Gudeløs
Brewery: Djævlebryg
Type: Imperial Stout
Alcohol: 8.9%
Country: Denmark
In case you are not familiar with the Danish language, the name of this beer translates to 'godless'. A fitting name for a beer brewed by The Devils Brewery. It's made even more fitting by the fact that this beer was brewed for the Danish atheist society. This blog is not around to take any positions on religion, just good beer. I have however heard that this is a beer worth a dance with the devil in the pale moon light. So in the immortal words of R.E.M., I'm going to put this beer in the spotlight and lose my religion.
from the label:
"Bryggeriet Djævlebryg and the Danish Atheist Society entered into an unholy alliance in 2008 and the result is 'Godless': an accessible imperial stout offering burnt notes from the malt mingled with sweet nuances and a warming depth from the alcohol."
Pours a brimstone black with an un-holy deep mocha head that towers over the beer and refuses to be banished. The aroma is a room possessing mix of dark roasted malt, sweet black licorice and some kind of almost sugary caramel/chocolate fruit. The taste starts out with a little bitter hard roasted taste but then evens out into a devilishly smooth mix of espresso and chocolate. There is a strange bit of tartness mixed into the background of the beer. An almost citrus/berry juice type quality, which I am not sure is a flaw in the beer, but I am sure that it actually adds a little something to the taste and strangely enough works here. A pretty resounding bitter finish between the hops and the dark malts, which give way to a long lasting roasted coffee and dark chocolate aftertaste. Very nice full mouthfeel without a trace of that almost 9% booze content. Very well balanced and supremely drinkable. When they call this an "Accessible imperial stout" they got it right. Not overpoweringly big and boozy, or overwhelmingly flavored, this is a perfect example of balance in a high ABV beer. If you will excuse me one final bit of fun with the name and the subject matter, it is obvious Djævlebryg knows that the devil is in the details, because it's all the little details that make this beer so great.
