Top Tastings 2009.
A shorter version was originally published in BEER November 2009 as part of a piece about strong ales for winter.
Amager Imperial Stout
ABV: 10.1%
Origin: Kastrup, Hovedstaden, Denmark
Website: www.amagerbryghus.dk
No roundup of winter brews would be complete without a real imperial stout, and one of the very best I’ve tasted comes from under the flight path of Copenhagen airport, and the shadow of mighty Carlsberg. The brewery was founded by Morten Valentin Lundsbak and Jacob Storm in a former air raid shelter as the first brewing undertaking in the area for 50 years. Amager Imperial Stout is one of a number of exciting beers now emerging from Denmark, where innovative micros have mushroomed over the last few years.
Brewed from a mixed grain grist of pale and dark barley malts, wheat malt, brown wheat flour and oats, the beer emerges a very dark chocolate brown with a thick fawn head. There’s plain chocolate, vanilla and exotic spice on the aroma, and a creamy dark malt palate with a spicy botanical hop hit over chocolate and petrolly notes, turning pursingly dry but with softening sugar. There’s lots of roast in the lengthy finish but without too much bitter overcharring, and also artichoke notes, sappy malt and luxurious dark chocolate. In fact the hop rate takes the IBUs north of 140, but given the malt and alcohol the beer certainly isn’t challengingly resinous. Overall this is a superb example of the style, packed full of complex flavours.
Read more about this beer at ratebeer.com: http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/amager-imperial-stout/78118/
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