Like I’ve said before, I’m not here to rate beers. You should really get out there and try beers for yourself. Make your own decisions on what you like and don’t like. All I aim to do is spotlight some standouts you might find enjoyable. I also try to help by letting you know some aromas and noticeable flavors to help advance your palette. That said, let’s move forward.
Haandbryggeriet is a small brewery just south of Oslo, Norway. In fact, they are so small the brewery is run on a voluntary basis in the brewers spare time. Haandbryggeriet is very innovative, as they experiment with numerous ingredients to make some really interesting brews. One in particular — Dark Force.
Dark Force, officially classified as a Russian Imperial Stout, is a about the only wheat stout that I know of. When I say wheat stout, it’s brewed with not only wheat malt, but also a wheat yeast. First and foremost, that is what gives this stout some depth and complexity. Using this yeast gives this stout some fruit tones that wouldn’t be present using an ale yeast.
Since roasted malts are used, you’ll notice a good bit of roasted malt flavors. Dark fruity flavors are also present from the yeast, and coffee is also present. Bitter chocolate/cocoa helps round out this stout, giving your taste buds a lot to sort out. It’s a really interesting stout with a lot to offer.
Dark Force is offered year round when brewed, in 22oz bottles (around $8) and rare draft offerings. ( Brick Store Pub and The Porter both have carried the draft recently.)
9% ABV
