Amager Bryghus - Julebryg 2013

With the Danish named Hurricane Bodil approaching a winter warmer is in order so….Back to the festive beer again. Amager, once again changes style as the 2012 version I had last year was a very decent brown ale. This year they have brewed an abbey dubbel without any seasonal spices added.

Light nutty aroma with roasted malt, dried fruit and caramel from the pour.

This one pours hazy dark amber brown with a creamy off-white head. Semi sweet slightly roasted malty intake with figs, nuts, chocolate and caramel while the sweet finish is quite dry with a fruity and yeasty sourness. Mild chocolate short aftertaste with figs, raisins and roast, bordering on smoked malt again. Very softy carbonated, full bodied and the mouthfeel is smooth and creamy. No alcohol shines through.

Well, this one certainly went up in status as it warmed up, 30 mins out of the fridge and it was so so when pouring while finishing up at room temperature it was extremely enjoyable, maybe because it's all toasty in here while the wind batters the windows, talk about a time and place for a beer. Yet another danish christmas beer without all the spices. It seems to be a trend from the opposite of last year when everything was heavily spiced with orange peel, coriander and star of anise. As you might gather, I enjoyed this one and have no problem buying/drinking another. Summing up, decent craft abbey brew.

This scored 7.5/10 on the 'monks…do it better' Beerometer.

Alc : 7%
Where to buy CPH : Kihoskh, Sønder Boulevard 53, Kbh V. Also seen in other bottle shops.

Braumanufaktur - Werdersches

An interlude from the seasonal beer, this one a new one to me from the all organic Braumanufaktur range which I have sampled a few of. This one styled a keller bier……..

Very light aroma of malt, some toastyness and butter toffee from the pour.

Werdersches pours cloudy amber brown with a creamy white head. Quite a sweet (medium) malty intake with butterscotch or diacetyl which ever way you want to judge it along with some fruit and yeasty notes while the finish ends slightly sour with no bitterness to speak of. Short aftertaste of malt and more of the yeasty sourness. Very soft carbonation and the mouthfeel is silky smooth and creamy.

I enjoyed this one, easy to drink and not a whole lot going on to make you think too much. You could say boring but I would rather say simplistic. The constant through their range I have tried is that buttery note, or diacetyl which I don't mind most of the time while some people hate it. I would have no problems buying and sinking a few more though there are far better options of this style out there. Summing up, easy drinkable kellerbier, not the best and not the worst. Average.

This scored 4/10 on the 'the smugness on my face with 5 weeks off is unbearable to many' Beerometer.

Alc : 4.8%
Where to buy CPH : Kihoskh, Sønder Boulevard 53, Kbh V
Web : Braumanufaktur (german only apart from the dining menu)

Greene King - Hardys & Hansons Rocking Rudolph

Back again after another pause from the beer. Not a lot going on apart from I have two days of work left then I'm off for 5 weeks so hopefully a mental posting flurry ensues as I have a crate load of untested brews to get through. Continuing on with the festive beers theme this one was picked up by the wife……

Light aroma of caramel, butter, malted biscuits, spices and nuts from the pour.

Rocking Rudolph pours deep copper with a thin off-white head that quickly vanishes. Fruity intake with roasted malt, toffee and hay while this has a sour hoppy bitter finish. Quite a dry cold tea /metallic aftertaste with some sharp fruit/berries in the background. Watery mouthfeel.

I absolutely hated this, but not because of the taste, which was a bit weird in the end. This beer was that much over carbonated that I struggled to get anything from it and it was extremely harsh in the mouth. I ended up swirling it around the glass and letting it go half flat before it finally tasted, well, half decent. Not one which I would bother with again as there is far better seasonals out there and it was also overpriced. My opinion, avoid.

This scored a very generous 4/10 on the 'if rudolph is in charge of the bottling line, shoot it' Beerometer.

Alc : 4.2%
Where to buy/avoid CPH : Superbrugsen.

Klosterbryggeriet - Scullery Brew Christmas Extra Stout

Continuing once again with the festive theme….This one came recommended for me by a very picky, when it comes to beer anyway, friend to try out so I have my hopes up for this one…..

Light waft of roasted malt, chocolate, milky coffee and caramel from the pour.

Extra Stout pours pitch black with a brown tan head. Sweetish dark malty intake with chocolate, caramel, coffee, dark cane sugar and cinnamon while the finish is bitter orange with light spicy hops. Coffee and chocolate linger in the aftertaste. Softly carbonated, the mouthfeel is quite smooth and oily. Despite the strength, no alcohol shines through.

Well well well, what a huge improvement on yesterdays brew. Everything seems to blend in well here and nothing is totally dominant in the flavour department. One thing that popped in my head while drinking this was it's like terry's chocolate orange ( uk confectionary, popular at xmas) in liquid form but using bitter orange. All said and done a really nice christmas stout. I have one small gripe, either I did not drink this quick enough but it was totally lifeless in the glass halfway down. I would have no problem buying/drinking this again. Summing up, definitely worth a try.

This scored a very respectable 7.5/10 on the 'picky friends are not just for christmas' Beerometer.

Alc : 7.5%
Where to buy CPH : Kihoskh, Sønder Boulevard 53, Kbh V
Web : Scullery Brew (danish only)

Nørrebro Bryghus - Dronning Louises Hvid Jul

ENG : Queen Louises White Christmas.

Not one I have had the pleasure ? to try before but the bottle caught my eye while in the local supermarket. I have one wish, I wish they would put some of these brews in normal sized bottles, well depending on the beer of course. Seeing it is friday and the weekend I think it's safe to crack this open. Blurb roughly translated below….

Queen Louises White Christmas is a refreshing light relation (wtf ?) to the dark christmas season. A christmas blond brewed for the people that wish an alternative to the dark traditional heavy christmas beer, but pursue a wish to serve a rich beer that has body and character enough to complement the Danish christmas dinner. (serving suggestions followed but sod that, i detest that shit written on beer labels)

Righty ho ho ho, on we go….

Very pungent waft of malt, spice and a little minuscule hint of hops when popping the cork and pouring.

Hvid jul pours clear golden with a frothy white head. Sweet intake with malt, wheat, caramel, a hint of black pepper and herbs while it finishes dry, malty and mildly bitter. In the aftertaste I'm reminded of my youth sucking on a barley sugar, though not as sweet combined with more malt. A light mouthfeel to this without being watery.

Ok, this beer confuses me. Take the bottles label away and I would not guess this was a seasonal brew as it is one that I would have no problem drinking in the height of summer. Very simplistic compared to the usual seasonal brews and not a huge amount going on with it, maybe that is the point ? I do have a gripe, why label this one with a christmas brew label when you have a couple of other christmas brews out already at the same time (julebryg and stjernestund). Stop that shit please, it's milking it too far..unless your name is Thisted Bryghus.

Summing up, I did enjoy this one and as said would have no problem drinking this again if labelled properly. It is worth a try, like the brewdog in the last post if you want a change of pace from the heavily spiced seasonals that are out just now.

This scored a generous 5.5/10 on the ' the north bridge is falling down, falling down' Beerometer.

Abv : 6.8%
Where to buy CPH : Føtex.

Brewdog - Hoppy Christmas

Now, I tried this beer last year and it was sold here at 4.2% abv. This year it is now pumped up to 7.2%  in the shops so in my book it is a totally different brew. Very cheap to buy in some Danish supermarkets there is nothing lost by taking a look. As is customary with Brewdog posts I will quote the blurb then get right into it…

This Christmas, wish for a green Christmas. Where flurries of hop flakes blanket the world like you’ve never seen it before. And crunching through crisp, sparkling drifts releases billows of pineapple, citrus and papaya with every step. The reign of the snow angel is over. Long live the hop angel where parks and playgrounds become adorned with the outlines of celestial beings that fell to Earth from angry looking emerald clouds. Tune in to breakfast TV to find life’s on hold for 24 hours as this ’hop day’ demands you rocket down a hill on the back of a baking tray. Or simply raise a glass of this festive IPA as we wish you a very hoppy Christmas.

Ohhhhkaaayy then…

Big waft of the 'man from delmonte' tropical tinned fruit, pine and citrus from the pour.

Hoppy Christmas pours pale amber orange with an off-white head. Toasty malt on the intake along with grapefruit, clementine orange, apricot, pine and lemon zest while the finish is like sucking on an unsweetened bitter grapefruit with floral hops in the background. Pine, grapefruit and floral hops linger again in the aftertaste. Quite a light mouthfeel to this without being watery and no alcohol shines through.

Being very picky this year with what 'seasonal' beer I pick up I can say I am well happy with this one. Lots of flavour, not extremely bitter and very easy to drink, perhaps too easy considering the abv. While not spiced with traditional festive spice which is the case with a huge amount of Danish christmas beer, I would have no problem picking this one up again just for the fact that it is a refreshing change to them brews. If I had one personal gripe with this it is that it lacks a bit of body. Summing up, very nice IPA that is well worth a try if you have not already.

This scored a respectable 7.5/10 on the 'so where is the editing features on this phone ?' Beerometer.

Alc : 7.2%
Where to buy CPH : Fakta.

Krenkerup - Juleøl

Still a bit slow with new blog posts around here but I'm crammed with work. The second seasonal beer here I am expecting a more seasonal Danish brew than the Konrad fraud. I tasted this last year, made no notes at the time but thought it was very nice. Time to see if my memory is playing tricks with me or not ….

Wafts of christmas spice, caramel and fruit from the pour.

Juleøl pours dark hazy amber with a quick vanishing off-white head. Sweetish malty intake with cinnamon, star of anis, caramel, coriander and cloves leading into a dry,light bitter finish. Orange peel, cloves and cinnamon linger in the long, quite fruity aftertaste. Mildly carbonated and the mouthfeel is quite smooth.

Arrrrgghh, this was not the one I tried last year which was a Vienna Lager, my mistake and a totally different beer as there was two different brews released by them last year. I knew something was up when pouring this into a pint glass, doh. So how does this one do ? Well, all the flavours of a traditional danish christmas brew are there. None of the flavours are too dominant and it all blends in pretty nicely. Not one I could drink a lot of nor one I would bother with again as there is far better one's out there. It is worth a try if you have not tasted it before, don't expect any wow factor though.

This scored a respectable 6/10 on the ' I'm really off to a bad start here' Beerometer

Alc : 6.3%
Where to buy CPH : Superbrugsen etc.

Pivovary Vratislavice - Konrad Christmas Beer

Alias of Konrad Svetly Lezak 14.

First Christmas beer of the season…..ok, I lied, I've had a tuborg which is absolute rank and not worth bothering about. So here we have a Czech offering but it is a bit of cheeky name change to suit the local market as it is really the alias above, naughty naughty ! In reality, this is just a strong Czech pils and I don't expect much festive season from it…..

Not much in the aroma department from the pour apart from some malt and caramel.

This pours clear amber gold with a fluffy white head. Sweet burnt caramel prominent on the intake with malt, grass and honey in the background leading to a metallic bitter finish. Caramel and honey linger in the aftertaste. Softly carbonated with a light mouthfeel, not watery.

Excuse my french but I thought this was piss poor for a Christmas beer, but it is an okay or should I say average strong czech pils. A bit too much honey and metallic notes for my liking but you can of course bypass the flavours by chilling the crap out of it and drinking near ice cold. Not the greatest start to my own christmas beer season but I'm sure there is some new for me duffers to try and gems to be found. Summing up, avoid if looking for a christmas beer.

This scored 3/10 on the 'There's a few mugs up north, let's change the label' Beerometer.

Alc : 6%
Where to buy CPH : Føtex

De La Senne - Brussels Calling

Lazy sunday monday and having a day off work so just as well I can't find any info on this brewery apart from they are based in Gent and their website does not speak english yet. On the label it says 'bitter is better', so a heavily hopped belgian ale ? Let's take a looksey….

Very yeasty aroma coming off this from the pour along with some unidentified fruit and citrus peel.

Brussels Calling pours hazy yellow orange with a fluffy white head. Citrusy intake with malt, fruit and yeast again leading into a hefty hoppy bitter finish. This has a pleasant citrus, grapefruit and peppery aftertaste. There is quite a lot of carbonation going on though the mouthfeel is still smooth.

Quite a bit more hoppy and bitter than what you expect from a Belgian ale. Everything you expect is there but, is this a modern take on the style ? If so, classix nouveaux me in man, I'm a believer ! I enjoyed sipping this and would have no problem re-visiting it again. Summing up, if you like belgian ale and quite heavy hoppy bitterness then this is worth a try.

This scored a stingy 7/10 on the 'Is It A Dream ?' Beerometer.

Alc : 6%
Where to buy CPH : Kihoskh, Sønder Boulevard 53, Kbh V.

Lagunitas - Censored

Back again and fighting fit. What better way to kick off the weekend and celebrate my wee lads birthday as I have not had a bad one yet from this brewery so expecting good things….

Good cara-malt aroma coming off this from the pour with some hops in the background.

Censored pours clear amber copper with a frothy off-white head. Sweetish intake with malt, caramel, grass and light floral hops ending a tangy bitter finish. Quite a short  light metallic aftertaste with malt again. Softly carbonated and the mouthfeel is light without being watery. The alcohol is well hidden.

Very nice balance between the sweet cara-malts and the light floral hops to cancel out the sweetness. If you like decent malty ales then this is one that is worth trying out. I enjoyed this one although there is no wow factor. It is just a solid malty amber ale.

This scored a generous 7/10 on the 'christmas beer release day free zone' Beerometer.

Alc : 6.75 %
Where to buy CPH : Uhhhhmm I can't remember, will edit when my brain gets in gear.

Interlude - What's going on ?

It is quite hard to update a beer blog when you are not drinking any beer. Due to a intestine infection last year which has bothered me on and off since, I have to have periods where I clean out my system..in other words no beer for a week or two. Normal service resumed later in the week no doubt as I'm gagging for a decent beer.

Homebrew ? Since I last posted the extremely good Goose Island - Bourbon County I have managed to bottle an IPA which tastes very promising, small sip only ! I've also put over a Czech style pils and a California Common/Vienna/Steam Beer type beer using pale, crystal and biscuit malts, a bucket load of mittelfruh and fermenting away with white labs san francisco lager yeast...fingers crossed on that one. Next up an Anchor Steam clone and then I'm done until after new year.

Until a post with a picture with a beer at the end, take care out there...

Goose Island - Bourbon County Stout (2012)

Deliberately left for a friday chill out out after a grinding working week... It is one I've been meaning to try for a good while but just never got around to picking it up so getting it as a present was perfect. At 15% abv it ain't exactly one to take lightly. So, the following below is based on the whole temperature range from the cellar at about 10c through to 20c room temperature. Ok, on with the show...

Woooft, lots of bourbon, vanilla, chocolate, coconut and malts from the pour.

This one pours like engine oil (thick black) with a tan head that vanished 30 secs after. Heavy with bourbon and roasted malt on the intake along with oak, vanilla, coffee, nestle condensed milk ! and a touch of dried fruit. Very long warm aftertaste that leaves you smacking your lips, consisting of the bourbon calmed down a bit/more subdued, chocolate, vanilla and a dab of coconut. Low low carbonation, thick bodied to almost as described above 'engine oil' with a full on double cream like mouthfeel, which is better than it sounds, small sips only !  While you can feel the alcohol presence from the very first sip, to me it is well hidden and does not impair the other flavours.

I took 85 mins drinking the 355ml bottle which just might be the longest I have taken to drink 355ml of anything. It is nice just to sit back, sip and enjoy a beer and come to the conclusion only a third of the way down that what you are drinking is absolute sheer class in a glass. If you don't like the taste of bourbon then I would suggest you avoid this one as it is very prominent. I would buy this one again as it is probably perfect for putting down the cellar for a couple of years. Summing up, world class stout to be sipped and savoured...I'm left wanting more as I have forgot to mention the 'finish' above, good enough reason ?

This scored a perfect 10/10 on the 'it could not be anything else, it's bloody marvelous' Beerometer,

Alc : 15%
Where to buy CPH : Bought in Høkeren, Ravnsborggade 13, 2200 N

Dogfish Head - Indian Brown Ale

After enjoying previous brews from this brewery I thought it was about time to give this one a go. Indian Brown Ale ? So what we have here according to the blurb is a hybrid. Crossing scotch ale, ipa and an american pale ale. Will it blend ?....

Big aroma of heavily roasted malt with a subdued hoppyness in the background from the pour.

IBA pours dark brown with ruby tints and with a creamy beige head. Slightly sweet intake that is heavy with roasted malt along with caramel and dried fruit while the finish is hoppy and quite bitter. This has a very pleasant long nutty/chocolate aftertaste with roasted malt and caramel again. Low in the carbonation department and the mouthfeel is light creamy. No alcohol shining through.

Well, if you like prominently malty brews with a bit of a hoppy bite at the end then this one could be right up your street. I thought this one was a really nice tasty beer and I enjoyed it. Easy drinking, one I would have no problems buying and drinking again sometime. Summing up, a quality hybrid that is worth a try if you are looking for something different.

This scored 7.5/10 'I'm proud to say I don't know anyone that owns a hybrid car' Beerometer.

Alc : 7.2%
Where to buy CPH : Kihoskh, Sønder Boulevard 53, Kbh V

Deschutes - Black Butte Porter

One that has been hiding at the back of my beer cupboard for a few good months..heh deja vu here writing that... mainly as I'm not huge on stouts/porters during the summer months. Bought at the same time as these other ones. Let's dive straight in...

Light wafts of roasted malt, chocolate and a dash of coffee from the pour.

Black Butte pours dark brown/almost black with a ruby red tinge in the glass along with a creamy beige head. Sweet intake with roasted malt, dark chocolate and a dash of coffee again while the finish is smooth, malty and has just a hint of bitterness. This has a mild short aftertaste of bitter chocolate and coffee. Medium carbonation and body for a porter with a smooth, almost watery mouthfeel.

Quite a pleasant drink to come home too without being earth shattering. No surprises and everything you would expect is in there. A good reminder that decent beer does not need to be heavy on the additions and hopping, just some simple quality ingredients will do. Our good friends the fair isle jersey wearers would say this is 'well rounded', I tend to agree on this one. Absolutely no problem for me sinking a few of these.

This scored a generous 7/10 on the ' I hope someone restocks Founders Porter soon' Beerometer.

Alc : 5.2%
Where to buy CPH : Bought during the summer 'american week' at the start of July, however this and others keep re-appearing in various supermarkets.

Put a head on it !

Mikkeller - Beer Hop Breakfast

Before I launch into what will hopefully be the first of two or three blogs this week I might as well get all the pre-waffle into this one....Nope, can't think of anything to say after a really crappy monday at work. I've a good idea what I'm going to get from this beer, let's just get on with it...

No wait...shopping for tonights evening meal in the supermarket they had a range of christmas beers out already, a bit early is it not ? I refuse to have a xmas brew at least until the 1st Nov. 2 years ago I did a 100 different xmas beers before xmas challenge thing, last year I did 50 (i was still recovering from an intestine infection, friggin painful btw). This year I will pick and choose very carefully as last years were to be honest, mainly crap due to over use of orange peel in a whole lot of brews. According to pre-blog notes, Delirium - Noel got the biggest nod last year.

Ok, now let's get on with it...

Big citrusy hop and pine aroma along with roasted malt, coffee and chocolate from the pour.

BHB pours black with a creamy brown head. Quite a sweet intake with strong coffee, dark dark chocolate, roasted malt and grapefruit leading to a heavily roasted and hoppy bitter finish. Long lingering aftertaste of strong coffee, dark bitter chocolate again and some floral hops. Low carbonation, medium bodied and has quite a light oily mouthfeel.  Despite the warming presence, no alcohol shines through to disturb any of the flavours.

It says black IPA on the bottle..I dunno why it does not just say extra hopped coffee stout :) I can't remember ever drinking a duffer from Mikkeller, maybe the Tjekket pils was a bit boring, but apart from that I have enjoyed and liked nearly everyone I have drunk, this being no exception. Very tasty and easy to drink despite the highish abv. While not quite reaching the level of the beer geek brews I would have no problem drinking this again. If you can find it it is worth a try.

This scored a solid 8/10 on the ' beer geeks, we're just not for christmas you know' Beerometer.

Alco : 7.5%
Where to buy CPH : Bought at Kihoskh, Sønder Boulevard 53, Kbh V about a month ago.

Carlsberg - Imperial Stout/Gamle Carlsberg Porter

I have to admit, I'm having a hard time just now with new blog posts as I have seemed to lost the urge to try new to me craft and not so craft beer since I have started brewing my own. I do have about 30 untried and untasted stashed away so hopefully I can start churning posts out again, certainly 'she who must be obeyed' will be pleased as I seem to have beer everywhere at the minute. Having a fermenting vessel in the kitchen and one in the bedroom is doing me no favours whatsoever on the wife acceptance factor scale. Writing blog posts describing how good..or bad my own beer is is not my style as apart from family and friends no-one else is going to taste it so what is the point ? I will say though that my own version of a vienna seems to be a real winner with a few colleagues at work wanting to buy a case load.

So, on to this one which I noticed started appearing in kiosks and supermarkets a couple of months ago. I have no idea if it is a re-release as information is sketchy. If it is anything like Carls Porter then I'm onto a winner. It still makes me wonder why they don't export beer/brew it in the UK like that one. Coming from Scotland my initial impression of Carlsberg was cheap lager pishwater or cheap lager pishwater aimed at alcoholics(special brew). I do not get why they do not try to change the image and at least release one of the stouts/porters or any the better ones from the domestic danish market over there...ok, the last bit I might have took too far :).

Gamle ( Gam-le) = Old. Right, let's get cracking..

Wafts of roasted malt, licorice(arrrggghhh) and raw cane sugar from the pour.

This Imperial Stout pours pitch black with a beige to brown head. Sweet intake with dark roasted malts which are almost smokey like, chocolate, toffee, plums and only a dab of licorice(pheeew) which lead into a roasted bitter finish. Dark fruits, berries and chocolate linger in the short aftertaste. Lowly carbonated, the mouthfeel is quite rich and creamy. Although you can feel the presence no alcohol shines through.

What a cracking VFM beer. I think I like this better than the afore-mentioned Carls porter, though I think it fall short against it's cousin Wiibroe, which coincidently also is 8.2 abv, hmmm...though it is a different recipe as they don't taste the same. I have absolutely no problem buying this and drinking again. Summing up, one of them beers that if it had a fancy non-macro label it would be marked up.

This scored 8/10 on the 'don't tell anyone who makes it, pour it in the kitchen, dish out and let people make an arse of themselves' Beerometer.

Alc : 8.2%
Where to buy CPH : Basically anywhere.

Paulaner - Oktoberfest

After mondays Danish light interpretation I picked this one up in netto just for a taste again of one originals, although I prefer Ayinger or Hacker-Pschorr Oktoberfest Märzen(also brewed by Paulaner) if I can find them, as the picks of the bunch. I might as well get on with it....

Nothing much coming off this apart from some grainy sweet malt.

Oktoberfest pours clear light gold with a frothy white head. Medium sweet malty intake with faint honey, herbs, caramel and hops while the finish is malty and bitter. Sweet malt and herbs linger in the short aftertaste. Quite lowly carbonated, the mouthfeel is smooth and slightly creamy.

All the elements are there..malty sweetness, herbs, nice hoppy bitter finish but I am left feeling it is all a bit ordinary, like a standard euro-lager in a deluxe version..although it is still a lot better than the danish light oktoberfest I blogged on monday. That might seem critical, well it is, but I have no problem sinking a few more of these at the weekend (i bought 6 :) ). I have kind of gone off lager/pils recently so perhaps that is affecting my judgement and the crap I am writing. Summing up, decent enough oktoberfest, if you can pick others up instead then do so, even Hofbrau.

This scored 6/10 on the 'did you really just write Hofbrau is better ?' beerometer.

Alc : 6.0%
Where to buy CPH : bought in Netto.

Adnams - Gunhill

Not the brew I intended to drink today as I left that particular one on work so here is another from the birthday collection. I had written a huge amount of waffle for this post but deleted it by mistake, win some - lose some. Will this do better than the Greene King from yesterday ? I bloody hope so, let's just get on with it...

Light aroma of dried dark fruit, ripe berries, malt and caramel from the pour.

Gunhill pours clear ruby red with a creamy off-white/light beige head. Mildly sweet malty intake with  dark fruits, chocolate and a dab of caramel while the dry finish has a light bitterness to it. Medium carbonation, the body is light and has a thin mouthfeel.

A very nice looking beer in the glass. I could have just wrote one word above to cover the whole lot, mild. It is mild in every sense of the word, nothing is out of place and it is all a bit too subdued for my own personal liking. Saying that, it is very easy drinking and  I'd have no problems knocking back a few pints of this on a small afternoon session. It says 'full flavoured' on the bottle, that is something I am in complete disagreement with. Summing up, mild.

This scored 5.5/10 on the 'if it was only scored on looks, it would be a 10' beerometer.

Alc : 4.0%
Where to buy CPH : Høkeren, Ravnsborggade 13, 2200 N.

Greene King - Yardbird

This is one of four different beers I received as a birthday present by various members of my family. Good or bad, beer is always appreciated, so let's crack on..

Light waft when pouring of malt, citrus, some florals and faint grass.

Yardbird pours clear golden amber with a a white head. Fruity intake with malt, citrus, hops and some caramel while the finish is grainy dry, floral and mildly bitter. A caramel sweetness and some pine are left in the aftertaste. Despite the very lively looking carbonation just after pouring, it is not too gassy in the mouth and the body is light without being too watery.

Hmmmmm, blindfolded I would not guess this was an an American inspired Pale Ale/IPA. Certainly it tastes nothing like any of the bottles I have had recently or in years gone by. My brother commented it tastes like my first home brew which I done in August, during a heatwave, which was meant to be lager like but ended up a golden ale (which developed into a very fine pint after 6 weeks conditioning btw).

I put this in the category... if you go into a discount supermarket, say lidl or aldi, they always have a range of food/drink that is 'american style' but actually tastes bugger all like it is meant to be, either in taste or in quality. It is not as if it is bad or drain pour, it just reeks of cutting corners and marketing.

Summing up , if you like McKennedy American Style Burgers/Poopeyes Quality Fried Chicken, buy this..if not, avoid.

This scored a lowly 3.5/10 on the ' Is it a bird ? Is it a plane ? No, it's a poor imitation copy bastard' Beerometer.

Alc : 4%
Where to buy CPH : Høkeren, Ravnsborggade 13, 2200 N

Skovlyst - Oktoberfest

With Oktoberfest on, time for a 'fest bier' or two. Things have really gone downhill for german beer availability recently, well since the closure of Getrænkeland, which sold mostly standard german brews but there was a good few crackers to pick up every now and again. The biggest miss is they had a good selection of oktoberfest bier, so they are sadly missed here.

So, having to settle for mostly for domestic interpretations, let's see what this is like...

Bottle blurb translated.

A German inspired festival lager beer, brewed according to the German Reinheitsgebot using only malt, hops, yeast and water. A thirst quenching and fresh beer despite the powerfully malted body and the dark amber golden color.

Uh huh...We'll see....

Light aroma of sweet malt from the pour along with caramel and dusty hops.

Oktoberfest pours clear amber gold with a frothy white head. Sweet and malty on the intake with caramel and herbs while the finish is dry and mildly hoppy bitter. There is nothing much in the short aftertaste apart from some sweet malt. Medium carbonation, the mouthfeel is light and soft.

Well, all the tastes of a oktoberfest are there, but for me it is all a bit of a light edition, more of everything please next year ! Saying that, I still would have no problem drinking a few of these in a small session..if there is none of the real mccoy about, which due to the afore mentioned demise of getrænkeland seems the case this year. I guess I can pack away the cheap pretzels from lidl and borrowed dirndl, I'm joking !...Uhhhmm summing up, quaffable oktoberfest beer light edition.

This scored 5/10 on the '5 Bratwurst und 5 bier bitte ' Beerometer.

Alc : 5%
Where to buy CPH : Superbrugsen and other large supermarkets.

Nørrebro Bryghus - X

X in this case meaning a ten year birthday for this local Copenhagen brewery which has produced some very nice brews over the years. I'll translate the bottle blurb on this so you don't have to use google....

X - To celebrate Nørrebro Bryghus's 10th anniversary we have created this celebration brew that is refreshing, but also complex 6.5% dark milk ale (eh?)with a light smoked aroma that blends in harmony with the notes of vanilla. The smell is spiced from dry hopping with a background notes from the dark malts.

Confused what that means? I was .....So it is a milk stout/porter lightly smoked, vanilla and roast malts with a prominent aroma hop ? Time to find out what this is organic brew actually is...

Light wafts of roasted malt, vanilla, dark dried fruit and baby milk powder from the pour.

X pours black with a creamy beige head. Baby milk powder(or I could just say lactose) and slightly sweet intake with roasted malt, dark chocolate and a touch of spice. Fruity and very lightly smoked finish with blackcurrant and raisins and  a dab of eucalyptus ? in the long aftertaste. Low carbonation and the mouthfeel is silky and light creamy.

To be honest and fair I am all over the place with this one as I think my tastebuds have gone haywire and the above may possibly be way off the mark. I still enjoyed it though, ain't that the main thing ? Very fruity for a stout/porter, almost to the point of saying more like a christmas brew/winter warmer. Not one I will re-visit any time soon but no problem drinking another if offered.

This scored 7/10 on the ' I've made up enough baby milk bottles in my lifetime to know that smell..do you get organic milk powder ?' Beerometer.

Alc : 6.5%
Where to buy CPH : Bought in Irma.

Amager Bryghus/Cigar City - Xiquic And The Hero Twins

This is my second of Amager's latest collaboration series, first one here. This one being an Imperial Stout, blurb below....

Who Xiquic was, is a bit hard to explain - but we all know the hero twins: Wayne Wambles and Jacob Storm - headbrewers of Cigar City Brewing in Tampa, FL and Amager Bryghus, Denmark respectively. Since his first visit at Amager back in 2011 Wayne has been quite the idol for us. We don’t believe it’s possible to find anyone with a bigger heart in brewing - combined with the utmost passion and sense for detail. Therefore it was a great honor to us that Wayne accepted our invitation to come brew at Amager Bryghus - even on his birthday! A recipe was created from what seemed like an endless stream of emails. The Cigar City signature cedar wood was ordered and a birthday cake was baked. We had a fun day - we hope you’ll have fun enjoying this double mash cedar infused black pepper Imperial Stout, yeah, no kiddin’. It’s a bit of a beast - but a gentle one. 

Nice aroma of roasted malt, mild coffee, chocolate, black pepper and wood from the pour.

This one pours pitch black with a creamy tan head. Spicy ! intake with roasted malt, hops, dark bitter chocolate and coffee while the finish is dry, sweetish and hoppy. Cocoa powder and mild chili pepper spice linger in the long aftertaste. Lowly carbonated, the mouthfeel is smooth and creamy. Alcohol is noticeable but more as a warming effect than masking the flavours.

Wow, extremely busy beer with a whole lot going on. One minute I had something down as juniper berries, the next it was gone and replaced with something else. I'm also sure there is a spice in there that is in a lot of danish xmas beers but I failed to pin it down. If I drank another bottle another day I could pick up a whole lot more different flavours...which I might just do. This is certainly a beer to make you think. I really enjoyed this one, no problem here drinking another. Summing up, a cracking complex beer that will make you think, well worth trying !

This scored 8/10 on the 'yaaaas !, no licorice' Beerometer.

Alc : 9.0 %
Where to buy CPH : Kihoskh and Ølbutikken had it in stock at time of writing.

Thisted - Malthe

Probably the most confused/confusing brewery in Denmark. What I mean with that is they never seem to be consistent with the naming of their brews across their range. Forever changing brew names, labels, having organic and normal versions of the same brew, calling one beer something in a 33cl bottle and a different name in a 50cl bottle.. and so on. For gods sake, simplify the bloody range please ! Whoever is in charge of product management needs a good kick up the arse. Enough said.

They do produce one of Denmarks best value for money beers though, Thisted Limfjords Porter, which is superb for the price. Ok, time to move on to their latest creation, an organic dark lager or dunkel if you want to be proper, which no doubt has probably changed name and label by the time your read this...

As the name might suggest, a whole lot of malt with some chocolate and dark fruit coming off this from the pour.

Malthe pours dark brown with a ruby tinge in the glass along with a light beige creamy head. A medium sweet malty intake with dates, dark sugar, prunes(eeek) and licorice, thankfully well in the background while the finish is slightly dry. There is no hop/bitterness to this at all. The mouthfeel is light and bordering on oily.

I have to admit I'm writing this on the second bottle of this I tried, the first I drank quick straight from the fridge a couple of days ago and initial thoughts were it was not bad. This time however I've taken more time and the beer has went through the temperature changes while I pondered what an original IPA actually tasted like(last blog post), thanks to someone who gave me a good couple of suggestions btw.

For anyone that reads this blog regularly you will have noticed I hate two things in beer, well one is okay if it is in a stout...Prunes and licorice, the latter is the okay one. I ####ing detest prunes and the taste became more apparent as the beer warmed up. Of course, that is what I taste, your own mileage may vary.

Not impressed with this at all.. unless drunk at 4c quickly. Not one that will pass my lips again as there is far better dark lagers available in any larger supermarket. Yet another organic let down.

This scored 3.5/10 on the 'the most time I've taken writing any post...ever' Beerometer

Alc: 4.8%
Where to buy/avoid CPH : Any larger supermarket.

Everards - Regimental IPA

Looking at the beer aisle of a local discount shop I spotted this new one added to the cheap range which I mentioned in an earlier post here. The Original, though average is not a bad drink which I've bought a few times since so I might as well give this try.....

Light waft of malt, caramel and floral hops from the pour.

Regimental IPA pours clear amber gold with a fluffy white head. Quite a sweet intake with malt, caramel, floral hops and tea while the finish is fruity and mildly bitter. Tea and some florals again in the aftertaste along with some light fruit and caramel. The mouthfeel is light and watery.

This one left a strange dryness in my mouth so that gives me a reason enough to revisit this one sometime. Very mild with the hops for an IPA, well the modern hop bomb versions anyway, is this old school ? If anyone reading this can point me to what an original IPA actually tasted like, a beer that is made today to old recipes,  please leave a comment.

All in all, for the low price I have nothing to gripe about. Easy drinking, some decent taste to it and no doubt a lot better from a cask. With a good bit more flavour going on over the mentioned Original  I have no problem buying and drinking this again.

This scored a generous and respectable 5/10 on the ' is this discount beer ?' Beerometer.

Alc : 5%
Where to buy CPH : Fakta

Brewdog - Jack Hammer IPA

Another brewdog ? Hell yes, if it says IPA and Brewdog on the bottle then there is a good chance it will be pretty decent so I might as well play it safe kicking off the weekend ?...

The devastatingly bitter finish will drill straight through your taste buds. If you like hops and bitterness then go ahead. But be warned: this beer has more bitterness than a human palate (or nipple) can detect. For freaks, craft beer junkies and stamp collectors only. The second placed beer in our 2012 Prototype Challenge is a BrewDog staff favourite, and made a brief guest appearance in our bars last summer.

Ok then, if you say so....

Aroma of malt from the pour with tangerines, pine, grapefruit and citrusy hops.

Jack Hammer pours clear amber gold with a creamy white head. Sweet intake with malt, citrus, peach, caramel and pine ending with a dry and very bitter hoppy finish. Grapefruit, citrus and light malt linger in the long aftertaste. Light and slighly watery mouthfeel. No alcohol shining through.

Well here is a beer to wake you up from an afternoon slumber. I did not mention carbonation above because to be honest with all the rough bitterness attacking the roof of my mouth I could not tell. I don't think I could drink two of these in a row as I'd end up with heartburn/indigestion. No problem drinking this again though ! My only personal gripe with this...I think they went a bit too mad with the bittering hops and forgot about the taste. Summing up, if you want to wake your tastebuds up then go and try this one.

This score 7.5/10 on the 'wonders what the IBU was' Beerometer.

Alc : 7.4%
Where to buy CPH : Kihoskh and Ølbutikken both have it in stock at time of writing.

Brewdog - #Mashtag

Three weeks passed and no new Brewdog blog ? I'm slipping. I have to admit I am not a huge fan of brown ale but in the interest of science I will make sacrifices :) Blurb first...

Inspired by the passion, knowledge and enthusiasm of craft beer drinkers, we set out to create a truly democratic craft beer. We entrusted all the important decisions to our fans, customers and anyone who wanted to learn more about the craft brewing process and cast their vote. We gave up complete control of every single decision which shaped the final beer that the #MashTag project produced. #MashTag is a 7.5% American Brown Ale loaded with New Zealand hops and aged on Hazelnuts and Oak chips.

What, no swearing ? No preaching to anyone that drinks an industrial lager ? No 'hey we're punks' ? It seems I'm not the only one slipping.

Waft of roasted malt, chocolate, nuts and caramel from the pour.

#Mashtag pours clear dark brown with a ruby tinge and a beige creamy head. Sweetish and very malty intake with caramel, coffee, nuts and chocolate while the finish is slightly dry and bitter. Coffee and licorice linger in the peppery/spicy aftertaste. Nice and creamy mouthfeel to this.

Lots of malt in this one, which I like. I could down a couple of these without much complaint...well there is always one gripe from me, right ? Licorice ! That's what I taste, you of course can taste something different. It just seemed to be more and more present the more I got nearer the bottom of the glass. Now I don't mind it if it is just a little flavour in the background, preferably in a stout, but too much in this spoilt the overall beer for me. Summing up..EU, take that licorice pipe ban and shove it right up your...

This scored a generous 7/10 on the 'It's been pissing down all day, I might be in a grumpy mood' Beerometer.

Alc : 7.4%
Where to buy CPH : Kihoskh and Ølbutikken

Caledonian - Newcastle Werewolf

I noticed this on the supermarket beer shelf last week on offer, all the good reason to pick one up and give it a try, right ? It has 'escaped from britain' on the bottle so I'm wondering if they should have built a bigger fence to save the continent from it. Just a side note, this has been exported to the US and then imported to Denmark, I was wondering why it was in a 355ml bottle, that extra journey makes no sense to me whatsoever.....

Light waft of malt, caramel and berries from the pour.

Werewolf pours clear amber red with a quick diminishing off-white head. Very grainy on the sweet intake with malt, caramel, nuts and berries which ends with a smokey and bitter finish. Roasted malt and caramel linger in the mildly bitter aftertaste. Over-carbonated(imo), the mouthfeel is rough and watery.

I quite like the smokey finish to this one but it left me undecided if I like it or not, though it tastes a lot better than I thought it would. I'd have no problem drinking another if offered but certainly not one I'd rush out to buy again. My biggest gripe, far too much carbonation for my liking. Summing up, should have built that fence bigger.

This scored 5/10 on the 'neither here nor there' Beerometer

Alc : 4.5%
Where to buy CPH : Føtex.

Wiibroe - Porter

So what is all this about you brewing I hear you not ask ? Well, it is a simple project of mine to learn about brewing and go from absolute novice to being able to produce a good standard everyday beer that I would be happy with...a pretty low goal to set myself but of course there is the hobby factor which I am enjoying, well apart from all the cleaning and sterilizing...and bottling. So far I have brewed using beer kits, extract recipes, partial mash, steeping speciality grains, adding extra hops and dry hopping.

No doubt I will take the plunge and go all grain sometime in the coming months but so far I am happy/comfortable with what I've done so far. The first brew, a golden ale, is just passable to drink. The second, a stout, is very promising although it needs a good amount of conditioning still. The third, a mongrel amber concoction/vienna/steam beer is not long bottled, the sample pint I drank from the fermenting vessel while bottling was very tasty so I have great hopes for it, using san francisco lager yeast seems to have paid off. The fourth, an extract belgian ale is fermenting away like mad and the whole place stinks of malt, not so good wife acceptance factor with this one as the fermentor is in the bedroom with the windows closed to keep the temperature up :/ I have an IPA then a red ale to do after then I will take stock and probably buy a lot more equipment than the 2 fermenting bins and soup pot I am using just now.

Ok, enough about this, lets get back to the ready made beer from Wiibroe, owned and brewed by Carlsberg....

Mild aroma of malt, chocolate, coffee and cigar !? from the pour.

Porter pours black with a quick falling brown creamy head. Mildly sweet roasted malt in the intake with  hints of smoke, heavily roasted coffee beans and touch of licorice which leads into a dark chocolate bitter finish. This has a very nice long chocolaty aftertaste. Lowly carbonated, the mouthfeel is smooth and creamy. No alcohol shines through.

Absolutely solid and simple imperial stout....for the price. This has such a well rounded taste, for me it is perfect for sipping while contemplating why I bother paying five times more for a local craft beer or an import. Definitely in my top five of Danish great value for money beers. No doubt, a regular again in my house in the coming autumn and winter months. Summing up, superb Danish value for money macro stout which puts a lot of the micro breweries to shame.

This scored 9/10 on the 'this came from an industrial, really ?' Beerometer.

Alc : 8.2%
Where to buy CPH : Most larger supermarkets.

Anchor - Porter

I've not been very prolific with posts recently, mainly due to the time taken up with work, family life and brewing which I'll write more about in my next post. I've also just been drinking a lot of standard splosh for the bottles and past blogged about/pre-blog noted beer instead of picking up unknowns(to me). Sometimes, it is nice for a period just to pick up some really good beer that you already know just to kick back and enjoy...ok, I'm just a lazy git !:) On to the beer....

Light aroma of roasted malt with dark fruit and some caramel from the pour.

Porter pours black with a thick and creamy tan head. Mild roasted malt on the sweetish intake along with coffee, chocolate and a dab of licorice. The finish is slightly sour and has a nice bitterness while there is a dark fruitiness in the aftertaste with licorice and caramel lingering. Very lowly carbonated, the mouthfeel is silky smooth and creamy.

Excellent and easy to drink porter which went down a treat, no problem with buying and drinking again. If I was to have a personal gripe it would be the lack of roast/smoke for a porter, especially when needed to balance out all the dark fruit going on towards the end. Summing up, very decent porter worth picking up.

This scored 7.5/10 on the 'ooooohhh creamy' Beerometer.

Alc : 5.6%
Where to buy CPH : Ørsteds Kiosken, H.C. Ørsteds Vej 48, Frederiksberg C.

8 Wired - The Big Smoke

Having tried a sample glass of the excellent iStout, which I will blog about when I come across it again, this is not my first encounter with this brewery. You can read the Danish nomadic brewer Søren Eriksen and the brewery here. Might as well get on with this smoked porter, blurb first, small rant after....

Now what is this? A smoked beer?? It really isn’t as crazy as it sounds. 250 years ago virtually all beers were smoked (it’s true, Google it!), but with the dawning of the industrial revolution most of the smoke lifted. However, in the German town of Bamberg the flame has quite literally been kept alive and to this day the town’s brewers produce world renowned beers brewed with their own special rauchmalz (beechwood smoked malt). We’ve taken our best porter recipe and added a good measure of that same Bamberg Rauchmalz. The smoke mingles beautifully with the rich, dark roasted chocolate flavours of the porter without being overpowering. Although it pairs extremely well with smoked seafood, barbeques, strong cheeses and hearty stews, its food friendliness isn’t limited to savouries; chocolate and caramel based deserts are great companions too! Trust us; it really isn’t as crazy as it sounds.

I really dislike all this food pairing blurb on beer bottles nowadays, especially when one states at the end '..or can be enjoyed on its own' What is that all about ? What if you are sitting in some crummy bar with the only food option of beer nuts or crisps..'no wait, they say it can be enjoyed on its own, thank gawd for that'. Stop this nonsense, please.

Light wafts of roast malt, smoke/charred wood and chocolate.

Big Smoke pours black with a thick creamy beige head. Mildly sweet intake with roasted malt, chocolate, a touch of licorice and light smoke while the malty finish is sharp and dry. Licorice, malt and coffee linger in the aftertaste. Lowly carbonated, this has a creamy mouthfeel.

This reminded me a lot of the coisbo - brooklyn fall which i posted not so long ago as in the lightness of the smoke profile. Rightly or wrongly when I see 'smoked' my mind always wanders to Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Urbock which for me is the ultimate smoked beer. In other words I like my smoked beer intense. Otherwise, this is a decent enough porter which I had no problem with. I would drink it again if the opportunity came up but I would not rush out to buy another. Summing up, like the mentioned coisbo, this is another decent gateway for someone wanting to try a lightly smoked beer.

This scored 7/10 on the 'Please Sir, can I have more smoke' Beerometer.

Alc : 6.2%
Where to buy CPH : Kihoskh, Sønder Boulevard 53, Kbh V

Sierra Nevada - Narwhal

I seen this one on another blog a few months ago which inspired me to buy this. The price, which is double what you give for the normal sierra nevada range available in supermarkets here ie. pale ale, ipa, torpedo ipa(a steal at the price) and kellerweizen..so will this one live up to the high price tag ?.....

Aroma of roasted malt from the pour with coffee, licorice and dark chocolate covered raisins.

Narwhal pours pitch black with a tight creamy brown head. Heavily roasted malt on the intake with dark chocolate, licorice and a touch of coffee while the finish is hoppy, bitter and warming alcohol. The long aftertaste is more of the same but with a tannin/leathery tinge to it ? Yeah, there is a question mark there for a reason. Full bodied and low carbonation, the mouthfeel is creamy to being a tad oily. While you can certainly feel and taste the alcohol in this it does not detract from the flavours.

Maybe I have drunk too from the fermenting vessel this morning while checking gravity but this left me slightly disappointed. I'm left questioning while writing this post if the alcohol is overriding the flavours and the sweetish licorice through this is too much and spoils it totally for me. Saying all that, I still enjoyed it. However, I would not buy it again apart from to store it for another year as I think storing will really benefit it. No doubt some bottle shop with be selling 2012 which this is in a year or two for two times the price.

Summing up, bold malty imperial stout that if I had never tried it I would buy two. One to try now and one to forget about for another year.

This scored a generous 7.5/10 in the 'what's this about keeping beer for another year about ? It's not wine for gawds sake' Beerometer.

Alc : 10.2%
Where to buy CPH : Superbrugsen

Jacobsen - Høstbryg

Høstbryg = Harvest brew.

A new one from the house brewery at Carlsberg, this one being styled a vienna lager. I hope there is a bit more to it than the carly semper ardens weiner which was also just released. Being friday, less chit chat and get onto the beer in question eh ?....

Malt aroma from the pour with caramel and light citrusy hops.

Høstbryg pours a clear amber to copper with a white creamy head. Medium sweet very malty intake along with caramel and again light hoppy citrus while the finish is dry and mildly bitter. Can you guess the short aftertaste ?....yep, more malt which with the caramel is almost chewy butterscotch in taste. Light bodied, the mouthfeel is a tad watery.

Now I've had a pop at raters/fair isle jersey wearers using the saying 'one dimensional' , this one is a definite candidate for that saying to be used as it is a good chunk of sameness all the way through. However, it is a Vienna which is quite a simple brew so what do people expect ? Considering the brewer, to me this tastes like a luxury version of tuborg classic(bad comparison), with a different hop profile, which I've said before is decent when poured from a great height to knock all the co2 out ;).  Not one I would bother to buy again although I've no problem drinking another if offered. Summing up, an average simple and malty vienna.

This scored a generous 6/10 on the '+1 for all the malt/remembering me to get some oktoberfest beers in' Beerometer.

Alc : 5.9%
Where to buy CPH : Føtex

Flensburger x 2 - Pilsener & Gold

I've got a huge thing going on again gathering flip-top bottles, well any bottles for yet another homebrew which I have put over the past weekend and another two which I have planned for midway and end of the month. I have thought about buying new empty bottles but come on, when I buy beer bottles I want them to be full first !...I bottled the last batch just over a week ago, it is my christmas stout. Kegging would be a lot less time consuming....

I have tried these two once before along with quite a few from Flensburger though I did not make any pre-blog notes on them. I do like their Dunkel which I have drunk recently so let's see how they are...

Pilsener

Light waft of malt, hay, herbs and hops from the pour.

Pilsner pours a clear pale gold with a frothy white head. Herby/spice and grassy intake with malt while the finish is dry, bitter and hoppy. Nothing much going on in the light aftertaste apart from some malt, hops and grass. Quite softly carbonated for a pilsener, the mouthfeel is light and not too watery.

Clean and crisp, it is a pretty good example of a standard northern german pilsener. Pretty refreshing, I'd have no problem drinking this to quench the thirst on a hot summers day. I must be in a good mood as I can't think of any gripes apart from why do they use hop extract ? Summing up, decent standard and a good bit tastier than your usual macro eurosplosh.

This scored 5.5/10 on the '+1 for the swingtop' Beerometer.

Alc : 4.8%
Where to buy CPH : Føtex and Bilka.

Gold

Light aroma of malt, yeast and hops from the pour.

Gold pours clear golden (once the chill haze had cleared, oops) with a creamy white head. Sweet malty intake with some grass and dulled hops while the finish is dry and very very mildly bitter. This has a short aftertaste of malt and dull hops. The mouthfeel is thin and watery.

While more malty than the pilsener I wonder if they forgot to put anything else in or the hop extract injector was blocked as there is not a whole lot going on with this. I won't say duffer as I like the malty taste but there is practically no other flavours reaching the palate....yes I did allow it to warm up a bit after being over-chilled. Summing up, I should have bought 2 pilseners, avoid.

This scored a lowly 2.5 on the '+1 for the swingtop...you can subtract it yourself' Beerometer.

Alc : 4.8%

Where to buy/avoid CPH : Føtex and Bilka.

Carlsberg - Semper Ardens Porter

On offer in Netto of all places this week marks the return of the Semper Ardens range from Carlsberg. Why it went away, Christmas Ale excluded, I don't know but perhaps they were concentrating on the Jacobsen brand. So I picked this one up along with the weiner and kellerpils. As a lover of stouts I was a big fan of Criollo Stout which I thought was bloody excellent. For me, it was one of them beers that if blindfolded you would never have guessed it came from a huge industrial brewer. So, how will this replacement ? porter live up to that ........

Light aroma of malt, chocolate and licorice coming from the pour.

This Porter pours black with a dark ruby tinge and has a creamy beige head. Quite sweet on the intake with dark roasted/almost burnt tasting malt, dark chocolate and a dab of licorice while the finish is bittersweet. This has a pleasant long-ish aftertaste of malt, licorice and milky coffee. Smooth mouthfeel though a bit oily with no alcohol shining through.

Summing up first...decent one bottle only porter that is worth a try. The reason I say one bottle only is mainly personal as I drank two bottles of this while writing this post (I did have other things going on) but during the second I thought it was beginning to be a bit dull, your own mileage may vary of course. While pretty good value for money, bought for 10 dkk, it is not a patch on the afore mentioned Criollo Stout. I don't know if it is a capacity thing but I've always wondered why the Semper Ardens/Jacobsen line do not, to my limited knowledge, get exported ? Answers on a postcard please. I have no problem buying and drinking this again.

This scored 7.5/10 on the 'oh, a macro brew, I must mark down' Beerometer.

Alc : 6.8%
Where to buy CPH : Netto

Mikkeller - Beer Geek Brunch Weasel

With all the Mikkeller posts someone asked me about this one and if I would blog it. Well here we go, much hyped and rated in various places in the top 25 beers in the world. Not that I have much time for ratings sites as I am very skeptical of beer tickers, the numbers game and comments of 'one dimensional' and 'boring' 600 times but hey, if that is how some people get their kicks out of beer then fair play to them.

Onto the beer in question. I can't say I am going in blind as I have had this before pre-blog. Blurb first...

This imperial Oatmeal stout is brewed with one of the world’s most expensive coffees, made from droppings of weasel-like civetcats. The fussy Southeast Asian animals only eat the best and ripest coffee berries.Enzymes in their digestive system help to break down the bean. Workers collect the bean-containing droppings for Civet or Weasel Coffee. The exceedingly rare Civet Coffee has a strong taste and an even stronger aroma.

Big aroma of coffee, heavy roasted malt, chocolate and light hops from the pour.

Brunch Weasel pours pitch black with a creamy light brown head. Heavy dark roasted malt on the sweet intake with strong coffee, bitter dark chocolate and a touch of pine while the finish is quite hoppy and bitter. This has a long lasting aftertaste of malt, coffee and dark chocolate. Softly carbonated, the mouthfeel is smooth and creamy. While you can certainly feel the warming presence of the alcohol it does not shine through to impair the flavour.

For quite a miserable monday..what a start to the week ! Now I am not the greatest fan of coffee in stouts as some can be overpowering and in some cases I'm left wondering if they chucked it in for the sake of it however with this I can only come to the conclusion that the world needs more coffee bean eating weasels ! I really really, no really enjoyed this one and it was a total pleasure to drink. Definitely one you could drink as a treat for yourself. Summing up, if I had only 25 beers to drink before my lights go out this would be one of them. Hunt it down and give it a try.

This scores a perfect 10/10 on the 'did you expect anything lower on this, the 'raters' got it right this time ?' Beerometer.

Alc : 10.9%
Where to buy CPH : Kihoskh, Ølbutikken, Fish & Beer & Høkeren all stock it.

Dogfish Head - 90 minute Imperial IPA

Well well well, after blogging the 60 minute IPA yesterday I thought it was only fair and proper to write uhmmm give this one another try instead of just saying it was excellent according to my pre-blog notes. That would be cheating and as there is a good few from this breweries range available locally for probably only a limited time I just had to buy a few. That's the excuse I gave the wife anyway...Time to  stop the waffling bullshit and get on with it, eh ?...

Quite subdued aroma coming from the pour of sweet malt, hops, grass and alcohol.

This beer pours clear amber copper with a creamy off-white head. Medium sweet malt on the intake with caramel, citrus, spices, hops and warming alcohol while the finish is dry, bitter and hoppy. This leaves a dryness in the mouth while the bitter hop aftertaste has grapefruit and citrus lingering. Softly carbonated the mouthfeel is smooth and creamy.

Normally I would mention the alcohol above if it shines through or not at this level of ABV but I will go into here. It is very 50-50 in my view, while you certainly can feel the warmth of it and you can taste it through the brew it does not overtake any of the other flavours until it gets to about room temperature so drink it quickish ! which I must have done first time around not to notice it. :) Like the 60 minute yesterday I really like the malty base to this as it creates in this hop heavy beer a good balance to counteract the bitterness. I reckon this is the perfect beer for when you are sitting outside on an Autumn night when it starts to get chilly. No need to be a wimp, just keep it t-shirt only and be cool whilst supping a few..until you need to stand up and stagger to the toilet. Sorry, way off track...No problem here buying and drinking another, just not two or more in a row. Summing up, excellent IPA worth looking out for to try even if only the once.

This scored a generous 9/10 on the ' is it hot in here or is it just me ?' Beerometer

Alc : 9%
Where to buy CPH : Kihoskh, Sønder Boulevard 53, Kbh V

Amager Bryghus / Three Floyds - Arctic SunStone

A newly released collaboration brew from Amager Bryghus. Instead of some meaningless lines of filler let's just get on with it after the blurb....

The sunstone - much disputed among scholars. Did the Viking navigators really have such a tool that would help them point out what was east and what was west - even on a less than sunny day? We certainly believe so. Many years later no sunstone was needed when Amager Bryghus was invaded by what very much looked like Viking ancestors of American descent. Hailing from Munster, Indiana, Chris Boggess and Barnaby Struve of Three Floyds Brewing arrived not with a vengeance but with very loud King Diamond on their portable mp3 player. This was not a day for slaughter but for brewing. And brew we did. The mellow and dangerously quaffable Arctic SunStone is proof that even Viking warriors can have a more subtle side to them. All hail to Three Floyds. 

Wafts of tinned mixed fruit syrup, peach, citrus and a little pine from the pour.

Arctic SunStone pours hazy amber orange with a fluffy off-white head. A very fruity tasting intake with malt, caramel, peach, the man from del monte's tinned fruit in syrup again and faint pine all leading  into a hoppy and bitter finish. Lots of citrus peel and a grapefruit linger in the aftertaste. Softly carbonated the mouthfeel is smooth.

Now reading the above you might wonder if it is too sweet ? Not at all, the sweetness of the fruity intake is blasted out the water by the hops and bitter finish. I hate the saying 'well balanced' as it screams 'bore the arse off you in one minute fair isle wearing beardy idiots' but it applies here. I enjoyed it although I'm not sure if I would go for two in a row as all the fruit for me would become tiresome. I have no problem buying and drinking again. Summing up, if you like your ying and yang or need a beer to fulfill your five a day then give this one a try.

This scored 7.5/10 on the 'The man from Del Monte, he says Yes' Beerometer.

Alc : 6%
Where to buy CPH : Kihoskh and Ølbutikken both had it in stock at time of writing.

Dogfish Head - 60 Minute IPA

Most people will have heard of Dogfish Head from the Discovery Channel series Brew Masters. Looking up their beer menu on their website there is quite a few extreme beers to choose from, just the thought of the stewed ale turns my stomach. Not my first time with this brewery as I have tried the 90 minute IPA which was excellent. So how will the little brother to it do ?......

Very nice aroma of malt along with hops, citrus and peach from the pour.

60 minute IPA pours hazy amber orange with a creamy white head. Sweet malty intake with pine resin, citrus, caramel and light floral hops while the finish is dry and bitter. Lots of fruit in the sharp and short aftertaste with grapefruit and orange peel most prominent. Quite highly carbonated the mouthfeel is gassy and watery.

This one ticks all the boxes for me from what I think an IPA should taste like. I am not quite sure I would class this a session beer as they suggest as the ABV is over the limit of what I personally class a session beer but hey, that is just me, a few jars maybe then that would be it. ;) I really liked this one and have no problem buying again or saying 'yes please' to another. Summing up, rock solid IPA worth looking out for to try.

This scored 8.5/10 on the 'Please sir, can I have some more ?' Beerometer.

Alc : 6%
Where to buy CPH : Kihoskh, Sønder Boulevard 53, Kbh V.

Brewdog - Fake Lager

It has been a while since I last posted a brew from Brewdog.  Not that I have not drunk any as punk ipa is a regular in my house. So I picked this one up today and the first thing that struck me, no pretentious label blurb to laugh at. Like come on, is the label fake as well ? So I hunted down the description...

Fake is the new black. Fake is where it is at. Fake Art, fake brands, fake breasts, and fake lager. We want to play our part in the ugly fallout from the Lager Dream. Say hello to Fake Lager – a 21st century faux masterpiece.

Awwww they never let me down, brilliant ! :) I quite like their 77 lager so how will this bohemian Czech pilsner compare...

A light waft of sweet malt, grass and hops from the pour.

Fake Lager pours hazy orange gold with frothy white head. Very nice malt taste on the intake along with biscuit, grass and hops ending with a mild to medium bitter finish. The aftertaste is more malt and hops, saaz and ? The mouthfeel is as expected, watery.

Much like the 77 lager this is a good step above the usual industrials. The amount of malt surprised me and there was nothing crisp about it, more of a sharp hoppy ending. To me this tasted like a cross between a malt heavy German and a saaz laden Czech. I enjoyed this one and would have no problem buying or drinking again. Summing up, a huge step above mass produced industrial crap.

This scored 7/10 on the 'Fake chinese digital' Beerometer.

Alc : 4.7%
Where to buy CPH : Kihoskh, Sønder Boulevard 53, Kbh V