All right to be truthful I went out on a limb with this one, a friend and true beer connoisseur gave me a bottle of this beer. It’s a dark beer from a brewery out of Lino Lakes, Minneapolis. On the website it is called an Alderman Smoked Norwegian Ale. It come in the 750 ml bottle with the Gothic medical drawings. This truly is a smoked beer the likes of which I hadn’t had before.
At first smell there were hints of citrus pouring it into a glass the light golden color is apparent but thicker and darker towards the center. There is a piney almost cedar taste and smell accompanied by a hoppy taste though slightly spicy and it does get slightly bitter as it hits the back of the tongue. Stjordal is a lighter tasting beer but with substance like a double IPA. At 9% ABV it has no lingering alcohol taste.
When I say this is a smoked ale I do mean smoked. The smokiness is akin to grilling smoke, and if you aren’t a fan of the taste you may not like it because its flavor is very apparent in the overall taste. Though lighter than stouts it is heavier than many lagers being loser in consistency to a double IPA. With a very smooth overall blend of flavors this beer requires that you sit back and enjoy it slowly like a fine wine or liquor.