Brewery: Bryggverket
Country: Sweden
Size: 33cl
ABV: 9.1%
Price: 50kr
Systembolaget: 32855 (Just the original version)
So when I talked to the guys at Bryggverket about doing a tasting with a number of their beers, they were really enthusiastic about it. One thing I did want though was something completely different that wasn’t on sale anywhere else. We came up with the idea of doing two special edition versions of their amazing imperial stout Kaakao Kaakao. After much discussion we decided on a cherry version, which was christened “Cherry Storm”. The second special edition was named “After Ek” as it contained mint, Hennessey cognac and an oak spiral. We tried both special edition beers plus a sample of the original Kaakao Kaakao together to help compare them all the different versions of this chocolate stout with each others.
All of the samples had nearly exactly the same appearance as you would imagine: full bodied, rich deep brown in colour and a creamy hazelnut colour head with low carbonation. All three samples of course had the same dark bitter chocolate aroma base with some nice roasting and licorice. The Cherry Storm was a cherry bomb of aroma, with a massive sweet cherry smell dominating nearly everything else. In the After Ek edition the mint also came through well, with a mild oak in the background to round things off. The coffee, thick cream and cocoa nibs were at the forefront upon tasting, but the cherry sweetness again demolished everything in the Cherry Storm, with the overpowering red fruit stealing all the credit. The fusion of mint and chocolate worked really nicely in the After Ek, leaving a fresh feeling on the tongue. All three coated the entire palate with their rich bodies. Coffee grounds and a slight nuttiness resided on the tongue in the aftertaste of the original beer. The Cherry Storm left a nice red fruit sweetness along with the bitterness whilst the oak came out fully in the After Ek after swallowing. All the samples were warming, but not boozy as the well hidden 9.1% never felt too much.
This was a crazy end to the tasting! To be able to try three different varieties of the same beer at once was amazing, especially as the beers are so massive in both body and flavour. When I did a vote during the tasting of these three, the winner and most popular was the original Kaakao Kaakao but I think all of them had a lot of positives. Personally I could easily drink them all again. This is a very well crafted imperial stout, and one of my favourites in fact, with or without the added extras. I don’t know if these two special beers will ever get repeated, but if they do I will be there to try them all again. Excellent fun.