Beer bLoNg's Early 2012 Beer Line-up

There’s a lot of stuff in the beer cellar right now, and I thought I would share a bit of what will be coming out of there in the next month or two. For starters, there are tons of Christmas beers (almost literally), including many macro-brew varieties that I just never got around to trying during the holiday season. Furthermore, a lot of the beers in this list are not new to me. I’ve had quite a few of them in the past – some of them on numerous occasions, but either failed to take tasting notes or took rather poor ones that are simply not good enough to produce a respectable review. 

So here’s the list, starting with the first row and then moving onto the second (an serious business) row.

Row One

Orval, Belgian Trappist Ale; 6.2 percent; Florenville, Belgium. I’ve had this quite a few times in the past and certainly look forward to tasting it and reviewing it in the coming weeks. Its scores on Ratebeer.com and BeerAdvocate are impressive, and, based on my past samples, I expect my review to be nothing but positive.

Dahls, Juleøl (Christmas beer); 6.5 percent; Oslo, Norway. I’ve never had a Dahls brew, but the company is owned by Ringnes (which is in turn owned by Carlsberg), so I don’t really expect it to taste much different than many of the other macro-brew Christmas beers widely available in Norway. That said, most of these 6.5 percent versions are quite robust and tasty.

Erdinger, Schneeweisse Winterbier; 5.6 percent; Erding, Germany. What can I say? Everything I’ve had from Erdinger has been top-notch, and I expect nothing less from this one. I’m somewhat surprised I never had it before.

Silenrieux, Joseph Bio/Organic; 5 percent; Silenrieux, Belgium. I’ve previously sampled their Sara Buckwheat Ale and really liked it (I took good notes, so expect a review of that one soon). 

Rodenbach: Grand Cru; 6 percent; Roeselare, Belgium. I’ve had this once or twice before and loved its fruity and sour feel. I can’t wait to try it again.

Lancaster Brewing Company, Strawberry Wheat; 4.7 percent; Lancaster, PA, USA. I’ve had this in draft form numerous times at their brewpub and loved each one of them. However, I had a bottle of it over the summer and found it wanting in flavor and appearance. We’ll see how this one goes, but I’m not expecting it to be a top performer.

Berentsens, Stelliger Divum Juleøl; 19 percent; Egersund, Norway. I’ve never had this Christmas beer before, but I’m very much looking forward to it. At 19 percent ABV, it’s either going to be seriously complex or nothing but booze. I’ll be letting this one sit in the cellar for a few months before trying it, so the review will have to wait (assuming I am patient enough to keep away from its lure).

Nøgne Ø, Imperial IPA (#500); 10 percent; Grimstad, Norway. A very outstanding IPA. I’ve had it twice, but my tasting notes are rather rough, and this one deserves a quality rating. So, I’ll try it a third time before giving an official reviewing. But, its damn good, I promise!

Lervigs, Jul; 6.8 percent; Stavanger, Norway. I’ve sampled several of their products – e.g. the Konrad’s Stout, Lucky Jack APA, and White Dog Norwegian Wheat – on several different occasions, and each sample revealed a respectable level of quality. I received this one as a Christmas gift and will probably use it to liven up my February.

Mack, Juleøl; 6.5 percent; Tromsø, Norway. I’m sure I’ve tasted this somewhere along the line, but I can’t really remember it. Mack is one of Norway’s larger brewers, and I don’t expect this one to be much different from the other 6.5 ABV Christmas beers out there (not necessarily a bad thing, really).

Hansa, Juleøl; 6.5 percent; Bergen, Norway. I’ve had it dozens of times, but never gave it an official review. So, I picked one just for that purpose. 

Fredrikstad (Hansa Borg), Juleøl; 6.6 percent; Sarpsborg, Norway. Well, let’s wait and see. I’m not expecting it to be much different than the Hansa Juleøl listed previously. Maybe I should have a drink off between the two of them.

Row Two

Port Brewing, The Lost Abbey, 10 Commandments; 9 percent; San Marcos, CA, USA. This one has been sitting in the cellar for some time now. It’s only half mine, so I’ll have to wait until convening with the other ‘shareholder’ before reviewing it. My expectations are high.

Port Brewing, The Lost Abbey, Judgment Day; 10.5 percent; San Marcos, CA, USA. This one is a Christmas gift, so it’s all mine! Again, my expectations are high.

La Rulles, La Granda 10; 10 percent, Rulles, Belgium. I’ve had this on several occasions, and could just write a review based on my notes. But, this one has been in the cellar for some time now, and I plan on popping it open in the coming weeks. So, I’ll wait with the review.

Haandbryggeriet, Bestefar (Grandfather); 9 percent; Drammen, Norway. Haandbryggeriet makes some really remarkable and somewhat experimental stuff. So, it goes without saying that sometimes experimentation can go awry, resulting in some really weird brews. The ratings for this one are very good, and I’m looking forward to reviewing it myself. 

Paulaner, Hefeweissbier Dunkel ; 5.3 percent; Munich, Germany. I cannot believe I’ve never had this one. It’s not rare or anything, but I just never managed to find the time for it. I drink their Hefeweissbier all the time. I suspect this one will not be much different than the similarly styled Erdinger.

Nøgne Ø, Bitter; 4.5 percent; Grimstad, Norway. I’ve had this probably a scillion times or so, and I could easily write a review for it now. But, I’ll just wait and write one after consuming this particular bottle. 

Haandbryggeriet, Fyr og Flamme (to be excited, lit. fire and flame) IPA; 6.2 percent; Drammen, Norway. As I said before, Haandbryggeriet makes some really remarkable and somewhat experimental products. So, it goes without saying that sometimes experimentation can go awry, resulting in some really weird brews. I have no idea what to expect from this one.

Haandbryggeriet, Røyk Uten Ild (smoke without fire); 8.5 percent; Drammen, Norway. Had it before and loved its smoky profile. I cannot wait to give it a review for this blog.

Herslev, Økologisk Hvedeøl: 5.6 percent; Roskilde, Denmark. I’ve had their crazy, but tasty Pilsner. This one has been in the cellar for quite some time, so I think it’s about ready to sample.

Ægir, Ratatosk, Double IPA; 9 percent, Flåm, Norway. My expectations for this one are high, as they usually are for Ægir’s stuff.  

Mikkeller, Beer Geek Brunch, Weasel; 10.9 percent; Copenhagen, Denmark. I’ve been looking forward to this for a long time. Out of all the beers on this list, Beer Geek Brunch is probably the one I most look forward to. For some reason, I’ve had a hard time finding it. The local bar I frequent - Henrik Ø og Vinstove – carries it, but they were always sold out when I asked for it. So, I patiently waited for it to turn up at the wine monopoly, and finally it did.

Ægir: Natt Imperial Porter – A testimony to excellence and elegance

Ægir’s brewery is nestled in the tiny and majestic fjord town of Flåm, Norway, and the brewery’s arrival to the scene there really completed Flåm as an attractive tourist destination. Ægir’s brews are noteworthy for their subtleness; indeed, it often takes a very perceptive palate to identify all the particularities in Ægir’s flavor complexes, as compared to Nøgne Ø’s more “in your face” approach, or so it seems. Both qualities are good, but this difference is why I sometimes prefer Nøgne Ø’s brews: You don’t have to work as hard to draw out and identify the different tastes. 

I’ve managed to sample Natt Imperial Port on three separate occasions, and this brew just seems to taste better and better over time. Like other Ægir products, Natt’s characteristics are subtle and delicate; they threaten to escape the attention of a causal drinker. In my view, this is one of the best Ægir products and is probably in my list of top five beers I’ve tasted in 2011. Life in the glass starts with a dark brown – almost black – color with a small but well retained tan head. The lacing is tight and sticky, although the most recent sample I’ve had was a bit weak in the lacing. 

Generally speaking, Natt Imperial Porter’s aroma is not amazingly powerful, but is instead loaded with subtle complexities, including faint hints of licorice, chocolate, berries, sweet malt, and more. But coffee seems to be a dominant aroma. The creamy mouthfeel and generous carbonation are accompanied by a variety of flavors, notably coffee, toffee, caramel, and licorice. There’s a wonderfully bitter climax right before the finish, leading to nutty and licorice flavors that seem to linger on for a few minutes while competing for the palate’s attention. What’s surprising about this is how easy it is to drink, largely due to the virtual absence of any alcohol taste, despite its 10 percent ABV. Natt Imperial Porter does lose some of its balance as the temperature exceeds 12 Celsius (54 f) and the alcohol flavor comes alive.

Overall, Natt Imperial Porter is a testimony to Ægir’s crafting excellence and elegance. While its price is awfully high, I strongly recommend sampling this. But do so with the expectation of having to work a bit to sort out the aromas and tastes. 

Links

Ratebeer: http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/aegir-natt-imperial-porter/129139/

 

Ægir: http://www.flamsbrygga.no/

Image credits

Kvitre: http://kvitre.no/

 

Ægir: God Jul (7 percent ABV) – Subtle and delicate

Ægir’s brewery is nestled in the tiny and majestic fjord town of Flåm, Norway, and the brewery’s arrival to the scene there really completed Flåm as an attractive tourist destination. Ægir’s brews are noteworthy for their subtleness; indeed, it often takes a very perceptive palate to identify all the particularities in Ægir’s flavor complexes, as compared to Nøgne Ø’s more “in your face” approach, or so it seems. Both qualities are good, but this difference is why I sometimes prefer Nøgne Ø’s brews: You don’t have to work as hard to draw out and identify the different tastes. 

So, on Christmas Eve, my wife and I decided to take some time to enjoy an Ægir God Jul 7 percent ABV version, and what a treat this one is. Life in the glass begins with a dark amber pour, culminating in a tall and well-retained off-white head. Rolling it around in the glass produces a matrix of sticky laces. In terms of appearance, Ægir’s God Jul is a very attractive brew. 

Taking a whiff reveals a very subtle and Christmassy aroma with an ample amount of complexity: think orange peel, bubblegum, and a hint of spice. The alcohol presence becomes more distinct as the beer warms. The mouthfeel is oily, with medium carbonation. On the palate, the flavors are again very subtle and one has to work a bit to separate them. Bubblegum and orange peel are definitely front and center, followed by some sort of Christmassy spice. The finish is dry, slightly bitter with just a touch of warmth from the alcohol. As the beer’s temperature rises a bit, the orange peel seems to transition into more of a banana flavor, as identified by a number of others on Ratebeer. However, the increased temperature also throws off the balance, making the finish a bit too bitter and boozy to adequately compliment the other flavors. So, be sure to drink this thing at around 8 to 10 Celsius (46-50 f). 

Overall, Ægir’s God Jul rivals any of the Christmas beer’s I’ve sampled this year. It’s highly complex, but in a subtle and delicate manner. In contrast to some of the other Christmas beers I’ve had, the spicy background in God Jul’s aroma and taste really gives it a holiday feel without undermining some of the other flavors. At the right temperature, it is an incredibly well-balanced brew and I’m happy to have a few of these in the cellar.

Links

Ratebeer: http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/aegir-julebrygg-70-green-label/95525/

 

Ægir: http://www.flamsbrygga.no/

Image credits

Beer Sagas: http://beersagas.blogspot.com/2011/11/taste-of-christmas.html

Ægir: Rallar (Amber Ale) – Caramel, apples, dark chocolate and more

“Rallar” is a Norwegian word that was used to describe migrant industrial workers during the 1800s and early 1900s, most notably those that worked on building the railroad line that stretches from Oslo in eastern Norway across the plateaus to reach Bergen on the west coast. The construction road used for building the railroad is called “Rallarvegen”, which today is a well-travelled hiking route. One of the endpoints of “Rallarvegen” is in the majestic fjord town of Flåm, the home to Ægir’s brewery.

The term “Rallar, however, is a sort of curious choice for this fine ale. After all, the price of this beer is far from working class.  But for me, it’s one of the best amber ale’s I’ve had in recent years, and it’s truly a treat for me and anyone who happens to drop in for a visit, although serving too many of these to guests (and to myself) can get expensive. But it’s worth it. 

Life in the glass begins with a medium-brown pour, culminating in a tall and well-retained fluffy off-white head. The lacing is tight and sticky. Taking a whiff reveals a very powerful aroma with an ample amount of complexity given its timid 4.7 percent ABV: think caramel, apples, dark chocolate, and a hint of spice. The mouthfeel is slightly watery and, for the first second or so, there does not seem to be much taste to it aside from a bit of apples perhaps. But, after two to three seconds on the palate, there is a burst of chocolate and caramel that recedes into a nutty and slightly bitter finish. In short, swallowing it too quickly will leave very little in the way of taste. But, letting sit on the palate for a bit really turns this ale into a wonderful treat. Overall, it’s well balanced and a great session beer.

Links

Ratebeer: http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/aegir-rallar-amber-ale/74839/

Ægir Brewery: http://www.flamsbrygga.no/en 

Image credits

Cardinal Pub: http://www.cardinal.no/