This brew is produced by a brewery located in Nyköping; Nils Oscar. When it all started, some years ago, they had their brewery just a block away from my house. Well, they have expanded and now they also make vodka. The old brewery got to small for their rapidly expanding business, they had to move to a new location. They merged with another brewery located by Nyköping. So, Stockholm, lost a fine brewery – but, what they produce is very drinkable. It is not the entire story, but I’ll save that for another time.

The beer I have reviewed got a good reception at the Stockholm Beer & Whisky festival 2006, it was praised as the best Swedish beer on bottle that year.

Three different malts has gone into to this ale; pilsner-, Munchner- and caramel. They used the American Amarillo hops for pungecy.  All together this should give “broad” taste, we’ll see.

Opening the bottle and pouring into the glass renders some good froth. It start dissolving after a while, a rather short lifespan though. Sniffing it indicates a typical ale, some hops and maybe a weak tone of sweets, almost candy. The color is amber and clear.

Taste: there is some bitterness from the hops, some maltiness, some undefined fruit – nice and agreable, but a little too weak for my palate (*). Aftertaste is a bit short, but overall the taste has a refreshing quality. It is a very nice ale, but I find it goes best together with a meal. Not really on its own, in my opnion, but definitely with something edible to accompany it. Why not something spicy and pungent, some nice Indian stews with chutney, or ..?.

Skål! (Sw: cheers!)

* Upcoming review on something I really really like!

Breakfast. The most important meal of the day and almost nothing beats a proper English breakfast. I once stayed at the Bell hotel in Sandwich Kent UK. It was a quaint, old hotel oozing with character and boasting a breakfast unlike any I had ever experienced, exceeded in brilliance only by the famous buffet at the Ritz Carlton Kapalua. This breakfast consisted of eggs, bacon, toast with jam, fried tomato, mushrooms, black pudding, sausage (that’s right, 2 kinds of sausage) and pot of Earl Grey Tea.

This is the sort of stick-to-your-ribs breakfast is what gets the Brits to 10:00 AM tea and cake. I could get used to that. I could also see myself adding Founder’s Breakfast Stout to my regular rotation. Crack this English-styled brew and put your snout down in it. Take a deep snort and allow yourself to be overtaken by a nutty, coffee-chocolate, slightly smoky aroma that you can nearly taste. It pours like motor oil and has a gorgeous head that you could float a penny on. It has a deep, rich flavor and is a lot more viscous than it looks. It is complex, as a stout should be. The beer is pitch black with red hues and a thick head that seems to emit an aroma that draws you into the experience. If you drink more than one in a session, you might pay for it later. This is a sipping brew, an indulgence. There is a touch of carbonation for amusement, but overall I am in amazement.

我尝试将中文。This is the Chinese New Year of the Ox episode of Belching Monkey. Not only did I review a Chinese beer, I attempt to do the show in Chinese. Subtitles are available for the people who do not speak Chinese. The featured track is “Superstar” by Chinese super girl group, S.H.E.