Hello everyone.  For today’s craft beer review I’m going to be trying the Dark Force Reserva produced by the Haand Bryggeriet Brewery located in Drammen, Norway.

This will be my first from this brewery.  I’m really looking forward to it too.

The website, haandbryggeriet.net, didn’t provide any information regarding this specific beverage, but from the way I understand it’s just the regular Dark Force aged in Akevitt barrels.

Anyway, I’m ready for a sip or two.  How about you guys?

This brew came in a 16.9 oz. bottle with an ABV of 9.0%.

It poured….. black!!!!  A very smooth, creamy and well sized dark tan/mocha colored head sat atop the liquid.  The retention time was excellent and the lacing looked great.  Skims of foam hung onto the glass for a good long while.  A ton of clear alcohol legs were left on the sides after tilting as well.  A very, very gorgeous looking brew for sure.

The nose was very complex and outstanding.  Hints of roasted malt with a very, very light touch of smoke.  Dark fruits of plum and cherries created a slight wine profile.  A very interesting combination of wine, wood and roast.  A smidgen of funkiness and maybe even the most negligible dose of chocolate in there as well.  Very well balanced all the way around.  No one characteristic really out shown the other in my opinion.

The taste brought forth a significant jump in the sweet dark fruits.  Especially the cherries.  It revealed a modest amount of sourness and tartness as well.  Again, very wine-like with a roasted malt and woody/earthy backbone.  I found that the chocolate all but disappeared in the taste.  Only the most meager amount of alcohol and bitterness was savored.  An excellent flavor with this one. 

The mouthfeel was medium bodied.  Very dry and warming.  Slightly chalky, but somehow smooth at the same time.  The carbonation was a bit higher than expected, which was fine with me, and a lot of flavor was left covering the palate after each sip.

Man, this was a great and unique brew.  I would love to have another.  It’s definitely a sipper, however the drinkability is still very good.  It’s a very complex beer with subtle nuances throughout the entire experience.  It would be interesting to see how it changed with a little bit of age.  I think that it could provide a very pleasing occurrence for even the most advanced craft beer aficionado.  There is quite a lot going on here.  I’m sure that more advanced palates could decipher much more than what I could.  I would love to hear some other opinions regarding the Haand Bryggeriet Dark Force Reserva if you have tried it.  And if you haven’t tried it, I would strongly recommend that you do so.  It’s worth the time and effort to seek out.

Thanks for reading and commenting everyone.  I really am grateful to all of you.

Until next time.  Cheers.

Score:  4.4 out of 5
Grade:  A