Kvasir
Dogfish Head Craft Brewery in Milton, Delaware, United States 🇺🇸
Traditional Beer - Kvass Rotating Out of Production|
Score
6.84
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With the help of biomolecular archaeologist Dr. Patrick McGovern, we've re‐created another Ancient Ale, this time from the Nordic climes of Scandinavia.
The recipe for Kvasir was developed with the help of chemical, botanical and pollen evidence taken from a 3,500‐year‐old Danish drinking vessel. The vessel, made of birch bark, was found in the tomb of a leather‐clad woman Dr. Pat says was probably an upper-class dancer or priestess. The analysis pointed to the ingredients used in this unique brew: wheat, lingonberries, cranberries, myrica gale, yarrow, honey and birch syrup.
The base of Kvasir is a toasty red winter wheat, and the bog-grown berries deliver a pungent tartness. While a handful of hops is used, the earthy, bitter counterpunch to the sweet honey and birch syrup comes from the herbs.
The recipe for Kvasir was developed with the help of chemical, botanical and pollen evidence taken from a 3,500‐year‐old Danish drinking vessel. The vessel, made of birch bark, was found in the tomb of a leather‐clad woman Dr. Pat says was probably an upper-class dancer or priestess. The analysis pointed to the ingredients used in this unique brew: wheat, lingonberries, cranberries, myrica gale, yarrow, honey and birch syrup.
The base of Kvasir is a toasty red winter wheat, and the bog-grown berries deliver a pungent tartness. While a handful of hops is used, the earthy, bitter counterpunch to the sweet honey and birch syrup comes from the herbs.
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7.9/10
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Appearance 10
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Bottle. Lactic berry and birch beer (root beer/sarsaparilla) aroma. Golden yellow with moderate head and nice lacing. Tart-sweet berry, sour milk, light malt and moderately bitter herbal flavor. Very nice - as good as most modern fruit sours.
Tried
from Bottle
on 24 Oct 2014
at 19:56
6.9/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
750ml bottle. Nice aroma a berry, flowers too. Filtration makes it quite drinkable. Not world class by any means. Straightforward and OK.
Tried
from Bottle
on 27 Sep 2014
at 19:33
5/10
Tried
on 23 Sep 2014
at 21:51
6/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6
Bottle pours with a clear copper body that supports a thin off white head. The aroma offers up caramel malts, some spiciness, a dash of doughy notes and kind of apple fruitiness. The taste is similar with a bit of roasted malts, sweet malts, caramel malts and spicy apple. This really doesn’t work at all for me. Is it the style or the execution, I may never know.
Tried
from Bottle
on 22 Sep 2014
at 20:26
5/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 5
Texture 4
Overall 4
Draft: Poured a reddish color ale with a medium size foamy head with good retention and some lacing. Aroma of berries and herbs is not the most enticing. Taste was also a weird mix between some berries notes, herbs with weird unrefined grainy notes. Body is light with good carbonation and no apparent alcohol. Interesting experiment but with such low drinkability I think I will avoid in the future.
Tried
from Draft
on 22 Aug 2014
at 12:09
7/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 7
A lightly hazed ale with a thin white head. In aroma, sweet fruity malt with cherry, berries, light porto. In mouth, sweet fruity tartness, berries, alcohol warmth, light tobacco, very nice. Bottle at OttBottleShare July 2014.
Tried
from Bottle
on 22 Jun 2014
at 10:36
8/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
750 ml bottle into signature tulip glass, bottled on 10/11/2013. Pours slightly hazy orange copper color with a 1-2 finger dense off white head with good retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a good amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of tart berries, cranberry juice, strawberry, pear, apple, red grape, honey, toast, bread, light pepper, light woodiness, herbal, and yeast earthiness. Very nice aromas with good balance and complexity of yeast ester, fruit, spice, and malt notes; with good strength. Taste of tart berries, cranberry juice, strawberry, pear, apple, red grape, honey, toast, bread, light pepper, light woodiness, herbal, and yeast earthiness. Minimal bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of tart berries, cranberry juice, pear, apple, red grape, honey, toast, bread, light pepper, herbal, light woodiness, and yeast earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Very nice balance and complexity of yeast ester, fruit, malt, and spice flavors; with a great malt/fruit flavor balance and zero cloying sweetness after the finish. Medium carbonation and medium-full bodied; with a very smooth and lightly slick/syrupy mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with only a slight warming present after the finish. Overall this is a damn nice fruit/spiced ancient ale style. All around good balance and complexity and balance of yeast, ester, fruit, spice, and malt flavors; and very smooth to sip on for the big ABV. A very enjoyable offering.
Tried
from Bottle
on 16 Apr 2014
at 20:33
7.4/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Location: 750 ml bottle from Oak Tree, 2/15/14
Aroma: The nose is sweet and fruity, lots of cranberry and other fruit, plus some sweet malts
Appearance: It pours a pinkish-amber color with a frothy beige head and some spotty lace
Flavor: The flavor is sweet, but not cloying, with some tart notes and a little earthy bitterness
Palate: The body is medium, it has a smooth, clean feel, soft carbonation, and a dry, tart finish
Overall Impression: This is a kind of a nice fruit beer. Even though it is rather sweet (especially on the nose) it still works nicely due to the balance from the light tartness and the earth notes. The combination just works nicely overall.
Aroma: The nose is sweet and fruity, lots of cranberry and other fruit, plus some sweet malts
Appearance: It pours a pinkish-amber color with a frothy beige head and some spotty lace
Flavor: The flavor is sweet, but not cloying, with some tart notes and a little earthy bitterness
Palate: The body is medium, it has a smooth, clean feel, soft carbonation, and a dry, tart finish
Overall Impression: This is a kind of a nice fruit beer. Even though it is rather sweet (especially on the nose) it still works nicely due to the balance from the light tartness and the earth notes. The combination just works nicely overall.
Tried
from Bottle
on 15 Feb 2014
at 11:52
6.5/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
First ratingOn tap as part of a flight at Brewer’s Tasting Room, St. Pete, FL, on January 22, 2014.Clear copper color, white head. Sweet, malty scent. Sweet, fruity taste. Berry aftertaste. Medium mouthfeel, low to very low bitterness.6/3/5/3/10=2.7RerateDraught at Star Bar, April 9 2014.Hazy copper color, no head. Acidic, berry, grainy taste. Grainy aftertaste. Fizzy mouthfeel, low bitterness. Acidic, berry scent.6/3/7/3/13=3.2
Tried
from Draft
on 02 Feb 2014
at 15:34
7.1/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
Bottle from Whole Foods Charlottesville. Pours a hazy amber color with a large creamy tan head. Good head retention. Aroma of floral notes, cranberries, toasted malt, caramel, herbaceous notes. The taste is tart berries, citrus, herbal almost vegetal notes, toasted malts. Medium bodied, slight heat, low carbonation, a touch medicinal.
Tried
from Bottle
on 05 Jan 2014
at 13:44