Beer Reviews by SIGMUND

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# Beer Origin Style Score Date
6251 Höss Neuschwansteiner Das Echte / Hoss Neuschwansteiner Das Echte Germany Helles / Dortmunder 3.3

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

2 liter mock ceramic (glass, actually) swingtop siphon ("growler"), as "Neuschwansteiner Das Echte", bought at Ole Simon, Sandnes, Norway. Pale golden colour, a faint haziness. Large to moderate head. Pleasant aroma of aromatic hops. Flavour is a typical standard helles: moderate malts, moderate hops, grainy notes, easy drinking, nothing unpleasant but nothing really remarkable either. Nice enough, but the siphon was more impressive than the beer.

Nov 24, 2005
03:50:24 PM
6252 Corsendonk Christmas Ale Belgium Belgian Strong Ale 3.7

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

750 ml corked "champagne" style bottle, packed in metal gift box. Now available in Norway (Vinmonopolet). Very dark reddish brown colour, slightly hazy. Moderate tan head. Very nice aroma of Christmas spices, oak, raisins, old sherry, toffee and treacle. Flavour is very malty sweet, plenty of caramel and some spices, hints of smoke, tart/bitter finish. Fizzy mouthfeel - due to the aggressive carbonation and tart finish this beer was not a "silky smooth" experience for me. I actually preferred du Bocq’s Regal Christmas to this one (haven’t tried them side by side, though). R.C. is also somewhat less expensive.

Nov 18, 2005
02:33:18 PM
6253 Kulmbacher Festbier Germany Marzen / Oktoberfest 3.3

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

500 ml bottle, now available in Norway (Vinmonopolet, bestillingsutvalget). ABV is 5.6%. Golden colour, large to moderate white head. Nice grassy aroma of aromatic hops (in America it would probably be known as "skunky", sic), some flowery notes too, hints of honey. Easy drinking, the pale malts are fairly well balanced with the moderate hops, some alcoholic sweetness. Does not carry its 5.6% supremely, but this is another OKish German beer - not one I’ll search out again, though.

Nov 18, 2005
02:23:18 PM
6254 Kulmbacher Mönchshof Bockbier Germany Bock 3.5

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

500 ml swingtop bottle, now available in Norway (Vinmonopolet, bestillingsutvalget). ABV is 6.9%. Orange to amber colour, large off-white head with an orange hue. Moderate aroma of malts, some fruity hops and bakery, notes of alcohol. Flavour is fairly malty and bready, some caramel sweetness, alcohol is evident but not too much. Some hoppy bitteness and slightly burnt notes in the finish. OKish, but not my favourite bock.

Nov 17, 2005
07:05:17 PM
6255 Höss Doppel-Hirsh / Hoss Doppel-Hirsch Germany Doppelbock 4.0

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

500 ml swingtop bottle, bought in Bier Spezi Hamburg. Chestnut coloured, decent light tan head. Rich malty aroma with notes of moderate roastiness, caramel, marzipan and bakery, hints of red fruits. Flavour is malty sweet but not overdone, notes of caramel and dark bread, but a decent hoppy bitterness in the finish makes it very drinkable and moreish. Good beer!

Nov 16, 2005
05:48:16 PM
6256 Höss Holzar-Bier / Hoss Holzar-Bier Germany Dunkel / Dark Lager 4.0

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

500 ml swingtop bottle, bought in Bier Spezi Hamburg. Brown colour, large off-white head. Malty and fruity sweet aroma (raisins), some caramel and spices too. Pleasant flavour with vinous notes, hints of oak, malts are well balanced with the hops. I won’t need wood cutting as an excuse to drink this beer. Very nice!

Nov 16, 2005
09:19:16 AM
6257 Hövels Original Bitterbier Germany Amber Ale 3.6

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

500 ml heavy dark green swingtop bottle, cool. Bought in Bier Spezi, Hamburg. Amber colour, large to moderate off-white head. Lovely hoppy aroma when pouring, not equally impressive in the glass. For something from Germany called "Bitterbier" I kind of expected a hoppy explosion, but the bitterness is actually very moderate. Still, some hops are around, and they are quite well balanced with the malts. Hints of caramel and a certain herbal spiciness too. Unusual style for Germany, but not really remarkable.

Nov 14, 2005
06:12:14 PM
6258 Rothaus Hefeweizen Germany Hefeweizen 4.0

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

500 ml bottle, bought in Bier Spezi Hamburg. Typical hefeweizen enormous head which lasts "forever", very cloudy golden. Typical h.w. aroma of cloves and ripe bananas. Flavour is relatively dry with the typical hefe character, notes of cloves and herbal spices, moderate hops. Another very nice and refreshing h.w.!

Nov 14, 2005
10:06:14 AM
6259 Föroya Bjór Portari Faroe Islands Baltic Porter 3.1

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

330 ml bottle, bought in Bier Spezi Hamburg. My first Faroese beer. Closest style for this bottom fermented beer would be Baltic Porter, but it's a rather poor example of the style. Deep reddish brown colour, large light tan head. Very moderate aroma, some lightly roasted malts, hints of plums. One-dimensional flavour of roasted malts and coffee with a strange sourish and slightly metallic finish. Coffee and sourish metal (does that make sense? - battery acid?) in the aftertaste too. Weird. No masterpiece this one, but they have been trying.

Nov 13, 2005
05:46:13 PM
6260 Altenmünster Winterbier Dunkel Germany Dunkel / Dark Lager 3.5

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

500 ml swingtop bottle, bought in Bier Spezi Hamburg. Reddish brown colour, large off-white head. Malty aroma with notes of caramel and bakery, some fruity hops too. Malty flavour with caramel and bready notes, not very sweet, spicy and fairly hoppy bitter finish. Dusty aftertaste. Okay.

Nov 13, 2005
02:58:13 PM
6261 Paulaner Salvator Germany Doppelbock 3.6

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

500 ml bottle, bought in Bier Spezi Hamburg. ABV is 7.5%. Reddish amber colour, large orange to light tan head. Surprisingly alcoholic aroma, elements of molasses, caramel and syrup, hints of dried dark fruits, port wine and oak. Flavour is also rather alcoholic, malty sweet (a little too sweet for me) with plenty of caramel and molasses, a herbal spiciness and moderate hops in the finish. Not nearly as good as the much darker Weltenburger Kloster Asam Bock, but still a very powerful beer in any way. Definitely a "winter warmer".

Nov 12, 2005
05:27:12 PM
6262 Schwarzer Steiger Germany Schwarzbier 4.1

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

500 ml bottle, bought in Bier Spezi Hamburg. Very dark brown colour, nearly black. Large and lingering greyish tan head, nice lacing. Pleasant moderately roasty aroma, also notes of dark fruits, chocolate, Schwarzbrot and coffee. Very nice flavour of roasted malts perfectly balanced with the hops, not too sweet, notes of coffee. Moderate roasty aftertaste which lasts "forever". A very good Schwarzbier!

Nov 12, 2005
04:24:12 PM
6263 Irseer Kloster-Urtrunk Urbelassen Germany Kellerbier 4.0

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

500 ml bottle, bought in Bier Spezi Hoheluft, Hamburg. Some sediment in the bottle. Hazy golden colour, large and lingering off-white head. Pleasant aroma of aromatic hops, notes of citrus, flowers and honey, hints of oak and leather. Flavour is fairly malty and relatively sweet, well balanced with pleasant hops, some oaky and spicy elements. This is what a golden lager SHOULD taste like! Industrial junk pushers: See, smell, drink and LEARN!

Nov 11, 2005
03:43:11 PM
6264 Diebels Germany Altbier 3.5

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

330 ml bottle, bought in Germany. ABV is 4.9%. Beautiful reddish brown colour, large and lingering greyish light tan head. Moderate malty aroma with some caramel and spices, some flowery aromatic hops too. Flavour is moderately malty and herbal with moderate hops, a little burnt caramel too. Easy drinking, but not one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

Nov 10, 2005
04:16:10 PM
6265 Andechser Export Dunkel Germany Dunkel / Dark Lager 3.9

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 8

500 ml bottle, bought in Bier Spezi Hamburg. ABV is 4.9%. Typical dunkel clear reddish brown colour, very good and lingering light tan head. Very nice aroma of moderately roasted malts, flaked nuts, caramel and bakery. Flavour is malty and nutty with notes of dark bread and caramel, not too sweet. German dunkels are not "big" beers, but are, when well made, a truly enjoyable drinking experience. This is one of them.

Nov 10, 2005
02:35:10 PM
6266 Weltenburger Klosterbrauerei Barock Dunkel Germany Dunkel / Dark Lager 3.8

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

500 ml bottle, bought in Bier Spezi Hamburg. Clear brown to copper coloured, large light tan head. Pleasant aroma of lightly roasted malts, caramel, chocolate and bakery (including rye bread and Danish pastry). Lightly roasted malty flavour, fairly mellow, bready notes, some caramel but not really sweet, decent hops for a dunkel. Mouthfeel could have been fuller. Moderate but pleasant aftertaste. Okay.

Nov 9, 2005
05:16:09 PM
6267 Berliner Kindl Weisse Germany Berliner Weisse 3.1

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

330 ml bottle, bought in Bier Spezi Hamburg. ABV is 2.7%. I had no raspberry syrup available, so I drank it straight. Extremely pale straw coloured, nearly clear, just a very slight haziness. Enormous to moderate head. Unusual funky aroma - sea water / seaweed, notes of barnyard, horseblanket and rotting citrus. Very sour / acidic flavour, but not as extreme as I expected. Lemony notes. Light bodied, watery mouthfeel despite the acidity. Refreshing, but I find very little complexity here. Moderate lemony aftertaste.

Nov 9, 2005
01:19:09 PM
6268 HaandBryggeriet Nissefar (Jule Ale) Norway Baltic Porter 4.4

Aroma: 10 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 9

Bottle conditioned, 500 ml. Very dark colour, nearly black. Large brown head. Delightful aroma of roasted malts, dark chocolate, coffee, prunes, caramel and oak. Flavour is not quite as complex but still good, bitter roasty and coffee notes combined with bittering hops dominate, on a background of dark bitter sweet chocolate, hints of English liquorice. Roasty bitter aftertaste. I’d say Imperial Stout is the closest style here - but maybe it’s not extreme enough. Anyway, this is a very fine effort from Haandbryggeriet. Not a beer for the traditional Scandinavian Christmas dinner, but try it if you have chocolate pudding for dessert - or simply enjoy it on its own!

Nov 9, 2005
09:34:09 AM
6269 Hansa Ekstra Vellagret Julebrygg (klasse D) Norway Dunkel / Dark Lager 3.0

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

330 ml bottle. This is the grocery store version of Hansa’s Julebrygg (Yule/Christmas Brew - not to be confused with their Juleøl - Yule/Christmas Beer). Very nice appearance - dark reddish brown colour, large and lasting creamy light tan head. Moderate malty aroma, notes of caramel and toast. Flavour has wort sweetness with next to nothing to balance it, notes of sweet bread, caramel, dark syrup and molasses. Tastes too much like "vørterøl" (unfermented wort "beer"). Definitely not my first choice for Christmas.

Nov 9, 2005
06:17:09 AM
6270 Berentsens Julefnugg Norway Porter 4.2

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

330 ml clear bottle. Berentsens surprise us again - they have made a slightly mellower version of a Baltic porter as their "klasse F" (Vinmonopolet) Yule/Christmas beer. Dark brown colour, nice and creamy tan head. Very nice roasty aroma with notes of oak, leather, dark bread and coffee. Flavour is moderately roasty and well rounded, elements of coffee, dark chocolate and oak. Tolerable hops. Could use a little more "bite", but this is definitely not a bad beer!

Nov 9, 2005
06:13:09 AM
6271 Nesselwang Postwirts Dunkel Germany Dunkel / Dark Lager 3.7

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

500 ml twistcap bottle, bought in Bier Spezi Hamburg. Typical dunkel reddish brown colour, decent pale greyish brown head. Pleasant malty sweet aroma with notes of caramel, toast and bakery. Mellow nutty flavour with notes of dark bread and caramel, tolerable hops for a dunkel (Hallertau, Spalt and Tettnang). Nice.

Nov 9, 2005
06:02:09 AM
6272 Flensburger Winterbock Germany Bock 2.9

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

330 ml swingtop bottle, bought in Germany. Golden colour, fizzy, large head. Fairly strong sweet and alcoholic aroma, notes of molasses and ammonium, hints of oak and fermenting fruits, not very pleasant. Flavour is malty, too alcoholic and sweet, low bitterness. Pale strong lagers rarely make me happy, and this one is no exception to the rule. Still drinkable - I’ve had worse.

Nov 7, 2005
06:36:07 PM
6273 Ringnes Bryggerimester Spesial Julen 2005 Norway Spiced Beer 2.3

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 4 | Mouthfeel: 4 | Flavor: 4 | Overall: 4

330 ml clear bottle. Ringnes intend to present a new recipe for their Bryggerimester Spesial each year, and the 2005 edition is definitely VERY different from the 2004 edition (each vintage is listed separately at BeerPal). Beautiful deep amber colour, decent head. Aroma is dominated by strong anise / cough medicine notes, not a perfect marriage with the weaker notes of caramel malts. Hints of thyme. Flavour is also dominated by anise, vanilla notes are much weaker. Fairly light bodied, malts do not come up front. Some faint hops and anise again in the aftertaste. The 2004 edition was quite good for its moderate strength, the 2005 is not. Definitely not my cup of tea, sorry: beer. Experiments are okay in the world of beer, but there’s no guarantee that they will be successful. This one isn’t. To be avoided. Better luck next year.

Nov 7, 2005
04:58:07 PM
6274 Ringnes Bryggerimester Spesial Julen 2004 Norway Vienna / Amber Lager 3.5

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

(Bottle). Ringnes Bryggerimester Spesial Julen (Yule/Christmas) 2004 has replaced the old Ringnes Julespesial. Bryggerimester Spesial is darker - a beautiful copper colour, and retains a good head. Caramel, hops and spices in the aroma. Flavour is well balanced between the malts and hops, and there are distinct hints of Christmas spices (cardamom, ginger?). This is one of the better Yule brews in the grocery store "klasse D " segment.

Nov 7, 2005
04:54:07 PM
6275 Augustiner Oktoberfest Bier Germany Marzen / Oktoberfest 3.0

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

500 ml bottle, bought in Bier Spezi, Hamburg. Very pale golden colour, large head. Moderate aroma of grass, fruits and pale malts. Flavour is surprisingly bland, some grassy and sweetish notes. Low bitterness. ABV is well hidden. Drinkable, but I expected more than this. Confirms my theory that the Octoberfest is a ridiculously over-hyped event for American and German binge drinkers, and has very little, if anything, to do with a great beer selection or beers out of the ordinary.

Nov 7, 2005
02:14:07 PM