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.