Hornbeer is a very small, family run brewery in Denmark which makes some spectacular porters and stouts, (amongst other great beers). I first found their products during a visit to the Delirium Café in Brussels and followed up with a visit to the brewery in Sept/13. Run by the husband and wife team of Jorgen and Gunhild Rasmussen the cottage like brewery is located an hour’s drive out of Copenhagen in the farming county of Kirke Hyllinge. The couple run both an on-site brewery and an art gallery. Gunhild’s art is prominent on the Hornbeer bottles. I have registered a number of products with the BCLDB – my first shipment contains four: The Fundamental Blackhorn, Winterporter, Caribbean Rumstout and Viking Chili Stout. All in 500 ml bottles.
The Fundamental Blackhorn
The Fundamental Blackhorn is a big stout, brewed with several dark malts and honey, with a big hop presence (120 IBU), and aged in oak and walnut barrels. The result is medley of favors including coffee, licorice, honey, oak and walnut. Won gold at the Stockholm beer festival in 2011, Silver at the World Beercup in California in 2012.
Ratebeer 99. ABV is 11%
Caribbean Rumstout
The Rumstout is also a big stout, brewed with dark malts including a small proportion of smoked malts, coffee, spices, and rum. It is then aged in oak barrels. Flavors of dark roasted malts, chocolate, oak, and a hint of rum.
Ratebeer 99. ABV is 10%
Viking Chili Stout
Not to be outdone by its peers the Chili Stout is a new product from Hornbeer that is brewed with chocolate, coffee, licorice, vanilla, and chilies. Flavors come through exactly as expected; rich dark coffee, lightly charred peppers, vanilla, and milk chocolate, with a bit of heat at the end.
Ratebeer 98. ABV is 10%
Winterporter
Brewed once a year the Winterporter is a more delicate product though still Imperial, brewed with select malts and a small amount of honey. Flavors are very interesting: dark fruit, molasses/treacle, chocolate, and spice.
Ratebeer 94. ABV is 8.6%
Hophorn
If there was a category for an Imperial Black IPA the Hophorn would fit right in. Best said by Jorgen: With Hophorn we will try to combine the best of several beers. Hop bitterness and flavor and fragrance from an IPA, malt body and a hint of toasted malt from a stout or porter. The color is as walnut – deep and dark. We have hopped to 135 IBU; dry hopped abundantly with four hops. There is sweetness from 5 different types of barley malts, caramel flavors from crystal malts and notes from chocolate malts. Hophorn is very tasteful, and should be enjoyed in glass goblets – it has a most beautiful beige foam crown.
It tastes as good as it sounds.
Ratebeer 98. ABV is 9.3%
Black Magic Woman
Another great big stout, the Black Magic Woman combines roasted barley malt, birch smoked malt, peat smoked malt, caramel malts with additional ale malts. There are aromas and flavors of of vanilla, dark fruit, coffee and light smoke. Very nicely balanced; oily and smooth.
Ratebeer 99. ABV is 10%