Koyt
Jopen Bier BV Haarlem

11.2 ounce bottle, best before 26 NOV 2017 stamped on the back label. Served in a nonic pint glass, the beer pours a hazy reddish/brown color with about an inch and a half tan head that stuck around for a bit. There's a small amount of lacing. Aroma is nice, the brew smells like stone fruit, sweet spices, herbs and earthiness. It tastes like stone and dark fruit, caramel, herbs, earthiness, sweet spices, licorice and molasses. Mouthfeel/body is medium, it's slick and easy to drink with a good amount of carbonation. I liked this brew, glad I tried this one! $3.99 a bottle.

Copenhagen 17/3 2019. 33 cl bottle from Meny, Østerfælled Torv, Kbh Ø. Part of a Jopen Gift box including a very small beer glass. Jopens usual design in Green with a little Church and the tagline “Crafting Divine Beer”.

Pours unclear amber with small off-white head. Settles as patchy, thin layer of foam unable to cover the surface of the beer.

Aroma is strangely lemonade-ish, malty and very herbal. Anise, ginger, caramel, citrus, brown bread.

Medium strong carbonation. Slightly thick, oily, soft texture.

Flavor is rather sweet. Followed by a light sourness. Aftertaste is sweet and quite herbal. Lingers shortly.

If you are into New Nordic Beers where they have found some obscure herb which can replace the hops this might be your thing.

 

 

 

 

 

Bottle, kindly shared by abemorsten. ABV is 8.5%. Dark ruby colour, moderate beige head. Nice spicy and vinous aroma. Spicy and herbal flavour, medium sweet, unusual and interesting.

L- Deep chestnut brown, crystal clear despite there apparently being a layer of sediment firmly accreted onto the bottle's bottom. Pours with 2mm pale tan head, clears to part-cover - unsuprising at 8.5%ABV,
S- Certainly something different though still quite mild; herbs of some kind.
T- That 'different'^ smell follows through clearly in the taste. Hard to divine as I drink little Herb/Gruit beer. It also has a moderate dry lick on the palate into the finish, I'll be interested to see if that's hops or herbs alone.
F- It has a pretty solid feel, as one might hope for from an 8.5% The dry aspect does a good job at balancing the feel+abv%.
O- For a Herb/Gruit beer this IME is a pretty easy-to-enjoy example, a good entry point for those new to the style. If it weren't so $$ I'd buy this again as something really quite different. Meanwhile I'm enjoying this one and glad I'm getting to experience it.
330ml bottle BB: Aug-2022 £4.95 Bought from BeautifulBeers/BurySt.Edmunds as part of a large pick-your own consignment to London.

dark body with two plus fingers of cream head lace clings to the glass
the smell is dark caramel and woody with juniper berry type fruity and floral aroma
the feel is spiced sweet and smooth with gentle alcohol in middle with modetately low carbonation and semi dry finish
the taste has a mild dry spicy and nutty quality with a light fruitty yeast and caramel malt support with an almost peppery accent yet slight ripe banana in yeast with hint of astringency in spice
this is a tasty gruit it has more malt than spice but is stronger thanbany other gruit I have tried which makes it seem milder and more drinkable even considering the abv

 

Tea-colored pour; foamy head reduced to a thin, persistent, creamy one. It helped in retaining some of the more subtle notes in the flavor. Nice, complex flavor profile. Dark and earthy, like a pint out of a medieval tavern. I've discovered an affinity for these ancient ales.

This gruit brought the spices on the front, middle and end of the taste. Clove, pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, and herbal spices. Body has texture to suit these spices. There are some boozy fruits, but the spices rule all. Would love some more balance, but otherwise pretty nice.

Pours a reddish, deep mahogany coloration with a medium, creamy head. Smell is very sweet and malty, with some herbal notes coming through as well. Taste follows the nose, being dominated by caramel, bready malt, some dark fruit: fig, raisin and strong herbal notes that are difficult to define exactly. There are sweet aniseed notes reminiscent of liquorice, some light notes of alpine herbs, specifically eucalyptus, and also almost spicy notes remiscent of cumin. Finishes sweet and herbal with some licorice lingering in the aftertaste. Smooth mouthfeel with a medium/rich body and low carbonation.

This kinda reminds me of a Ricola cough drop, but in a good way. It's quite sweet, but not cloyingly so, with the herbs lending a good balance and providing some really unique notes. Incredibly impressive for being brewed traditionally, without any hops.

 

 

 

 

 

Poured from an 11.2-ounce bottle into a straight-sided mug. Hazy light brown color with tan highlights and a thick light tan head that left some stringy lacing as it settled to a thin ring. (There was also some particulate matter suspended in the beer, which may be off-putting to some.) Aromas of caramel and dark fruit (prune, raisin) smack you in the face. Stay with it long enough and some floral and spicy notes begin to come through. Tons of malty sweetness on the tongue, with - again - big flavors of caramel, dark fruit, and herbal spiciness. There is a little tart fruit and quite a bit of astringence coming through on the finish. Mouthfeel is substantial, no doubt attributable to the oats in the grain bill. Surprisingly little alcohol warmth, considering the relatively high ABV (8.5%). Very tasty, if a little out of the ordinary. Highly recommended.