Name: Override (2020)
Brewer: Nerdbrewing (Sweden)
Style: Mixed-Style Beer (Base Style: Imperial Stout)
ABV: 10.5%
Review Year: 2020
Override is an “Imperial Milk Stout” aged on roasted cacao nibs and vanilla brewed by the Swedish stout mafia, Nerdbrewing.
Nerdbrewing was founded in 2015 by Hannes Gruber and Karin Carlsson. A successful homebrewer, Hannes has won quite a few medals at different brewing competitions such as the Swedish homebrewing championships. Currently, Hannes runs solely the outfit and shares a brewery with Lilla Ölfabriken and Chad Beer in Norbergsgatan, Malmö. The name of the brewery and its beers stems from the computer science and software development background of Gruber.
STYLE GUIDELINES
This beer is being evaluated as a Mixed-Style Beer (34B), combining Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Beer (30A) and Sweet Stout (16A), with Imperial Stout (20C) as the base style in the context of the 2015 Beer Style Guidelines of the Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP). The most current version of the guidelines can be found on the BJCP website.
TASTING NOTES
Deep ruby brown, broadly opaque, with a mocha-colored head. On the nose: chocolate reminiscent of Flat Tops or Curly Tops with a surprising sweet pineapple impression. Medium-full-bodied; moderate carbonation. The flavor profile is dominantly chocolate-driven but with a roasty, malty, and cacao-like backbone preserving the balance. Despite the pastry-inspired theme, the sweetness is actually tempered. Malty chocolate (think of Ovaltine) paints the aftertaste and leaves the palate slightly sticky. No raw characters and alcohol warmth noted.
THE VERDICT
With a delectable aroma profile and a solid flavor balance, Nerdbrewing’s Override 2020 is a well-executed concept. That impression of pineapple on the nose caught us off guard but it was something interesting. No pineapples noted in the flavor, but vanilla was not explicit. The showcase of chocolate felt sufficient, without the overpowering sweetness noted in a lot of the big and dark “pastry beers” in the market today. The malt backbone is definitely a strength of this beer, ultimately paving the way for the chocolate qualities to shine in harmony. Excellent.
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