#16: Nekron (Bryggeriet Djævlebryg)

Name: Nekron

Brewery: Bryggeriet Djævlebryg

Style: Stout, 8.5%

I got to try this at a tasting at Nørrebro Bryghus among quite a few others. Most of the other bottles didn't catch my eye, but with Halloween on my brain so much lately, this one definitely did. It's a simple design, but you gotta admit there's some badassery there. The brewery name translates to "devil's brewery" with "damn good beer" written underneath it, and apparently they donate some of the proceeds from their beer sales to the Danish Atheist Society.

So what does sin taste like? My first impression was chocolate and steak. Sounds pretty accurate, if you consider decadence to be one of the perks of siding with the devil. After a couple more sips, the smooth smokiness took over the more delicate flavors, but it was still a devilishly good drinking experience.

Label: 3.5/5

Beer: 4/5

#14: Moose Islay (Nómada Brewing Co.)

Name: Moose Islay

Brewery: Nómada Brewing Co.

Style: Russian Imperial Stout, 12%

A cat in a moose costume? I mean, come on now. This is actually the label that inspired the conversation that resulted in this blog's existence. It's like they made this label just to get me personally to buy it. And hey, it worked! I was surprised to see later that this is actually one of the highest rated Spanish beers on Untappd. Bonus!
Excited to try it, I didn't let it sit out of the fridge to warm up long enough at first. It smelled like soy sauce and tasted bitter and metallic. I thought my hopes had been dashed. However, after it warmed up a bit, some berry notes came out and it was much more palatable. Still not the best Russian imperial stout I've had, but I think if I was really craving one it would do the trick as long as it wasn't served too cold.

Label: 4/5

Beer: 3.5/5

#10: Pride (Amager Bryghus)

Name: Pride (from The Sinner Series)

Brewery: Amager Bryghus

Style: Imperial Stout, 10%

I've been ogling the bottles in Amager's Sinner Series for a while, and I will probably end up blogging all of them. They are named after the seven deadly sins, and their labels are all pretty cool.

Copenhagen Pride is going on right now, so I figured this one would be a good one to start with, even though the beer is about a different kind of pride. *wink*

I had it just below room temperature, and it was very good. The only thing that would raise my opinion of it would be an extra taste in there to set it apart from others in my memory. It's the poster boy for imperial stouts, though. Very good.

Label: 3.5/5

Beer: 4/5

#8: Neapolitan Milk Stout (Saugatuck Brewing Company)

Name: Neapolitan Milk Stout

Brewery: Saugatuck Brewing Company

Style: Milk Stout, 6%

I saw this bottle at Ølbutikken and I loved its cute retro style. It made me want to listen to oldies and have a milkshake. I at least had to get some Neapolitan ice cream to enjoy with it.

At first, this stout smells a bit burnt, so I was a little worried. But when I tried it, I was pleasantly surprised with the taste. The Neapolitan flavors—chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry—are all delicately there. Also, just like I'd hoped, having the ice cream with it enhanced the experience. Since it is less heavy than my usual stouts, eating more than a couple bites of ice cream before a sip of beer does make the beer get a bit lost in my mouth, but I discovered that having two sips of beer for each bite of ice cream was just about perfect. If I get another bottle, I'm totally making a beer float with it.

Label: 3.5/5

Beer: 4/5

#7: Abraxas - Barrel Aged (Perennial Artisan Ales)

Name: Abraxas (Aged in rye barrels.)

Brewery: Perennial Artisan Ales

Style: American Imperial Stout, 11.2%

Evocative of ancient Mayan or Incan design, this label makes me expect a complex, spicy, chocolatey brew. I want liquid hedonism—that sinfully decadent taste and mouthfeel that rewards you just for being alive.

This has that potential. I think if I had tried it after it had aged more, that may have made it better. It was still really good—definitely complex and spicy. The cacao nibs and vanilla didn't come through enough for me though. If it was just a touch sweeter and thicker, it would have been perfect.

Label: 4/5

Beer: 4/5

#6: Nielsbohrium (Cigar City Brewing)

Name: Nielsbohrium

Brewery: Cigar City Brewing

Style: American Imperial Stout, 10%

Ooo, science. When I heard that this beer existed, I wanted it no matter what the label looked like and no matter what kind of beer it was. I'm a sucker for science. When I went to Mikkeller & Friends to pick up this bad boy, I was very happy with the label. It stirred my inner steampunk and I couldn't wait to pop the bottle open at Niels Bohr's grave and toast to him and science. When the time finally came, the taste did not disappoint! It was perfectly balanced, had a great mouthfeel, and a divine nose. And you know how that beer became so amazing? SCIENCE.

Label: 5/5

Beer: 5/5

#2: Motherland (Hopworks Urban Brewery)

Name: Motherland

Brewery: Hopworks Urban Brewery (HUB)

Style: Russian Imperial Stout, 9.6%

What was I just saying about liking things that look like stereotypical Commie Russia propaganda?

I had high hopes for this one because I loved the label, and I love stouts, and I knew I could usually trust HUB to make a good beer. This one, however, was nothing special. I wouldn't quite say it was as boring as a communist's closet, but I wasn't impressed. It's a stout that doesn't stand out. It'll do the trick if you're craving a strong dark brew and this is the best one available, but this would never be the one I crave specifically.

Label: 4/5

Beer: 3.5/5