Bottel from Dinkinsonbeer, thanks! Orange brown color, no head. Ginger, orange marmelade and a hint of smoke in the aroma. A most odd combination of fruity sourness and smoke in the flavor. Orange marmalade, twigs, ginger, raspberry, lemon and grapefruit sourness. Rye. Syrupy mouthfeel. Some mango and pear sweetness. I love this rather complex beer!

Bottle at Clockworks. Pours golden brown with big herbal nose. tastes of mint skol dip, junipers, tea, herbal and wood bark. plenty carbonated almost like how I picture medieval medicine to taste

750ml bottle@Hoboken#1-thanks Jimmack–pours a disappearing white head and murky yellow/brown color. Aroma is vinegar, lemon, spice, light malt. Taste is vinegar, lemon, spice, light malt, woody. Minimal carbonation. Occasional.

Bottled. A hazy amber beer with no head. The aroma has notes of wood, fruit, and heather, as well as light smokey notes. The flavor is sweet and very smokey, combined with notes of over ripe peaches, leading to a dry and rather bitter finish. The body is powerful and the alcohol burns slightly in the throat. Very interesting - very complex.

Bottle. (THX to Papsoe) . Golden colour with an off-white head. Aroma is honey, hop. Flavour is honey, hop, caraamel, fruit. Strange brew.

Bottle. (thx to papsoe) Clear, golden, with a minimal off-white head. A bit smoked, lightly sour and some sweetness in the nose. Sweetness, some dried fruits, caramel and a wee hint of acidity in the flavor. Medium body with a little astringent feeling. Strange beer, drinkable though. Not really sure that they brewed what they intended... (070510)

750mL bottle from Dorwart, shared with Olivier on 1/26/07
Immediate lack of carbonation is noted by the barely perceptible "pffft" when opening the bottle. The liquid, then, is still, viscous-looking and produces no head or lacing (though some light legs are left on the glass). Unfiltered, of course, but leaving the sediment behind, the clarity is medium to medium-high and a strong bronze-copper with golden raisin hues.
The bog myrtle and birch bark practically leap from the glass! Just kidding, I have no idea what the hell those smell like. Seriously though, strong juniper, anise and vanilla can be discerned immediately, and the rest is anyone’s guess. It also smells like rosemary, a bit of ginger and white pepper (I realize none of these are actually in there). So ya, it’s spicy/herbal. Behind the spicing is a strong, rather sluggish sour note of over-ripe peaches, nectarines and blood oranges. That must be the "sour malt" and bread yeast. Certainly some residual sugars are felt from the pale malt, but it’s not overly sweet by any means (the sourness and spicing taking care of that). It ends rather snappy and astringent, on a strong herbal note with the sourness never releasing its hold on the aroma. Ok. So now that I’ve described it, how does it fit together? While I enjoy the sour malt/bread yeast, I think the one-two combo of the heavy spicing and sourness makes for a bit too much dominance of some of the more subtle ingredients that I think would be interesting to smell (rye, wheat, hops, smoke). I really don’t get much smoke at all in the nose, just a touch of light singed wood. The malts are big and round, but rather sluggish at the same time, seeming to get a bit too jumbled. The strength of the aroma is very high, however, or as high as expected without any carbonation to release it. No alcohol noted in the nose.
Wow. What a crazy flavor. Sweet and sour collide as sweet pale malts clash with the sour lactic and/or acetic notes imparted from the yeast. Herbs come on pretty moderately, surprisingly, with juniper drying things out nicely and giving a bit of a sting. Not sure what is responsible for it, but all the while, there is a big, fat, round, juiciness that no doubt comes from a mixture of acids, sour malts and pale sugars, but it seems very fruity as well. Sour peaches, I guess. It adds a pleasant dryness and complexity that transitions in to a somewhat darker, moderately spicy rye flavor. The more I drink, the more distinct the spicy rye becomes. Finally, on the very finish, I taste a bit of woodsmoke. Reminds me of the nutty, almost singed flavor of the dark wheats found in Bells Wheat 6 and 8.
The texture is nearly flat, of course, and has a strong viscosity, though I would not call it syrupy. I know the lack of carbonation is intentional, and authentic, but I think if the Vikings had a chance, they would have liked some carbonation. Or maybe not...but I’d like some anyways. It would certainly help separate some of the flavors and lighten the thick mouthfeel.
Regardless, it’s ridiculously well-made/recreated beer. The juniper, smoked malt, rye, wheat, bread yeast and wood barrel aging are all true-to-style. Though did they use pale malts at that time? Regardless it’s a great beer. I can’t say I loved it, and it’s probably one of the top 3 most challenging beers I’ve ever drunk, but I bet it would grow on you. I’ll have to get more while I can. Thanks Jason!

kp’s Fest of 26 Pours with a fleeting white head over a clear, medium amber body. Aroma of malt and plenty of smoke. Smoky, with a sweetness that develops into the finish.