carbonation is sharp which distracts a bit from the underlying oily smoothness imparted by the oatmeal. The lingering finish leaves elements of all the characters listed in the flavour profile: some lingering roasty sweetness, some of the dry ashy char, all coming together.

Overall it's solidly enjoyable. Doesn't stand out, but not every brew is going to.

 

 

Brief beige head. It settles quickly to nothing and leaves no lacing whatsoever. The liquid is dark enough to keep light out.

Mocha aroma with a faint dark cherry presence. Some alcohol and chalk.

Typical body with a spritzy effervescence. The flavor is mostly similar to Baker's chocolate. Quite dry with a modicum of ash. The finish brings forth some hop bitterness creating a longer aftertaste.

 

Poured at room temp from an undated 16oz can to a diagonally cut tumbler.
A really black body (no lightening at the edges at all) sits below a 1/4" frothy dark tan head that fades to one layer of small bubbles during the session. Full lacing and body coating occurs with every sip.
Aroma is surprisingly mostly alcohol given the 6.66% rating. Notes of burnt wood, charcoal and spice mixture.
Taste is dry up front, mild change to hint of sweetness in the middle, drying out again at the end. Dark malt is the prominent flavor but I could talk myself into chocolate and caramel.
Body is nice, not super coating, but pretty good.
Overall good. I really love dry stouts without vanilla and other sweet-related flavors. This one has my approval.