Style: Belgian Dark
Brewery: Stift Engelszell / Eskilstuna Ölkultur
Origin: Austria
Size: 33cl
Alcohol: 10.5%
Price: 50kr
Systembolaget: 10820
In 2012, the current brewery was founded on the grounds of the monastery, making Engelszell Abbey the eighth brewery to join the ranks of Trappist breweries. This was brewed in collaboration with Eskilstuna Ölkultur. The bottles were allowed to rest for two years to mature, and hopped with the Swedish hop variety Korsta. As I knew this would be strong, rich and very malt forward, I wanted a cheese that would counterbalance this. I chose blue cheese on dark rye bread, to give a salty edge to the big, sweet beer, and I’m very happy with the combination.
This was a very dark ruby in colour with a rapidly disappearing beige head. The body seemed rather thick and had good clarity. The aroma was delightful, with winter spices, caramel, plums, raisins and brown sugar all combining. The taste was fulfilling, with the aromas all evident in the taste. The sweet toffee and brown sugar were noted at the start of the taste, while the spices rose more to the forefront in the aftertaste. The body was rather oily in the palate, with the alcohol evident, but still adding to the experience of the body in a positive way.
This was an absolutely beautifully made beer, with the cheese adding an extra dimension. Rich and bold in both aroma and taste, this was a successful collaboration between two well regarded breweries. If you get a chance to try this, I would highly recommend it.