R&D Gotlandic
New Glarus Brewing Company

500ml pill bottle into a Lost Abbey teku.

Color is a dark mahogany. Creamy head, stringy lace. Nose is pungent. Smoke, cream, and anise. Hints of prune gummies and logan fruit. Interesting for sure. Hazelnut shell, smoke, and semi-sweet syrup up front. Coarse brown sugar, brown sugar rice cake and more roast in the middle and back. Body is light with ample carbonation. Prickly on the palate. Medium finish.

This one's certainly different. A solid interpretation of the style.

Appearance - The beer was brownish in appearance with little visible carbonation.

Smell - The nose had a cherry presence, bringing to mind fountain cherry cola.

Taste - I thought I was drinking a blend of Belgian Red and cola. The juniper berries were very detectable with a pleasant level of smoke.

Mouthfeel - There was very little carbonation with a dry feel.

Overall - I feel obliged to like this more than I do.

 

I love the smokey taste. It’s well balanced as well with a nice maltiness and full body. I wish I had more!

 

This beer was extremely well-made. Incredibly balanced, great smoke taste but not overpowering. Smooth in the mouthfeel. Overall, a great beer. I wish I had more.

 

 

 

 

 

One of the more unique beers I've had lately. Smoky, dark, and malty with a slight juniper undertone. It paired nicely with smoked summer sausage although I actually regret eating food with this beer in hindsight - the summer sausage really overshadowed the smoky notes in the beer. More confirmation for my opinion that beer and food RARELY improve one another.

 

Huge thanks to Joe for this. Again, too kind.

A beautiful color. Deep garnet with a darkened core. It has great clarity and is capped with a foamy light tan head that looks as soft as a pillow above. As the shimmering bubbles pop one by one, the craters fall slowly back in leaving tree branches of lace from top to base.

Smoke is the first distinguished element, but it is not overbearing. Like the embers at the end of a late night campfire. A light sour apple comes next followed by an earthy tone and just a touch of pressed juniper berries.

A light smoke is once again the first thing to come to taste. Caramel is often used as a descriptor in some beers, but this one actually has a dark caramel flavor to it. Perhaps it is enhanced by the addition of juniper which is dually noted. Either way, it is not too rich and pairs with, even cuts down perhaps, the smokiness perfectly. Though the aroma led me to believe there would be some berry or apple like tartness, there is not. However, as this warms, it takes on a spiced apple cider like quality to it on the end. Simply delicious.

The feel is perfect for this beer. Rich and hearty to keep you warm on a cold autumn night or winter day, but still smooth enough to draw large sips at the edge of a roaring fire. It's sweet, but the added smoky character gives a perception of near perfect balance. It coats the mouth between each sip, and gives off a subtle and enjoyable alcohol warmth.

Gotlandic is awesome. Very unique, and I can only think of one other beer that was anything remotely similar. I enjoyed both immensely. This would be one hell of a beer to drink outside in the snow at night, but I think I'm quite content with my fall evening version of the story just the same.

Thanks again Joe. Sköl!

 

R&D Gotlandic pours a dark russet tone, with an ample head of fluffy meringue foam. Long lasting surface coverage that never breaks, and plenty of delicate, drippy lacing in the glass. Looks very nice.

Aromas of toasted malt, yeast and juniper. Not much smoke presence.

Taste is full and rich, with ample bitterness and malt complexity. Dry aftertaste with some residual bitterness. Smooth feel, full bodied and flavorful. Carb level is medium, it doesn’t distract. Overall this an interesting interpretation of an ancient ale, though it’s not really smoky at all. Still unique and recommended.

Brewed after the Gotlandsdricka tradition on the island of Gotland, Sweden. A great article about the beer scene there: http://beer-trotter.blogspot.com/2015/09/a-visit-to-faro-and-barlingbo-bryggeri.html

Michael Jackson article about Gotland’s brewing traditons:
http://www.beerhunter.com/documents/19133-000794.html

 

 

500ml Bottle
$15
New Glarus Beer Depot

Gotlandic is one impressive looking beer. It's the deepest of reds with a bit of murk but not enough to keep from seeing the occasional stream of bubbles rushing to the surface. The foam comes to a head easily at a finger in height. It's khaki beige and incredibly silky. The staying power is incredible and it leaves behind puffy drink lines of silky lace. Really, a great looking beer.

This is one of those beers you can smell from a couple feet away. The malt base itself is a sturdy dose of dense brown bread. Smoke hugs that malt base, rather softly, never inappropriately, and in a slightly medicinal way like Islay Scotch. The smoke is very well integrated into the malt base, it doesn't overstep. The juniper is in there adding a spicy characteristic throughout. This beer smells like spicy brown bread with a dram of Scotch.The bottle calls it hearty, it's certainly not lying. It's incredibly dense and rich.

Damn, the flavor follows the nose nearly to a tee. It's dense, rich brown bread with a good amount of spice. The juniper brings the spice, the barley the rich breadiness. The smoke permeates the whole and it's absolutely perfect, moderate but lingering and softly sweet. This beer is all around warm and comforting, hearty. There a numbness accumulating on my lips from what I can only assume is the juniper, but it's not bitter. Every profile is perfectly integrated into the next. It seems simple in my descriptors, it is not.

The mouthfeel may be the most well executed aspect of this beer and that's saying a lot. The second it hits your lips, much less your tongue, the body is weighty but like pure velvet. Literally, it almost feels like whipped cream on the lips and like the plushest of velvet on the tongue. With all that, it's in no way heavy or slow moving. As a matter of fact it's light on it's feet and rather airy. Amazing.

Gotlandic is ridiculously good. As a matter of fact, I'm blown away by how good this beer is. It's hearty and spicy with a well rounded smokiness and comforting qualities. Sometimes a beer will bring to mind images. This one brings to mind windswept, desolate coastlines and bleak seas. Scotch and bread.

Smoked nose reminiscent of Pic N Pay. Smoke, leather. Briny berry-caramel burst finishing with dry juniper. Thanks Doug O.