Beer Reviews by SIGMUND

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# Beer Origin Style Score Date
6601 Aass eXo Norway Lager 2.6

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

(500 ml can.) Aimed at younger consumer groups, this "Extraordinary Spesialøl" ("special beer") is just slightly darker and sweeter than an average bland lager / pilsener. Nothing to write home about.

May 12, 2005
04:37:12 PM
6602 Baltika 8 (Wheat) Russia Hefeweizen 3.7

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

330 ml bottle, now available in Norway. Some sediment in bottle, pours with a typical enormous weissbier head. Pale straw coloured, just a slight haziness. Strong typical hefe-weissbier aroma, distinct cloves and banana-flavoured sweets, very nice. Light bodied, thinner mouthfeel than many German hefe-weissbiers, but refreshing. Cloves and moderate hops in the aftertaste. Not bad for a Russian macro brewery.

May 12, 2005
04:18:12 PM
6603 XO Beer France Biere de Garde 2.3

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 5 | Mouthfeel: 4 | Flavor: 4 | Overall: 4

(330 ml bottle, ABV 5.9%). Weird beer! - but then, mixing cognac in beer IS a weird idea! The result: Aroma and flavour neither of beer nor cognac - but of RASPBERRIES!! and boysenberries. Rather sweet, but not as sweet as the aroma makes you fear. Not really godawful, but definitely not a beer I'll buy again. Beer is beer, and cognac is cognac - and never shall the two meet (again)! BTW, I think the beer used in this blend is a lager, not an ale - but I'm not 100% sure.

May 12, 2005
03:37:12 PM
6604 Kaltenberg Konig Ludwig Weiss Germany Hefeweizen 3.8

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

(500 ml bottle. As "Prinzregent Luitpold Weissbier" in Germany it contains more "hefe" and is more carbonated than the international König Ludwig version). Cloudy blond colour, large head. Lovely aroma of ripe bananas and cloves. Light bodied, some cloves in the flavour, refreshing. Like most weissbiers a short aftertaste, but what there is, is good.

May 3, 2005
07:40:03 PM
6605 Younger of Alloa Sweetheart Stout United Kingdom Stout 2.6

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 4 | Flavor: 4 | Overall: 4

(Bottle). Extremely sweet low ABV (2%) Scottish stout, traditionally recommended for nursing mothers and convalescents to regain their strength. Scotsmen drink it mixed half & half with Guinness. Might be a good idea. I had it on its own at room temperature, and found it way too sweet, nearly undrinkable. Would probably be better at cellar temperature.

May 3, 2005
06:57:03 PM
6606 Tennents Special 70 United Kingdom Scottish Ale 3.7

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

The nitro version is known as Tennent's Velvet. I had a few pints on nitro tap in Glasgow, must have been Tennent's even if the glass just read ’Velvet’. Well, the pints I had certainly deserved their name, velvety, smooth and creamy indeed. The beer may not be outstanding, but GOOOOD, to be sure! Moderate grapefruity elements with hints of caramel.

May 3, 2005
06:49:03 PM
6607 Tennents Extra United Kingdom Pale Lager 3.0

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

Bottle, bought in Norway at Vinmonopolet. Pale lager. Simply called "Tennent's" here, but the ABV (5%) tells me it's not the British standard Tennent's Lager, so it must be the Extra. An ordinary lager, easily drinkable without too much of anything. However, I won't buy it again of two reasons: a) In Norway, the price is twice that of domestic lagers / pilsener, while the beer isn't that much better (well, it's 0,3 - 0,5% stronger). b): When in Scotland, I will most certainly prefer a good Scottish ale to any lager!

May 3, 2005
06:40:03 PM
6608 Harboe Pilsner Denmark Bohemian / Czech Pilsener 1.6

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

500 ml can, bought in Norway. ABV here is 4.6%. I suspect Harboe Pilsner and Harboe Premium (Premium Pilsner) is really the same beer, with just a slight change of ABV depending on where it's sold. This is just another yellow fizzy beer, low head, little aroma, some corn sweetness and a touch of metallic bitterness. Quite uninteresting.

May 3, 2005
06:18:03 PM
6609 Harboe Bjorne Bryg Øl (Bear Beer) Denmark Lager 2.0

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

A cheap Danish pale swill lager sold at budget supermarkets. Cheap taste, too. Totally forgettable. The Harboe brewery specializes in cheap lagers, nearly all of them get low ratings and I feel no urge to search most of them out.

May 3, 2005
06:11:03 PM
6610 Sol Mexico Pale Lager 1.7

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

There are so much better beers "under the sun" - there's really no reason to buy Sol. Same category as Corona, same silly lime slice gimmick. Unbelievably, this swill is imported to Norway. Only for idiots who think they look "cool" when drinking it out of the bottle. Pass.

May 3, 2005
05:57:03 PM
6611 Castlemaine XXXX Draught Lager (English version) United Kingdom Pale Lager 2.0

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

500 ml can, bought in London, named "Castlemaine XXXX Draught Lager", brewed under license in the UK by Interbrew. ABV was 4.0%. This version seems not to be brewed in Australia at all. Drank it ice cold, like the Aussies would prefer it. Pale golden colour, moderate head. Weak sweetish aroma. Little taste at all, just a hint of boiled vegetables and a faint bitterness. Better than water.

May 3, 2005
05:29:03 PM
6612 Tuborg International Gold Label Denmark Lager 3.1

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

A quite acceptable medium-strong golden lager (Danish "guldøl" style), nothing extraordinary. Called Tuborg Guld in Denmark. Duplicate at BeerPal needs to be amalgated: Also listed here as Tuborg Gold Premium Lager. Same beer.

May 3, 2005
05:14:03 PM
6613 Ringnes Extra Gold Norway Strong Lager 3.3

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

Formerly known simply as "Ringnes Gold", and before that (many years ago) as "Ringnes Export". Ringnes Gold was renamed "Extra Gold" when the Ringnes brewery discontinued their short-lived 5.3% ABV medium strong "Ringnes Extra". Ringnes Extra Gold is a strong and fairly malty golden lager in the Norwegian "eksport" style, closely related to Danish "gulløl" and German "Heller Bock". Quite acceptable, but no masterpiece.

May 2, 2005
07:19:02 PM
6614 33 Export France Pale Lager 2.5

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

I had this beer French brewed (it IS also a French brew originally, not Vietnamese, even if it's also brewed under licence in Vietnam and most Americans know it in that version). Also brewed at Heineken's brewery in Morocco. It worked well in the summer heat of the French Riviera, but it's really a very average lager, at the best.

May 2, 2005
06:45:02 PM
6615 Kanterbräu France Pale Lager 2.9

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

An average standard French pale lager, in the Alsacian German-influenced brewing tradition. Seems to have a more local Alsacian following than Kronenbourg and Kronenbourg 1664, which you get all over France. In later years Kanterbräu seems to have become more of a discount beer than the other two. Nothing special. Kronenbourg 1664 is slightly better.

May 2, 2005
06:22:02 PM
6616 Kronenbourg France Pale Lager 3.0

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

Average French lager - easily drinkable, but Kronenbourg 1664 is better. Light bodied, nothing offensive, nothing remarkable. This has for decades been the standard pale lager you get on tap everywhere in France, but 1664 seems to taking over more and more, esp. internationally.

May 2, 2005
06:09:02 PM
6617 Double Diamond Original Burton Ale United Kingdom Extra Special Bitter 3.5

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

A decent pale ale, not outstanding in any way. Rerate 500 ml bottle: Moderate malty aroma, golden brown colour, good head. Pleasant, malty, well rounded flavour. Decent. A bit alcoholic, in a blind test I would guess it was stronger than it actually is.

May 2, 2005
06:02:02 PM
6618 Regal Christmas Belgium Belgian Strong Ale 4.5

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

750 ml corked bottle conditioned, cool label! Brown colour, slightly hazy, good initial head but not lingering, lovely spicy aroma, yeasty, malty and spicy flavour - a real treat for the Christmas table.

May 2, 2005
05:45:02 PM
6619 Erdinger Weissbier (Mit Feiner Hefe) Germany Hefeweizen 4.0

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

Same beer as Erdinger Hefe Weissbier - a duplicate issue on BeerPal that needs to be amalgated. (In Europe this beer is simply called Erdinger Weissbier). Erdinger's best selling beer. Large head, hazy golden colour. Typical Hefe aroma. A refreshing and crisp summer beer (available all year). Maybe not a true masterpiece, but a nice Hefe all the same. I like it!

May 2, 2005
05:31:02 PM
6620 The Cannabis Club Sud Germany Spiced Beer 1.0

Aroma: 2 | Appearance: 2 | Mouthfeel: 2 | Flavor: 2 | Overall: 2

Woooah! Eureka! I found it! The worst beer in the world! Strange yellow/orange colour, like your morning urine when you have the flu and have been drinking too little. Smells and tastes like undefined nauseous industrial waste. (The hemp oil, I guess). Absolutely horrid, disgusting, abominable, appalling, detestable. Has anyone ever bought a SECOND bottle of this? Every school kid should be given a free bottle of this "beer" to keep them away from cannabis forever. Down the toilet it went (didn't want to contaminate the kitchen sink). I still shudder when I think of it.

May 2, 2005
05:20:02 PM
6621 Castle Lager South Africa Pale Lager 2.6

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

(330 ml bottle, bought in London). Pale golden colour, large thick head. Fruity melon-like aroma, flavour is typical industrial lager, a bit sweet. Not very interesting.

Apr 29, 2005
07:02:29 PM
6622 San Miguel Premium Lager (Spain) Spain Pale Lager 2.5

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

Below average lager. You're bound to find better alternatives than this one. Bland, corn, uninteresting. The slightly stronger San Miguel Especial (Spain) is at least somewhat better.

Apr 29, 2005
06:40:29 PM
6623 San Miguel Especial Spain Pale Lager 3.1

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

This one (5.4% ABV) is far better than their 4.5% version Premium Lager, The 5.4% version is quite malty, with a barely sufficient hoppiness. An acceptable premium lager, not great but well worth having with (or without) a meal in Spain. This rating is based on a bottle bought in Norway, had travelled well.

Apr 29, 2005
06:37:29 PM
6624 Sagres Portugal Pale Lager 2.7

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

Really a cross-breed between a European pale lager and an American standard, this is a pretty 'neutral' beer that should neither offend nor excite anyone (but it obviously has). I had it with seafood, at least it was a better choice than Kirin.

Apr 29, 2005
06:30:29 PM
6625 Otter MacOtter United Kingdom Scottish Ale 3.6

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

Cask conditioned at Ye Olde Dolphin Inne, Derby (Heavyweight Beer Festival, February 2005). Gravity dispense. Brown to ruby colour, some natural carbonation, no head. Malty aroma and flavour like expected from a "Scottish" style ale, but this one also has a tolerable hoppy bitterness. Hints of dark bitter chocolate. Not a bad try from the Otter Brewery.

Apr 25, 2005
06:12:25 PM