Style: Imperial porter
Brewery: Närke Kulturbryggeri
Origin: Sweden
Size: 25cl
Alcohol: 10%
Price: 149kr
Systembolaget: 30173 (sold out)
Närka Kulturbyggeri is located in Närkes Kil and began brewing in 2011. The brewery has gained a strong reputation for producing high-quality, innovative beers that reflect Sweden’s growing craft beer scene. This version has been produced with heather honey and then aged in tanks for 16 months. It has garnered a perfect 100 rating on Ratebeer and is ranked as the 3rd best Swedish beer ever made, along with 4.19 on Untappd. This is a legendary beer in Sweden, but it comes with a hefty price tag. I always wanted to have this in a tasting, but I never managed it because of just how high the price is. Luckily, this tasting was built for that extra expense, so it was the perfect time to finally try it!
This poured with a deep, dark brown with light ruby highlights evident at the top of the glass. The head was practically no existent, but what was there receded fast to leave a thin collar around the edge of the glass. The carbonation was also fairly muted. The aroma was surprisingly light, with licorice, roasted malts, plums and musty cocoa powder all noted. These all followed through into the taste, with an oily body coating the rich, dark flavours across the tongue. The aftertaste was long, with the chocolate note rising to the top of the complex pile.
I understand why this beer gets so much praise, as it truly is a well-made and delightful porter. I’m not quite sure the price tag is completely warranted, though, as I think you’re paying over the odds for the name. Furthermore, I don’t think many beers could get away with this sort of price tag, but people will buy this just for the reputation. It’s a great beer, but not worth the high price if I’m honest. There are much better porters out there for half the price.