Refsvindinge - Den Sorte Enke

Firstly a note, updates will be less frequent to nonexistent over the next three weeks as it is time for me to enjoy some summer holidays. Each year I like to ditch the internet, computer, tablet and mobile for a couple of weeks at least and get away from the 'always on' lifestyle that has taken over. I do not get why people feel the need to take a mobile on holiday, like who gives a toss what people are doing back home when you are meant to be enjoying yourself away from it all ?

I admit to doing some homework on this beer 'the black widow' as it says on the bottle 'dark fynen wheat beer' yet when googling it and asking beer geeky friends it pops up as a sweet stout....My own take is if a brewer states what the style is on the bottle then it is not open for discussion and should be judged as such. So without further to do...

Pleasant wafts of roasted malt, licorice, sherbert powder and dark chocolate.

Den Sorte Enke pours very dark brown with a thick and creamy beige head. Sweet intake with aniseed, roasted malt, sweet licorice, chocolate and a light wheaty background with a very light bitter coffee and dry hop note in the finish. Again, licorice and aniseed along with some caramel linger in the aftertaste. This is lowly carbonated with a oily and thin mouthfeel without being cloying or too watery.

After drinking this one I am left none the wiser of what it is meant to be, like a lot of other people I may add. Not enough wheat to be a dunkelweizen but I would not say it was a sweet stout either. I think I would settle with calling this a hybrid. Anyway, it was enjoyable and easy to drink. One bottle is enough for me as the aniseed and sweet licorice get a bit much towards the end overpowering everything else. Not one I would rush out to buy again though I have no problem drinking another if the chance came up. Summing up, quite a weird one that is worth a try and reminds me of a lot of Danish christmas beer with all the licorice and aniseed going on.

This scored 6/10 on the 'neither here nor there' Beerometer.

Alc : 5.7%
Where to buy CPH : Høkeren, Ravnsborggade 13, Kbh N