Mack Ludwig Premium Brown Ale

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 5 | Mouthfeel: 5 | Flavor: 5 | Overall: 5

Dark amber colour, mediumsized beige head. Aroma is caramel malts, hops and slight hints of raisins. Flavour is leather, caramel malts. Watery, but a good attempt.

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 3 | Mouthfeel: 3 | Flavor: 4 | Overall: 4

Clear pale brown, small head. Sweet and clean aroma of syrup and vegetables. Thin, lifeless flavour of metal, grass and syrup. Short and thin finish of vegetables and metal. Really bad.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 5 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 6

(500 ml can.) Mack Bryggeri in Tromsø, the worlds northernmost commercial brewery (there’s a brewpub further north) is a macro brewery by Norwegian standards (not by American!), but they have recently also bought a full micro brewery equipment in order to brew "niche" beers (= ales, mostly) as a welcome change in the Norwegian pale lager desert. You have to give them props for trying, even if the results are not remarkable (and I’m not sure that the "micro" varieties, all named "Ludwig" something after the founder of the brewery, will help them out of their financial problems). Their attempt at an English brown ale has a deep golden brown colour and pours with a large head. Aroma is yeasty and fruity (apples). Flavour is very mellow, some maltiness but not much else. Minimal hops. Flat and bland finish. If Mack’s purpose is to brew a truly GREAT brown ale, they have a long way to go ....