Photos: M.K. & I. Burheim

 

In the pandemic-ridden summer days of 2020, we see Corona putting a stop to most events planned to take place. However, On a late Saturday evening in Oslo, me and four friends gathered for a special happening that I believe hasn’t happened before (at least I have never seen anything like it?): The mission being to complete the entire line of the Abstract series from Brewdog.

Having gathered quite a bit of them each of us throughout times, we got together to crack them all at once. Yes, writing this the day after… (and it is a terrible day as one can imagine!) i’d forgotten how it feels with such a headache- so I suppose I’ll take it as a bonus reminder. But more importantly: I did take notes! So here they follow- enjoy!

 

 

 

 

AB:01- 3/6
Yellowbrownish colour. Nose is close to BW/quad, subtle notes of caramel. Ripe apples, super-ripe. Quite delicious as a matter of fact, contrary to what I expected.

 

 

 

 

 

AB:02- 1/6

Dark brown colour. Nose: Dark berries/fruity notes. Taste is somehow mouldy, with a straaange bitterness(?)- almost amonia-like sting of old hops. «Not cool», to quote Rick & Morty.

 

 

AB:03- 2/6
Brown & murky looks. Quite sour nose w/raspberries. Stings a bit. Acidity and old basement. It’s not as bad as nr 2…

 

 

 

 

AB:04- 4/6

Seems most promising of the lot so far! Dark, stout is what we have here. Chocolaty notes and chili traces are intact, definite best so far. Withstanding the test of time, this one- which (as a curiosity) is the one that the whole DOG series were based on.

 

 

AB:05- 5/6
Dark as night is what we like for a stout to be. This being no exeption. Belgian Imp stout, this one has the total picture: sweetness, Choc, nutty & fruity. Smooth as f**k!

 

 

 

 

AB:06-3/6
This one I’ve had once before- terrible! So, what now? Black IPA… Sounds awesome. Nose is hoppy and foresty, with clear traces of ageing. Much better than anticipated, thought this would be no good.

 

 

 

AB:07- 3/6
Scotch ale, with liquorice notes. Tastewise, It’s a bit old’ish, but smooth & better than expected.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AB:08- 3/6

Thin. Supposed to be a stout? Caramellish nose. Sweetness in taste. Very mature.

 

 

 

 

 

AB:09- 4/6
Good taste for quite old beer. Vineous, oaky and boozy taste.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AB:10- 3/6
Brown ale aged on Malaga barrels. Accompanied by a dessert wine of Malaga kind, it kinda weakens a bit- seems like lost what was there once. Not bad tasting,

 

 

 

 

AB:11- 2/6
BW. quite weak though. Not bad tasting, but bot good either

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AB:12- 2/6 Belgian strong ale, strenght in raspberries, both in terms of aroma and taste.

 

 

 

 

 

 

AB:13- 2/6 sourish stout. Ageing doesn’t seem to have done this beer well, according to my taste.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AB:14- 3/6 Weissbock. Not usually my fave category in the world of beers, still I’ve had some real good ones before. This one however, is past its prime it seems. Old beerbasement aroma. There’s some sweetness in the taste. Wort-like, but not in a bad way.

 

 

 

AB:15- 4/6 Great! Sweet, bold (still beautiful)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AB:16- 3/6 Very vineous, but at the same time also quite light-bodied. Long aftertaste In this one.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AB:17- 4/6 sweet nose. Candy chocolate combined with distinct coffee features.

 

 

 

 

 

 

AB:18- 3/6 Farmhouse. blend of saisons, aged in rum barrels. Raisins. old. Sour, but sweet undernotes.

 

 

 

 

 

AB:19- 3/6 sweet as well as acidic notes. Quite good balance. Good stuff

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AB:20- 3/6 a little mouldy, but great. Sweet, old but good. Much better than what I remembered from last time I had it actually.

 

 

 

 

AB:21- 3/6

I have no idea anymore what beer type we’re talking. Sweet, a little acidic, and nice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AB:22- 4/6
Raw? Nose could fool me at this point. (“Really? You think??) Taste be like “Y’all, this is some sweet good shit.”

 

 

 

 

 

AB:23- 4/6
Sweet & fruity. Lost 4 further words… 3 left.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AB:24- 3/6 great. A little BBQ, smoky-like.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AB:25- 5/6 Wow! A barley wine that just strikes out like that! This is it. Fresh, aged and rounded off in them edges. Fantastic stuff guys!

 

 

 

 

AB:26- 3/6 spiced, heat, stout-like. Funny & exiting twist on a stout, and it does actually work.

 

 

 

 

 

 

AB:27- 4/6 Bourbon notes and sweetness provides for a good stout. Also: Stoked that this the last one! (Phew) There were several good ones ones in this run, this being one of them. Great finalé! ?

 

 

 

Last but not least: A shoutout to those who were kind enough to trade/sell contribution beers with us, in order for this to take place: Lasse L, David H, Thomas S, Kryzsiek M and Svein Åge B.

Cheers!

 

With a fancy can like this featuring a cat (Little chubby cutie) on the label, this seems promising for a cat lover and beer geek. The kind of beer that has potential outside it’s current boundaries, even for many that are not yet won over in the beer scene. So this hazy juicy neipa from Haand… some thing that they have not done before I believe? Clocking on a 6.7 ABV, I’m excited to try this. The color is beautifully hazy yellow and it’s pours a great head on top. As far as nose and aromas goes, we find here pineapple, citrus/orange, summery that sends associations to a varm summer beach. Now, let’s try it!

Light carbonization, easy notes of both fruit and earth, great subtle hoppyness. Lightly creamy, nice body (giving the impression of being lightly thin at the same time. Great balance between hops and sweetness in this one. Oh yeah it’s fresh, and it places Haand on the NEIPA-map like never before.

Photo: M. K. Burheim

This one has been lying around for a good while… Saving the best for the last-thingy. Being familiar with these guys from before, I’m expecting tons of deliciousness and enormous fruitiness, all entangled inside this blood red contents.

If you’re into mead, this is the thing for you- from Norway. Nose revealing massive amounts of cherries, a vineous yet sweet experience out of the ordinary. As for the taste, it can best be described as imperial- no, divine… or “next level” at the very least. This is the grand stuff, and really delivers what it promises: Cherry delight goodness. Sweet ‘n fruity, thick/full body and dangerously seductive. One almost can’t believe that it is as strong as it is, but be aware: Hidden weapons are present here. This is powerful stuff in all meanings of the word possible. Amazing.

Photo: D. Brochs

 

Black and mystical visually, quite fruity nose with clear references to roasted coffee beans. Almost like your morning coffee actually. It ain’t until the first swag that you’ll go furter into this dark matter and find the next level.

Great carbonisation, distinct coffee hits you first, enhanced with bourbon, nuts and oaky layers, before a very bitter finish- and a suitable heat stemming from the alcohol. There is sooo much coffee taste in here that it is incredible! Unholy goodness. And not unlike the regular KBS version, the smooth mouth-coating feel is great, even though the bitterness clearly cuts through here.

Another great beer from these masters of black brews.

 

Photo: M. K. Burheim

 

 

 

 

After a good 14 days (and then some), the bearded gent Westum himself, decided to “celebrate”… Or shall we say, mark that day and occation. With the entire world being quarantened up, I suppose it would be a great time to brew a beer, keeping several imprisoned souls happy. The time has come to finally taste it…

Presented in a highly stylish can with fitting label concept, the beers actual colour is light yellow, pouring small head. Hazy and murky indeed. Nose is highly priomising, with light citrusy elements such as lemony hints, pineapple and deep down, tempting distinguishable orange. One will hold back no more.

Perfectly carbonated, light appearance with remarkable bitterness that stings for a good while. As for taste elements, it’s overall hoppy, more so emphazizing bitterness than the more typhical-in-haze, fruityness that defuses the “hop-attack”, enhances by pine needles. It’s still containing those fruity elements in a developed scale, with crescendo in the aftertaste, blending orange and bitter hops perfectly. Stunning. I for one, will not complain as long as beverages like this in my hand now, is within reach.

 

 

 

Photo: M. K. Burheim

As one would with such a hyped item, this beer has been looked forward to consuming a long time. Being one of the pretty difficult ones to get hold off out there, expectations are high when pouring this deep murky yellow perfection in the gloss. Aromas of citric fruits, piney notes and mango strikes the nose instantly, all the way from can into glass. Powerful indeed!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Murky-looking, perfectly carbonated, fresh albeit broad and bold, this masterpiece first teases the palate with a swift sweet brush, before all hell breaks loose- cause that is indeed what happens here. I mean sure, yeah- it’s an incredible double IPA, but the grip that the stingy hop has on the tastebuds cannot be described along anything else than stormy, yet still evolving. It’s one of the best examples of how this style’s mastery can be: Complex, all over the place, multi-dimensional and violent to the palate… Completely insane.

Looong after the swig, it keeps on stinging the back of my tongue, like a swarm of miniature hop-bees, ravaging. And several minutes after, it’s slowly fading out, with a sweet fruity  touch closing. This was actually worth the wait. Supreme.

 

Photo: M. K. Burheim

Perhaps not the style that Associated style this brilliant brewery is known for, but none the less; what we have here is an esthetic, deep red berlinerweisse. Pours a beautiful light head in glass, mild nose of red fruits and berries.

Like a light fruitpunch, in contrary to the typhical smoothie-like sours. Superb texture even though so light.

Taste is mild for a split second, before evolving into a fruit-layered, intense Berrytrip. Boysenberries are most distintively active here. It all works very well for this style. Lightbodied, great carbonisation.

Aftertaste is lightly acidic, swiching in between that and sweet hints. Brilliant.

 

Photo: M.K. Burheim