Dugges Big Idjit Imperial Stout

 Dugges Big Idjit Imperial Stout. 

12 % ABV. Brewed and bottled by Dugges Bryggeri, Landvetter, Sweden.

Hey, everyone, let's have a Swedish beer. It's been a while. And let's make it an Imperial Stout, while we're at it. 

To the eye: Solid blackness, fully opaque, slim brown head. 

In the nose: deep and rich. Charcoal and chocolate, molasses and anise, roasty and smokey. Exceptionally intriguing. 

In the mouth: More depth, more deliciousness. Big and bold, huge and hearty, thick and powerful. Rich malts, chocolate and caramel convene with all those riches noted in the nose. Small sweetness, minor hops. Feels a little ...less than, though. I can't find a date on it, but it had been on the shelf at the store where I work since the day I started...sixteen months ago months ago. 

Dark malts since 2005. Dark Malts forever. This is a big and bold imperial stout, bigger and bolder than most. So, what does that make this beer then? An imperial (it's a word) stout. A more imperial stout? Let's just say it's big. Big Idjit. 

Omnipollo Pleroma Raspberry Creme Brûlée Sour Ale

Omnipollo Pleroma, Raspberry Creme Brûlée Sour Ale Brewed with Lactose Sugar with raspberries and vanilla added. Alc. 6 % by Vol.
Omnipollo Brewing, Stockholm, Sweden.

Reddish hue, highly clouded, slim, pinkish head.

In the nose: Sour and raspberry, from the start. Sweet and sour at play. I'm getting the cream and vanilla, too.

In the mouth: Crisp, refreshing, sour and fruity. Delicious. Can't help liking it. Fruit flavor feels fresh, lively. Medium body, long fruity finish, ending on a dry-ish note. This vanilla and lactose is not getting in the way of the raspberry sour.

It's not a "milkshake" sour, even if it is. Creamy, sweet, sour, fruity, and all good.

Omnipollo Oaxaca Mango margarita slush IPA

Omnipollo Oaxaca Mango margarita slush IPA. 6.5% ABV. Brewed by 12 Percent, Stratford, CT.

I don't know if you've heard this by now, but I tend to steer away from the milkshake IPA. I just hate them. But, this was a sample, so I'm gonna drink it and give my honest opinion. Away we go.

Utterly hazed out, thick and impenetrable, deep golden hue, slim white head.

In the nose: Citrus notes. Some tropical. Minor hops. Touch of sweet and creamy.

In the mouth: I get the IPA here. I'm not picking up on the vanilla and lactose, so much. These beers should be fresher than this, I think. Come to think of it, what is this, anyway? "Mango margarita slush IPA?" "India Pale Ale brewed with lactose sugar, mango, lime, grapefruit, and vanilla added."
Yeah, it's "margarita"-ish, I guess. Limey. Mango-y. Grapefruit-y. Yeah. And milky. And vanilla-y. And a crazy, mixed-up mess.

The one thing this has going for it is that it's more IPA than milkshake, but it's got nothing else going for it. It's alright, but ...not very necessary. I'm pretty sure that I don't like it. I'll finish it, but it won't make me happy.

Mango margarita slush IPA brewed with lactose, mango, lime, grapefruit & vanilla.

Rekorderlig Premium Wild Berries Hard Cider

I'm thinking about changing the name of this blog. Mover over Bitter Nib, here comes The Bitter Core. They keep giving me cider, I keep posting notes on the blog. Now, here's one from Sweden. the Abro Bragger of Vimmerby to be exact.

Rekorderlig Premium Wild Berries Hard cider blended with wild berries made from pure Swedish spring water. Serve well chilled. 4.5% all./vol.

Clear, with a distinctive pinkish tint. (Should I not mention the head when writing about cider?)

In the nose: Sweet berries, with a touch of tart. Raspberry, for sure. Strawberry, definitely.

"Best served over ice" the label tells me, "for a crisp, cool and refreshing experience." I'm going to shelve that suggestion.

In the mouth: Fizz. High carbonation. Light body. (Of course, I have to remind myself, aren't all ciders?) Sparkling. Sweet, but not overly, with a slight touch of tart. Easy drinking. Personally, it's doing it for me. Perfectly passable, but not especially remarkable.

Omnipollo Aniara Pale Ale

Omnipollo Aniara. Pale ale brewed with lemon juice. Brewed at Crazy Mountain in Colorado.
There may be more information here, but I can't read the label very well. Green on blue doesn't pop out at you.

Bright, beautiful straw gold coloring, lightly hazed, with a generous helping of milky froth atop.

Aroma: Major citrus zest meets minor cat pee. Low hop bitterness. Lovely stuff.

In the mouth: The lemon leaps out and wrestles with the tongue, palate is pummeled by citrus twists. Spanks the tongue with each new sip. Yee-ow. After the initial assault, it mellows in time. Lip-licinkgly delicious. Medium-bodied, and easy-drinking. Nice one.

Shall I call this a "lemon bomb"? No, because I detest that phrase. But it's long on the lemon, and definitely a treat.

Omnipollo Fatamorgana Imperial IPA

Omnipollo, Omnipollo, Omnipollo!!! What is this thing called Omnipollo? Why are people talking about? What is it, and who cares?

That was me, ignorant and bewildered. I asked some Swedes that I met recently who the best Swedish brewer was, and they answered: Omnipollo. Well, I'd better check this stuff out, right? So, here's my first bottle of Omnipollo, and I'm going to do something unusual for me and read the gobbledygook first:

"Drawing inspiration from the fidelity of a saison — rustic, alluringly cloudy and crisp — this imperial IPA was brewed using oats and wheat. Dry-hopped twice and completely untouched post fermentation to preserve aroma and flavor.
Henok

Imperial IPA, 8 % by vol.
Brewed at Pub Dog Brewing in the USA.
Artwork by Karl Grandin."

Onipollo is a "gypsy brewer", using brewing facilities around the world, rather than being a "brick and mortar" brewery, based in Stockholm, Sweden. And now I will drink their beer.

Hazy, bright golden coloring, vast, puffy white head, leaving lace and looking beautiful. 

Aroma: bitter, sweet, and dry all at once. Gorgeous. Citrus and tropical fruits aplenty, all ending on a bittersweet, yet dry note. Mmmm-hmmm. Ahh...

In the mouth: Hmmm, there it is again. Starts bitter, piney, then tropical and sweet, then dry, rounding it out. Floods the mouth with deliciousness, then jumps right out. Next sip: there it is again, with more citrus, some lemon and lime and a touch of grapefruit, some bitter, then dry. Nice. Little bit of "cat pee" happening too, but it's a wonderful thing in this beer. Mmmm, mmm. 

Mmmm, good stuff. 

Carnegie Porter 5.5 (Sweden)

Bought a bottle the other day of a beer I haven't seen in years. One of my old favorites, the Carnegie Porter from Sweden. Here are the notes from last night:

D. Carnegie & Co. Porter, Argang 2010, Klass III…a lot of Swedish words.

Dark, plummy brown body, roasty tan head, slims down to size, leaving a little lace.

Aroma: Beautiful. Dark fruits, raisins, dates, plum, with a wine-like edge…dark rum, cognac, leather. Very brandy-ish. Much more happening than I expected. Hadn't had this one in so long, I'd forgotten.

Taste: There's that dark fruit in the flavor, resting on top of roasty malts. Medium-bodied, long, slightly sweet finish. Low bitterness, rich malt. Very tasty.

Glad to see Carnegie Porter back, although the bottle finished far too quickly. I guess that's my fault, though, eh?

And now, here they are,
Notes from December, 2002:
A definitive ebony hue. Good, crackling tan head. As Fred Eckhart recommends, put this one to your ear and listen! Aroma is a blast of espresso, cocoa, anise and molasses. Rich and roasted, with loads of bitterness on the palate and a tenacious finish. Complex, if a bit gritty. Not a brew for novices or girly-men, this is stiff and substantial stuff. Label says best before August 2O1O, but who could wait that long? Unfortunately, the brewery has become bereft of their senses and is discontinuing this classic, so grab one if you can.