Style: Smoked beer
Brewery: Wapnö Gårdsbryggeri
Origin: Sweden
Size: 33cl
Alcohol: 5.7%
Price: 37kr
Systembolaget: 38818
Wapnö is a farm and manor house situated in Halmstad. The barley that they use to make the beer is grown in their own fields, which is then turned into malt and smoked by the brewery. The spent grain left over after brewing is recycled as farm animal feed. They take water from their own spring, situated 12 metres underground, and use biogas to power the brewery. Bamberg, Germany is the heart of smoked beers, with two breweries (Schlenkerla and Spezial) producing the style for over 100 years. But could this come anywhere close to those amazing beers? Unfortunately not.
This was amber coloured with a slight haze. There was literally no head forming when poured, which was very curious. Is it the smoked malts that are affecting the head retention, or did we just get a bad can? It’s hard to tell, but I’m guessing we had a can with little to carbonation whatsoever. It appeared to have a medium body as well. The smoke was light in the aroma, with hints of amber malts, biscuit, honey, and raisins. Honey, bacon and sultanas were found in the light taste, but everything just seemed a bit lacking. The aftertaste was short and I honestly expected more.
This beer left a lot to be desired. I was missing carbonation and a big smoky hit from this beer. If I was being polite, I could say that this a beginners smoked beer, as there are many beers that are a lot heavier in smoke character than this. I would just say skip this though and try something else because I’ve had a lot better if I’m honest.