The 2-4 Days of Christmas Day 16: Hornbeer's Viking Chili Stout

Beer # 264 Viking Chili Stout (Megagrisk)
Hornbeer

Valby, Køpbenhaven, Denmark
Independent Microbrewery
Flavoured Stout 10.0 % ABV 
Brown Glass Bottle 500 ml
$8.20 (Canadian) At LCBO 

Twitter: N/A



Tonight's offering is another beer from Denmark. This Chili Stout, that was awarded Best new beer of 2013, is produced by a small brewery in a suburb of Copenhagen. Formed in 2008, Hornbeer... (I kid you not!) was the brainchild of Gunhild and Jorgen Fogh Rasmussen (I think they are married... not sure). Jorgen was a farmer and a home brewer and decided to take his hobby to a commercial level. Only able to brew 300 L at a time the brewery did very well at first. Their Caribbean Rum Stout won best new beer in Denmark in 2008. However before that first year let out the brewery burnt to the ground. Undaunted, Gunhild and Jorgen rebuilt a much larger space able to produce 2000 HL per year. And more importantly... They made a commitment to brew a greener beer. The new brewery is powered by solar panels and the beer is cooled using geothermal power. They are committed to brewing a CO2 neutral beer. 

So how does a greener beer taste? Let's find out...

Pours a deep dark brown with a perfect tan coloured head made up of small bubbles. The  beer is the same colouration of a Doberman Pinscher. The aroma is heavily roasted barley malt with hints of cocoa, chili powder, and vanilla. First sip gives us the last ingredient of the beer, the licorice. while not overpowering the licorice flavour lends a sweet sharp spike to the beginning of the beer. Very smooth and sweet, slightly creamy on the mouthfeel. The licorice gives way to a slightly sugary vanilla cocoa taste, and the peppers hit you on the finish. never more than a mild warming and a tingle on the tongue and the back of the throat. Aeration ramps up the chilis and makes the smoky malt pop. Finish is a nice lingering warmth.

Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 


Cost: 5/6 PASS
Colour: 5/6 PASS
Beer Style: 5/6 PASS
Re-Order:  6/6  EXCEPTIONAL
Experience:  6/6 EXCEPTIONAL
Christmas Cheer: 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL

Final Thoughts:



Of all the beers I have tried this Christmas, This is one of my favourites. It is well balanced, and the additives are balanced and used to achieve an excellent overall product. This beer is smooth silky and delicious and if you can still find a bottle snap it up. I personally would LOVE to make a creme brûlée with this beer; the sweet chocolate and chili heat would pair wonderfully with a creamy custard.


Cheers 

CJT

Follow me on Twitter: @pintjockey
Like me on Facebook: Pint Jockey Online

And don't forget to "Friend" me on Untappd.

The 2-4 Beers of Christmas Day 4: Midtfyns Bryghus Chili Triple

Beer # 252 Chili Tripel

Midtfyns Bryghus

Årslev, Denmark
Microbrewery
Flavoured Belgian Tripel Ale 9.2% ABV 
Brown Glass Bottle 500ml
$5.20 (Canadian) At LCBO

Twitter: @MidtfynsBryghus


Back again for the fourth instalment of my Christmas tasting series. Sadly I am a day behind posting this because I was out last night to our work Christmas Party. So I am catching up today with two posts. The first one is an interesting find from a microbrewery in Denmark. The beer is a chili infused Belgian tripel. Clocking in at a skull splitting 9.2% ABV, this beer has been voted the Best New Beer in Denmark ( 2009) and the Best Spiced Beer at the 2012 World Beer Awards. Midtfyns started brewing in 2005 in an old converted butcher shop. Initially they brewed two beers on licence from Scotland. Eventually they built a selection of beers and had to move into a larger facility, the current brewhouse in Årslev. They have received many accolade and are regarded as a driving force in the Danish craft beer scene.

Let's bring the heat...

Pours amber with a short head made of small, light tan bubbles. The nose is sweet and malty. The first sip is very sweet almost cloying. Very candy-like. It is obvious that sugar or malt extract was added to boost the alcohol content. A lot of the sugar is not fermented out leaving the beer tasting almost like a dessert wine. The heat creeps in on the background. It starts off like the burn from ginger beer and doesn't get much hotter. Aeration gives us chili powder, a little more burn in the throat, and some super sweet malt sugars. Lingering clove on the finish.

Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 


Cost: 5/6 PASS
Colour: 5/6 PASS
Beer Style: 4/6 PASS
Re-Order:  3/6  SO-SO
Experience:  4/6 PASS
Christmas Cheer:  5/6 PASS

Final Thoughts:

This beer was distressingly sweet, and not spicy enough for me; especially given how sweet the beer was. There was some nice flavour. Maybe if I was drinking it while eating something it wouldn't be so bad. Definitely worth a try though.

CJT


Follow me on Twitter: @pintjockey
Like me on Facebook: Pint Jockey Online

And don't forget to "Friend" me on Untappd.