Hello, and welcome back to the Eternal Hoptimists,
As its nearly Halloween, we have decided to investigate the most terrifying of spooky beers. In true Scooby Doo fashion, we got the gang together, and have split up to look for clues! Let’s just hope there are plenty of scooby snacks on hand to see us through!
First up we have Mark, and the legend of ‘Trolltunga’
‘If you like a nice sour then you really should try Buxton Trolltunga’ is something that has been said to me on more than one occasion, so when I was asked to review this beer to say that I was excited is an understatement.
This collaboration between two formidable breweries, Buxton and Lervig is a beer that has always evaded me, until now. Does it live up to my high expectations? Read on to find out.
1. Name : Trolltunga
2. Brewery: Buxton, Derbyshire & Lervig, Norway
3. Hops : Not specified
4. Grain : Barley, oats and wheat
5. Aroma : Full on gooseberry tarteness which hits the nose as soon as the can is opened
6. Appearance : Hazy light straw coloured beer with no head retention, perfect for a sour
7. Body : Medium body with a lovely mouthfeel
8. Taste : Very tarte yet very moreish gooseberry with a great balance of hops in the mix
Let’s start with clearing up what the name of the beer means. Trolltunga is a jutting rock in Norway, hanging 700 meters over lake Ringedalsvatnet. Only the wary tread the path to the very edge. The beer was brewed to celebrate friendship and a love of wild places…..now on to the beer!
As soon as I cracked the can I knew that this was going to be something pretty special as the aroma of a combination of hops and tarte gooseberry was instant and just blew me away. Once it hit the glass I took a big smell and wow! I could sit and sniff this beer for hours, talk about appealing!
As the beer hits the pallet you get a lovely initial hop hit which builds into an incredible lip smacking gooseberry tartness which lingers around the mouth making you crave more. As the pallet becomes more accustomed to the initial tarteness you can appreciate just what an incredibly well balanced and superbly well brewed beer this is. For a long time after finishing the can I had the taste lingering on the pallet and I honestly did not want the experience to end.
Those who have previously said to me ‘If you like a nice sour then you really should try Buxton Trolltunga’ were absolutely right. This is an incredible beer and one that I will look to have each and every time I come across it.
Our Jack ‘O Rating is: 4.6/ 5.0
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