Tuesday, September 30, 2014

#18: Janis Porter (Naparbier)

Name: Janis Porter
Brewery: Naparbier
Style: Porter, 6.2%


Just like 60s fashion, this groovy-looking brew is past its prime. If you find this somewhere, keep that in mind. Even though it's old, there are nice chocolatey notes, and it tastes more boozy than I was expecting. I also generally like a thicker mouthfeel and less carbonation in my dark brews.
I don't have much to say about this one other than I wish it hadn't been cellared quite as long, but it's still plenty drinkable in my opinion.

Label: 3.5/5
Beer: 3/5


Monday, September 29, 2014

#17: Oktoberpretzel (Mikkeller)

Name: Oktoberpretzel
Brewery: Mikkeller
Style: Oktoberfest, 5.8%


The first beer I ever liked was an Oktoberfest. It tasted like bread and it was an eye-opening breakthrough for me; I didn't know beverages could taste like that! When I saw Mikkeller start advertising their new Oktoberpretzel, I was excited. I was hoping for something yeasty and with a nice malty sweetness. The label reminded me of when my after school German class made pretzels.
I got to try it at the Mikkeller & Friends Bottle Shop, and I'm sad to say I was a bit disappointed. It wasn't bad, but it certainly didn't have any of the bready taste I was hoping for with a beer named after a German soft pretzel. Since that first Oktoberfest beer that left such an impression, I've had a couple others and they have tasted pretty boring to me. This wasn't much of an exception. It did taste a little salty, which was interesting and I guess that's where the pretzel part is supposed to come in. Without the bready flavor that I was hoping for, the saltiness seemed a bit misplaced. Oh well. Happy Oktoberfest anyway, everyone! Prost!

Label: 3.5/5
Beer:3/5


Friday, September 19, 2014

#16: Nekron (Bryggeriet Djævlebryg)

Name: Nekron
Brewery: Bryggeriet Djævlebryg
Style: Stout, 8.5%


I got to try this at a tasting at Nørrebro Bryghus among quite a few others. Most of the other bottles didn't catch my eye, but with Halloween on my brain so much lately, this one definitely did. It's a simple design, but you gotta admit there's some badassery there. The brewery name translates to "devil's brewery" with "damn good beer" written underneath it, and apparently they donate some of the proceeds from their beer sales to the Danish Atheist Society.
So what does sin taste like? My first impression was chocolate and steak. Sounds pretty accurate, if you consider decadence to be one of the perks of siding with the devil. After a couple more sips, the smooth smokiness took over the more delicate flavors, but it was still a devilishly good drinking experience.

Label: 3.5/5
Beer: 4/5



Friday, September 12, 2014

#15: Ancient Nipponia (Kiuchi Brewery)

Name: Hitachino Nest Ancient Nipponia
Brewery: Kiuchi Brewery
Style: Imperial Pilsner, 6.5%


I'd had a couple beers by this brewery before, and they were good, especially for being from Japan. With the cute Hitochino Nest owl and the fancy gold lettering (and, fine, the intriguing ingredients), I was expecting something really unique and awesome.
Unique: yes! Awesome: kinda. This is one beer that I went back and forth on with each sip. I could tell that it's not a bad beer, but I wasn't too crazy about the flavor. It grew on me, and the people I was drinking with really liked it. I say, try it. It's not going to taste like anything you've had before, and it's certainly not foul. I'd like to try it again sometime.

Label: 3.5/5
Beer: 3.5/5



Sunday, September 7, 2014

#14: Moose Islay (Nómada Brewing Co.)

Name: Moose Islay
Brewery: Nómada Brewing Co.
Style: Russian Imperial Stout, 12%


A cat in a moose costume? I mean, come on now. This is actually the label that inspired the conversation that resulted in this blog's existence. It's like they made this label just to get me personally to buy it. And hey, it worked! I was surprised to see later that this is actually one of the highest rated Spanish beers on Untappd. Bonus!
Excited to try it, I didn't let it sit out of the fridge to warm up long enough at first. It smelled like soy sauce and tasted bitter and metallic. I thought my hopes had been dashed. However, after it warmed up a bit, some berry notes came out and it was much more palatable. Still not the best Russian imperial stout I've had, but I think if I was really craving one it would do the trick as long as it wasn't served too cold.

Label: 4/5
Beer: 3.5/5


Saturday, September 6, 2014

#13: Shadow Pictures (Amager Bryghus)

Name: Shadow Pictures / Skyggebilleder
Brewery: Amager Bryghus
Style: Double India Pale Ale, 8%


I'm a kid at heart, and that includes getting excited and giggly about shadow puppets (even though I kinda suck at them). The name is what got me with this beer, but the label is pretty cool, too.
I couldn't decide for a while what to rate this one. It's definitely good. It's a bit sweet, with hoppy bitterness and some citrusy notes. I kept asking myself what I would change for the taste to be ideal. I couldn't come up with anything, but it was lacking something. Maybe it just comes down to a matter of personal preferences. I think the really standout beers are ones with a distinctive, memorable taste. This one might just be too balanced for me. So if you like your beers really well balanced, try this one! But hey, try it anyway. It's darn tasty. And make some shadow puppets for me while you're at it.

Label: 3.5/5
Beer: 4/5


#12: Brown Ale (Brygghuset Finn)

Name: Brown Ale
Brewery: Brygghuset Finn
Style: American Brown Ale, 4.9%


This isn't the prettiest bottle I've ever seen, but I thought the ultra-simple, straightforward, resource-saving label looked professional and its minimalism stands out on the shelves among regular labels. So, why not try it?
Because apparently I should stick to fancy labels, that's why. This beer was not impressive. It didn't even seem finished. It had the bitterness of a grapefruit rind without much flavor. Ick. Not what I look for in a brown, or really any beer. Moving on...

Label: 3/5
Beer: 2/5



Monday, September 1, 2014

#11: Midas Touch (Dogfish Head)

Name: Midas Touch
Brewery: Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
Style: Spiced Beer, 9%


How could I resist a beer named after such a fable? Will such a unique brew be a blessing or a curse?
When I opened it and smelled it, I got a bit worried. I think it smells kinda weird. Thankfully, the taste is better than the smell. The white muscat grapes are very dominant, and I also pick up the honey quite a bit. It's quite good, and very interesting, but not my thing. I feel like this is a beer for wine drinkers.

Label: 3.5/5
Beer: 3.5/5