Hello again beer aficionados, judges, aspirants, brewers, miscreants and lovers. We’ve got a truly special bottle this week, it has been peeking out on shelves for a couple of weeks now, but it is finally time to give this one a proper review. We have before us a treasure from Omnipollo — Barrel Aged Agamemnon.
Agamemnon was of course, a character in Greek Mythology, whom among other things managed to command the united Greek armed forces in the Trojan War. Also, upon his return home from Troy was nearly instantaneously murdered by Aegisthus, the lover of his wife. So what does that mean for this beer? It means we are looking for a raucous, overbearing, assaulting force of a beer, who takes no prisoners.
This is a big, enormous, almost monstrous and mythical beer, without a doubt. Billed as an “IMPERIAL STOUT BREWED WITH MAPLE SYRUP AGED IN BOURBON BARRELS” it clocks in at 13.2% ABV, and a fairly hefty price tag. Omnipollo has long been known for their high prices and limited availability, founded in 2011 by Henok Fentie and Karl Grandin in Stockholm, Sweden, their mission is simple — “We conceive our recipes at home and travel to different breweries across the globe to craft our ales. Our ambition is to change the perception of beer — forever.”
Brewery: Omnipollo — Stockholm, Sweden
Beer: Barrel Aged Agamemnon — Imperial Stout Brewed With Maple Syrup Aged In Bourbon Barrels
ABV: 13.2%
Cost: $17.99 / 12.7oz
Appearance – (5/5) Through and through, this is one of the best presented and visually appealing beers I have come across. Seriously awesome, painted on artwork adorns the front of the bottle, seemingly peering into your soul from the shelf. The beer pours out of the bottle as a dark, deep, rich nearly black color into the glass. Thick and dense, it forms a dark chocolate colored head on-top of the thick beer. Some really clingy and thick lacing is left behind on the inside of the glass. A seriously thick and dense looking beer. You may need a fork and knife for this one.
Aroma – (4.5/5) Aromas start to fill the room as soon as the cap is taken off. Big hit of charred malts, chocolates, cocoa, vanilla, caramel, bitter coffee and espresso. Lightly sweet undertone of quality maple syrup comes across as well, very nice depth of aromas without being overly sweet or bitter. As it warms there are greater waves of vanilla, cinnamon, bitter cocoa nibs, and freshly roasted coffee, really great.
Taste – (4.5/5) Fantastic depth and layers of flavors. The bourbon barrel really comes to the forefront here but it is incredibly balanced and rich. Great notes of vanilla, caramel, cream, oak, charred oak barrel, cream, cinnamon, brown sugar, molasses, and a resounding round note of maple syrup. This definitely errs on the sweet side of the spectrum but it is ridiculous just how balanced this beer is, especially considering its high ABV.
Mouthfeel – (4.0/5) Full bodied, heavy, rich, dense, thick, little bit of an alcohol burn on the finish, though it is more of a warming sensation as it goes down.
Overall – (4.75/5) Fantastic overall, really nice bourbon barrel stout, truly worth every penny spent.
Get this while you still can, there may be one or two bottles left at Elizabeth Station.
