[Local] HammerHeart Brewing Olaf the Stout

I’ve decided to go local again, this time particularly local to me.  HammerHeart Brewing is a small brewery in Lino Lakes, MN, which is quite close to where I grew up.  When I heard about a Celtic and Nordic inspired brewery making crazy stouts and smoked beers in Minnesota, I was intrigued.  When I found out how close they are to my house, I was even more excited.  Sometime I’ll do a review of the brewery/taproom itself, but I’ll just give you a small idea of how awesome the place is.  They have deer antlers for tap handles, swords hanging on the walls, and play Norse-themed metal (but not too loud).  Basically the coolest brewery I can possibly think of. 

They are quite small, meaning they are flexible and creative in their brewing, releasing many limited beers and crazy concept beers, meaning there is always something new to try.  Additionally, every single employee I’ve talked to has been genuinely cool, willing to talk about beer and always ready to fill a glass or growler.  These are great people making world class beer in a very particular way, focusing on stouts, porters and smoked beers.  This doesn’t mean hop-heads or lighter beer lovers are ignored, but this might be a great brewery to push your beer boundaries, exploring styles you might have never tried.

This beer is called Olaf the Stout, named after a particularly mean Norwegian king.  It is an Imperial Stout made with rye, smoked, and chocolate malts as well as Warrior and Cascade hops, then aged in barrels.

Style: Imperial Rye Stout

ABV: 9.5%

IBUs: 64

Availability: Limited draft/growlers, get there soon!

[Quick Notes] This jet black beer has a wonderful, slightly subtle aroma of roast barley, charred oak, smoked malt, dark roast coffee, dark chocolate, bourbon, vanilla, cherry, raisin, and cranberry.  The flavor takes the aroma and turns the dial to 10, with spicy rye bread, charred oak, smoke, coffee, milk chocolate, and bourbon, with hints of vanilla, cherry, cranberry, raisin and cider-like spices, ending in a delicious bourbon flavored finish with a touch of hops.  The mouthfeel of this beer is decadent and full, like rich velvet that washes over the tongue in the most luxurious way.  This truly is a king among stouts, rich and flavorful and BOLD.

[Appearance] This pours an absolute pitch black color, with no highlights on the edges whatsoever.  They pour the glass quite full, so there isn’t a lot of head, but it is a deep copper or chocolate milk sort of color, sticking around well and leaving some lacing on the glass.

[Aroma] I was a bit congested when I had this one, but the aroma started off a bit subdued.  However, after warming the glass up in my hands a bit (which is recommended for higher ABV beers like imperial stouts), the aroma really opened up, revealing loads of dark malts.  There is dark, rich, roasty coffee and dark, bitter chocolate, still decadent and smooth.  One of the hallmarks of Hammerheart is smoked malt, and there is definitely a smoky, campfire aroma to this beer.  The barrel-aged character comes through in some wonderful dry, charred oak as well as rich vanilla and bourbon, smooth and not overly alcoholic on the nose.  The bourbon also brings in hints of slightly tart cherry, cranberry and raisin as well as a little spice, some subtle nutmeg and cinnamon and allspice.  This beer smells absolutely decadent.

[Taste] Sweet mother of… This beer is mind-blowing from the first sip.  I think the flavor broke my brain.  The flavor leads with big roast barley character, loads of dark roast coffee, really good coffee, along with smooth, rich dark chocolate.  The rye character comes through in a spicy (not hot), peppery way, working extremely well with the bitter malt character.  A sweet chocolate character begins to build, like rich milk chocolate and molasses, thick and syrupy without being cloyingly sweet.  The smoke character from the aroma comes through, bringing smokiness and charred oak to the tongue, somewhat reminiscent of a campfire on a cool fall night.  Then, in the finish, a wave of rich, sweet bourbon sweeps across the taste buds, bringing with it vanilla and dry oak, along with subtle hints of tart fruits like dark cherries, cranberries and raisins, as well as a little bit of spiced character, almost like those in a spiced cider.  There’s also just a touch of dry hoppiness, but it blends so well into the finish that it’s hardly prominent.  There is a decent amount of alcohol character that comes in with the bourbon flavor, though it isn’t brash or harsh at all, it’s simply this warming sensation that sweeps to the back of the throat and into the belly, perfect for a cool summer or fall night.

[Mouthfeel] This category can often be the make-or-break for an imperial stout.  Some beers are simply too thin to hold up the luxurious, decadent flavors, and some are too thick and syrupy, getting cloying on the mouth.  This beer hits the nail on the head.  The body is full and rich and thick, yet still smooth, like velvet.  It carries the richness of the flavors perfectly.  The carbonation helps to carry the beer around the mouth, resolving into a thick, foamy finish that dissipates in your mouth, keeping the heavy beer from becoming oppressive.  This is exactly how an imperial stout should feel: rich, indulgent, and full, yet not syrupy or cloying.

[Overall] It is really difficult to sound like I’m remaining objective in this review, like I’m not a huge fanboy or something.  I’m not exaggerating, this beer is just this good.  If you like stouts, especially imperial stouts, this beer is right up there with some of the best in the world.  I’ve had some of the best barrel-aged stouts in the world, and this beer from Lino Lakes rivals them all.  This beer balances roasty bitterness and dark malt flavors with sweet, rich chocolate and bourbon, all with a perfectly full and luscious body.  Even if you’re not into stouts, how can you pass up chocolate, bourbon, vanilla, fruit, and campfire?

While Lino Lakes might not be the closest place for everyone, if you're in the metro area, it is well worth the drive to HammerHeart.  This is one of a very few breweries I will go out of my way to support, seeing as they come from my neck of the woods, make kickass beer, and are generally cool people.  Check them out for a pint or bring home a growler to make you the best friend of everyone in your house.

Cheers!