Style: Fruit braggot
Brewery: Ability Brewing
Origin: Sweden
Size: 33cl
Alcohol: 12.3%
Price: 42kr
Systembolaget: 51480
Ability Brewing is based in Malmö and brews under the Malmö Brewing name. A braggot is a blend of both beer and mead styles, with honey added to the beer to act as both a sweetener and an extra source of sugar for fermentation. The braggot style originally appeared during medieval times, and is still the national drink of Wales. Wild raspberries have been added to this brew to give both fruit sweetness and acidity. Braggot is still a very minor style of beer here in Sweden, but I’ve always been quite a fan of them, so if I find a new one I always like to try them. I’ve never tried an imperial braggot with raspberry before either, so it was a no-brainer to put this into the tasting with the other slightly strange beers.
This had a slightly dull and muddy dark amber colour to it, with very low head retention and a thick body that was obvious when swirled. The aroma was powerful, with the raspberry notes blending with the thick honey and heavy alcohol. Combined, they produced a slightly strange aroma which gave a hint of nail varnish remover. The taste was much better than the aroma, with the honey notes coating the tongue first and giving a sweet edge to the mouthfeel. The raspberry taste felt like it was a blend between not only the fruit but also the leaves as well, with a grassy note in the background. The warming alcohol was obvious in the taste, but was still smooth and balanced.
This was a strange but delightful beer to try. The red fruit and honey both came through equally, and the high alcohol packed a punch. I thought this was amazing, and I loved the flavours and the way the thick body helped to carry the high alcohol. Highly recommended!