Carlsberg Semper Ardens Criollo Stout
Carlsberg Danmark A/S

A: Super black with a hint of red on the fringe. Thin head with light lacing.
S: Smells of rich malt and hints of chocolate.
T: Tastes of a dark chocolate. Very flavorful and rich. Best at a cooler temperature. It has the exact finish of eating dark chocolate.
M: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
D: It is a sweet beer that finishes with the famliar dark chocolate taste.

This beer pours a black with a light tan head. The smell is sweet and of cocoa. The taste compliments the smell and is full of a coca taste. It is not a heavy taste for a stout. The mouthfeel is smooth and the beer as a whole is very drinkable. Very decent Danish beer.

Appearance: deep dark brown, almost opaque, medium layer of dark tan/greenish head that fizzles down to a sparse crown (though that could be the sub-par glassware that I'm forced to use at the moment)

Aroma: coffee, burnt chocolate, vanilla, malt, twinge of acidity, hint of smoke

Flavor: starts of with a grainy malt base that is quickly swallowed by a wallop of dark chocolate and coffee, just a hint of sweetness at the beginning, wheat and roast tanginess, soy sauce, prunes, slight spiciness from the rye, finishes dryish with a full roasty/caramelly aftertaste

Mouthfeel: medium-full body, gentle carbonation, smooth, gentle warming

Other comments: See... this is one of those times when a brewing giant puts a little creativity behind their expertise and makes a really nice beer for the connessieur market. Not a disappointment. The winter rye beer is even better (and I've got the First Gold IPA and the Abbey Ale in the fridge right now).

They use Criollo and Valrhona chocolate in this beer. It says on the bottle that it is unfiltered, so there may be chocolate particles in the bottom of the bottle. When I up-ended this one I ended up with some chunks!

(700 ml bottle). Pours very dark with a moderate head. Aroma and flavour of liquorice, dark chocolate and roasted malts. A bit too much liquorice in my book. Still, this is a very good stout, but not a taste experience that much better than Carls Porter - not enough to live up to the price difference IMO. I guess some of the point with the Semper Ardens range is that Carlsberg want to show the world: "Hey, we can brew good beer too - but that is VERY expensive!" Price aside, you have to give them props for trying. After they killed Wiibroe Imperial Stout Porter, Carls Porter is the only surviving moderately priced quality Carlsberg beer - innovation is reserved for the Semper Ardens range, just pay and be happy!