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.

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.

Everards - Original

I have no idea how this ale is perceived in its home UK market but here in Denmark it is in the discount range of coop owned supermarkets and always on offer for as low as 5 DKR a can along with oranjeboom, haacht primus, marstons oyster stout !(an absolute steal) and three from Kaiserdom. Some of which will come in later posts, probably when I'm broke and have declared myself bankrupt... So, pure speculation and guessing, I reckon this is the biggest selling English ale in Denmark.

For the price alone I have set my expectations low, very low since I noticed it says 'premium' on the can which alerts my spidey senses.....


Light waft of caramel, fruit and hops on the pour.

Everards Original pours clear coppery amber with an off-white head. Sweet on the intake with malt, caramel and muted floral hops. The finish is metallic and mildly bitter. This has what I can only describe as a metallic toffee in the aftertaste which is not as unpleasant as it sounds. Light mouthfeel which is a bit watery.

I'm left surprised by this. It is not bad as feared and I've certainly had a lot worse. The ingredients list hop extract, I'm left wondering if that is what the metallic like taste is ? Answers on a postcard please !
It is not one I'd run down to the supermarket after yet I've no problem buying or drinking this again...It is average, but what do you expect at the price ? Well I could mention Marstons Oyster Stout but that is for a later date.

This scores 3.5/10 on the ' I seen a 40ish year old hipster with a brown leather old school satchel earlier today and I'm still laughing to myself' Beerometer.


Alc : 4.7%
Where to buy CPH : All larger coop owned supermarkets.

Left Hand - Sawtooth Ale

A bit of a bummer today for my own little world of beer that one of my favourite beer shops, getrænkeland has closed down. So long easy access to personal favourites Scherlenka, Dithmarscher and a great loss to me Weltenburger Kloster..we'll meet again. I don't know why they closed, but I always thought the location of the shop was wrong.

Ahhh well, hopefully a good beer to cheer the mood. Part two of an American four  in a row with another brewery I have not encountered before like a whole load of others. Years late to the American craft brewing revolution until a couple of years ago as I was very UK-DK and euro zone-centric in my choice of beer. One day a friend came to visit bringing with him some Alesmith which certainly opened my eyes. On to the beer....

Malt, caramel and faintly hoppy on the pour.

Sawtooth Ale pours clear copper amber with a medium creamy white head. Malt, caramel and hops again along with some spice on the sweet intake while the finish is a low to medium bitter sweet. Quite a weird aftertaste which I can only described as toffee/butterscotch coated grass with a bitter twang ! This has a pleasant slightly creamy mouthfeel.

I'm left pretty undecided by this ale. Was it too sweet ? If it was I did not notice as I fairly quaffed it quick enough, perhaps too quick, bad me. Obviously writing that you can guess this one is very easy to drink, in my case too easy ! I have no problem buying or drinking another which I will do so I can pick out anything I missed first time around..good enough excuse ? 

This scored 5/10 on the ' I've drunk this too quick, what am I gonna do ?' Beerometer

Alc : 5.3%

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

The Celt Experience x 2 - Bronze & Golden

Quite a strange out of the blue couple of craft beers to find in a local Danish discount supermarket. Maybe dedicated bottle shops have had some of their range before and I have just never noticed ? I have to admit I have never heard of this Welsh brewery before which is not a bad thing and helps to go in with an open mind. They have a website, if like me it is your first encounter with Celt Experience and want to know more.

Bronze 

Light waft of caramel, malt and floral hops when pouring.

Bronze pours clear copper with an off-white creamy head. Caramel, malt and spice on the intake while the finish is dry and mildly bitter. Hazelnuts and spice again linger in the mild bitter aftertaste along with floral hops. Bit of a watery mouthfeel to this one.

Very nice looking beer once poured though it did nothing to set my mojo alight, meaning a middle of the road bitter where nothing stands out giving me a wow factor. The blurb on the label says ' an escape to the wild'. What is that all about ? :)

Nothing really wrong with this one but not one I'd buy or try again.

This scored 4/10 on the 'All aboard for Aberystwyth' Beerometer.

Alc : 4.5%

Where to buy CPH : Rema1000

Golden

Big wafts of citrus, hops and pine on the pour from this.

Golden pours clear gold with a medium white head. Wooooft...Bags of citrus and citrus peel along with floral hops on the intake with a mild to medium bitter finish. Bitter grapefruit and orange peel linger in the sharp aftertaste. Good, slightly creamy mouthfeel after getting past the zest.

It says on the bottle 'golden, snappy, citrus' and I go along with that. It also says 'drink to inspire you to an evening of passion'...Ehmmm what ? I guess I should let the wife know she will be getting lucky tonight !

A beer that certainly wakes the palate up a bit with all the zestyness. Not one I would rush out and buy again unless of course I need inspired for an evening of passion. No problem drinking another if offered or if the chance came up to try it on tap.

This beer scored 5.5/10 on the 'you alright Boyo ?' Beerometer

Alc : 4.2%

Where to buy CPH : Rema1000

Cairngorm - Stag

If you have been following yesterdays posts then you will remember I wrote it was Distortion today in my street and part of town.Well the hipsters have taken over the street, not on my steps *teehee* but enough to annoy me anyway. Anyone for techno electronic jazz ?

It's a call to arms and I've enlisted my son to help me with Call Of DutyFree 5 - Hipster Helles.

Dad I've finished practice, hipsters you say ?

To Arms ! 'We have a bb gun, 2000 rounds, a watermelon, a coconut and a 300 bag of pg tips. We're in this for the long haul son !'

Everything needed for this mission

Hang on a minute, before we go I've a beer to get on with before that fat jazz singer pipes up....

Pours a clear deep amber with a thick creamy off-white head. Roasted malt, mild hops and nutty on the intake with a very mild bitter finish. Very short bitter aftertaste of caramel and hops. It feels pretty creamy in the mouth. I over-chilled this one and it got a lot better as it warmed a bit. I quite enjoyed this as it was better than I thought it would be. Easy drinking, tad above average without any wow factor. My only gripe would be it could be a lot better with a bit more depth too it, though you can say that with heaps of other beer.


This scored  5/10 on my ' Of course I am only joking, everyone needs a hipster friend sometime' beerometer.

Alc : 4.1%
Where to buy : Abigails  have it in their shop in town along with most of the Cairngorm range.

Cairngorm - Nessie's Monster Mash

A bit of trepidation before opening this and wondering who it's aimed at. Either it is just a fun fun fun named beer or just some distinctly average brew aimed at the shortbread tin image tourist market to pick up before heading home. Maybe I'm being a bit harsh but it was the first thing that came into my skeptical warped mind when seeing the blurb...

Clearing the blurb from my head and getting on to the beer itself. Pours dark amber with a creamy off-white head with good lacing in the glass all the way down. Lots of roasted malts and floral hops on the intake while finishing dry and bitter. Lingering toffee in the aftertaste.

Better than I was expecting with my only real gripes being it being a bit watery and over carbonated. Still, a bit above average bitter ale and very easy to drink. This scored 6/10 on my 'what's this tourist pish?' beerometer.

Alc : 4.4%
Where to buy : Unknown.

Cairngorm - Blessed Thistle

Carrying on with the Cairngorm range, range...get it ?

As it happens I used to go a lot of camping up in the Aviemore area when I was a young lad. Great memories of hiking for miles a day where it could pour down with rain, shelter from a full scale gale, get a brief snow shower and still end up sunburnt at the end of the day..in June.

Blessed Thistle is a reddish brown ale according to the label.

This pours as the label says, reddish brown with a creamy beige head. Looks stunning when poured.  I get sweet malt, caramel and some herbs on the intake while it finishes dry, mildly bitter and with a ginger spice.

I quite like this one though it's not one that gave any wow factor. It's a decent above average bitter that I'd have no problems sitting drinking a few. It climbed to 6/10 on my pre scottish cup final beerometer.

Alc : 4.5%
Where to buy : Trying to track the supplier down.

Cairngorm - Autumn Nuts

See that lovely beer banner above ? I took that pic after my lovely-caring-hardworking-understanding wife bought all them beers for me at Roskilde Kræmmermarked (Fleamarket) from a stall run by a guy connected to the YNWA, yep as the Scouse song and pub/beershop in Kolding, which is a reservation many many miles from Danish civilization, that far out they don't have a website I can give you.

Anyway, as you can see there is nine brews from the Cairngorm Brewery and four from Heather Ales otherwise known as Williams Bros. Where to start ? Easy, A !

Starting off with Autumn Nuts which according to the blurb this a red ale. Pours russet red with a tight creamy off-white head. Taste is dominated by malt and nuts on the intake while a citrus bitterness is left in the aftertaste.

Easy drinking beer though I'm not sure I like it enough to buy another. Above average bitter ale that reached 6/10 on the beerometer.

Alc : 4.8%
Where to buy : Well some Liverpool supporting bloke from Kolding that has stalls in all the big Fleamarkets, otherwise I've not seen it in any of the CPH beer shops.