May the Dark Force Be With You

Vikings.  These guys were pretty cool.  I mean they really were the quintessential badasses of medieval Europe.  Whilst the English were content with drinking tea and wiping their asses with goose necks, the Spanish were determined to bring about another Dark Age through the illumination of Catholism, and the French strutted around like overstuffed peacocks, dropping their weapons at the slightest whiff of an enemy approaching (wait, am I speaking in past tense?), these crazy northern warriors were raiding and pillaging their way through multiple countries, and generally exhuming an aura of awesomeness.

So one would think that should these beastly Scandinavians decide to break into the craft beer scene, they might cause a stir that would rival their infamy of the ancient world.  One might well be correct in such an assumption.  

Thus we are brought to the beer of discussion for the week: it's Dark Force, by, uh...by...Haan-...HaandBryg-...a Norwegian microbrewery.  So what is this beer, pray tell?  It's (you'd best brace yourself for the impending onslaught of awesome) a 'double extreme imperial wheat stout'.  How many other things in history have you ever wanted to try as much as that?  On sheer naming prowess alone, this beer stands so far above all others that one could only conclude it has reached the halls of Valhalla.  

Luckily, the beer is up to the task that the name presents.  This is a really, really good stout.  It's not particularly flamboyant or specializing in any intense flavours like coffee or chocolate, and while those notes are indeed preserved, what it does so well is just blast your taste buds with a force previously unknown to man.  Not only is it a megaton explosion of flavour, but it has the alcohol content to match the intensity, rolling in at a not-too-shabby 9%.  It smells nice too.

And let me just get back to the mere presence of this beer.  It's Norwegian, so it was made by vikings that believe in the existence of trolls.  It's the first beer I've ever seen to be dubbed a 'double extreme' anything.  It's called "Dark Force" for god's sake...what more convincing do you need?  Have this beer in hand, and others will grovel before you, begging for mercy as you plunder their land and women.  It's epic.

Techno Viking.  Timeless.

Taste:  I like a good stout.  So when someone comes along offering something that's both a double and extreme variation of that beer, I tend to notice.  Dark Force does not disappoint; it's really that intense and full-flavoured.

Aroma:  Sweet and almost spicy, sharp and defined.

Aftertaste:  Not at all dissimilar to many other stouts; relatively complex with long lasting flavour.  It's not particularly original, but it's still excellent nonetheless.

Recommended?:  Ja!

Verdict:  I've had another of HaandBryggeriet's beers before, and it was very good, so naturally my expectations for Dark Force were rather high.  They were raped and pillaged by the truth: this is one hell of a stout.

Score:  9.5 mugs out of 10.




For more from HaandBryggeriet, cruise on over to their website:  http://www.haandbryggeriet.net/