Dark Night 2022

In late September, there’s been another festival happening in Norway before, namely the Zwanze festival.

However- when that stopped taking place in Oslo, Nøgne Ø grabbed the opportunity- and formed their now annual fest: Dark Night. Basically, the idea of having this yearly launch of (one of?) their most demanding beers to produce, has now presented both it’s facets; namely the brewery’s flagship beer Dark Horizon. This once-upon-a-time mythical proud take on an Imperial Stout has been brewed every second year since 2007 (? if I’m not mistaking) and still to this very day, holds high regards with many Norwegians. And not very surprising, as this beer has seen many slight changes/variants throughout the years- spanning from more bitter nuances to more super sweet.

However: as it is only brewed every second year, there’s been a gap to fill… until now, that is. Well, that’s not entirely true either, because the beer in question saw the light of day for the first time in 2021. It is of course the deliciously sweet strong ale under the name Nordic Noir. And as we’re rolling out of 2022, it is the latter to be released this year.

And boy, have they outdone themselves! Not one, not two- but three(!) types is what’s on this year. The base beer being brewed with chocolate malts, juniper and honey- and is tasting fantastic in itself. So, with last year seing a other version simply labeled «Barrel aged», it’s indeed upped some in 22: Sherry edition, as well as another one aged on Vouvray barrels. The first one being somewhat vinous for a split second and the latter emphazising sweetness, it is indeed getting more interesting for each year it’s arranged.

Not to forget the superbly cozy brewpub and awesome brewery-building of Nøgne Ø, the attendees got to taste smashing food brought to Nøgne by Kamil Krystjańczuk: the brilliant chef at Apotekergaarden & his assistant. On top of that- all kinds of years/variants of previous Nøgne beers, superbly executed art, in the form of an orchestra (!) – all in all, a splendid night.


Mikkeller Beer Celebration Copenhagen 2022

The annual trip to Beer Mecca is back on!

After pretty much recovering from Covid, as well as some other rather demanding circumstances, the report from this year’s legendary Mikkeller Beer Celebration Copenhagen is ready. Following the extensive challenge that bears the name Covid-19, the world seemed to have been put on hold for quite some time… Luckily, the agile bunch at Mikkeller knew when to strike last year and saved the day for many a beer geek-soul.

However: It was somewhat untraditional to head off to this (still) joyful event in the start of winter, rather than the classic season trade-off in spring. There’s something so lively about this happening, about the whole beautiful town, about the joyful spirits uniting in the name of high-quality craft beer, all the fun and laughs. So- for 2022 to bring MBCC back on track, with a raging storm of a line-up, there was no reason to look back on already somber times from the previous couple of years. Let’s face it: It’s all good with trying to recreate it all with some friends in the living room, but nothing really beats the authentic feel of entering Øksnehallen at this time of the year… Just- Magical!

Insaaane line-up

As usual, there was a bunch of cool activities going on, such as tattoo-stands, food, wine and much more. For variations sake, it is great that there are some other features, even though the fact that just short walks will take you to several great dining possibilities and whatnot in stunningly beautiful (& exciting) Copenhagen.

Some new stars on the foamy beer sky for me personally (and I know for sure many of my peers agrees), was amongst others: Pulpit Rock (absolute kings&queens!), LUA (which I’d never tasted anything from before- insanely great stuff!), lest not forget the highly anticipated stand from the folks at Moksa brewing- whom sure did not disappoint), as well as grand maestro-works from Forager, 3 Sons, Lervig, the mead-masters at Superstition to name a few. I also love it when I discover hitherto unknown breweries such Brazilian Spartacus (them lads & lasses all the way from down in South America doesn’t only have Sepultura making killer music- they make awesome beers too!) Mikerphone had some seriopusly tasty stouts going on and the sweet neighbor from up here in Scandinavia, namely Omnipollo knows how to stir things up with great exitement. (Gotta love a crazy queue, when there’s enough for everybody, right?) Which it absolutely was of most here this year.

As for them taste buds which are more lenient towards the sour on the palate: There was plenty for you too here. The Dutch legend Tommie Sjef was there with none other than his mum (she was really nice!), keeping levels busy with the hordes of curious beer-geeks ready to devour. And he was in no way alone here- a little further down the line of stands, you would find Bofkont, pouring at all cylinders. Really good stuff!

Over the two days that the festival spans over, it is indeed a longed for- event. Many that didn’t go for the last edition held in autumn last year had found their way this year, and something that should be just as intriguing for the arrangers especcially- was the fact that many of the breweries themselves expressed explicit joy over participating. Amongst others, I spoke to Adroit Theory’s representative here, who was astonished over how great the event is. And he was not alone as such- for instance the people at Ology, Transient and Voodoo seemed to have a great time as well, both behind the tap tower as well as out-and-about. So many styles, so many – this melting pot of beer related features really stands out as something of its own, for sure. Having just celebrated its 10th anniversary, MBCC have proved themselves to be a well-organized, oozing with professionality and agility- something which hopefully will help them maintain their position in the beer environment for years to come.

And with so many nationalities united in one culture, everything from the trivial everyday life to global challenges and struggles are put on hold for a little while. It really brings out the best for a day/weekend/week for those souls daring enough to extend the stay in magnificent Copenhagen at this time of the year.

A brilliant way to greet summertime welcome and to celebrate beer, joy & life.

X-MAS TEST, Norwegian x-mas beers 2021

Hi there fellow beer lovers!

Here’s a report of this year’s 🇳🇴 Xmas beers- enjoy!

 

 

 

AASS «Vellagret Juleøl» (9%) 5/6

Booking beautifully dark red in glass, pouring creamy head. Nose is clearly maltdriven, and there’s some Dark fruit in here too… almost a little mulled-style here.

Mouthfeel is supersmooth. With a mediumbodied profile, this shines astonishingly great! Starts off with a complex, sweet start, gradually evolving into exciting middlepart. There’s dates, there’s baked chestnut, blending in beautifully. Then, in Perfection- the heat slides in and carries the whole total carefully on the palate. A definte contestor is what we’ve got here. Yes, AASS it was.

 

AASS «Juleøl» (4.6%) 3/6

 

A transparent, light red ale pouring great bubbly head in glass. Nose reminisches subtly of coffee, even more subtly caramellish. Taste is clean, body thin and lightly spiced with a subtly bitter end to it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TUBORG “Juleøl» (4.5%) 2/6

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Red and a little murky, pouring huge head-HUGE, bubbly head. Quite sterile is what I get from the nose. Very little aroma, hardly anything at all. As far as taste goes: small bubbles from carbonation. Very very light bodied, sweet subtle intro with a tad of sweetness to it. The expected level of bitterness that you get from an everyday lager, and quickly fading aftertaste. It’s all right, and an easy thirst quencher.

 

RINGNES «Nordlands Juleøl» (4.5%) 4/6

 

 

Beautiful red transparent for the eye. Pours nice small head and gives away a nose of delicious sweet malts. Great fizz, Refreshing, clean and mild. Very mild cara-Sweet middle that balances this light-weighter out very well. A smooth subtle bitterness rounding of this all around beverage from the north of Norway.

 

 

 

 

 

RINGNES «Juleøl» (4.6%) 3/6

Pours gentle lean head. Dark red looks, with a very subtle nose of wet basement/wood, dried fruit and grain. As for the taste, it’ has hot some bubbly action in it, and a quickly passing flash of malted barley. Yet so brief one can almost dedect it, before it’s gone… very light-bodied. This helps if you’re gonna have several throughout the night, but is also undoubtedly a bit watery and light.

 

E.C. DAHLS «Juleøl» (6%) 4/6

 

Dark brown coffee cooler with small head when pouring. Nose gives away a very subtle vinous impression, albeit dark roasted malts are detected.

On the palate: small, subtle bubbles, but bold mouthfeel! Coffee, roast finalized with caramel fat in the back. This is a great alternative to both food pairing as well as the extra nightcap.

 

SAGENE «Sterk jul» (6.5%) 4/6

 

Brown-red’ish with quickly fading head. Sweet aroma heavily dominated by malt & brown sugars and caramel. Light to medium mouthfeel.

Taste is Dark bread, roasted coffee with a tad of bitterness, working well in connection with the sweetness. Little bubbly action, still well tasty.

 

 

SAGENE «Hvit jul» (0%) 3/6
It sure looks like the real deal… Smells nice too.
Kind of meet expectations as an extremely light-bodied and subtle taste, this works just fine as a thirst-quenching replacement for the driver during the Yuletide-get togethe dinners.

SAGENE “Tannhjul” (8%) 4/6
Darkish-murky, pouring small head. Giving a nose of coffee & sugars. Spices, enhanced coffee, fading into subtle fruityness, before the sweetness takes some weight off in the middle.  Full bodied, great feel.

 

SAGENE «Rød jul» (4,7%) 4/6

Pours a nice white/bright, creamy head. The beer has a red/Amber colour, with nose being maltdriven, emphazising caramelly notes.

The actual tasting-experience: The beer itself is light-bodied and will work very well with accompanying lighter dishes in these yuletide-times. An easygoing all-around’er as a good alternative.

 

AMUNDSEN «Ashes to ashes 2021)
(10,5%) 4/6

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Super-sweet, even on the nose! Lots of vanilla, enriched with caramel and toffee notes. I remember this one from last year. That said, not a bad thing- so lets taste this black, coffee-foamy sugar- frenzy!
At first, I do notice that this has some freshness to it, which was kinda unexpected. Has there been slight tweaking going on? If so, not for the worse- the body/mouthfeel is a tad lighter than previous year, and the sweetness is calmer than what the aroma presented. Quite a good sweet dessert.

AMUNDSEN «Choco orange ginger cinnabun tart» (12,5%) 4/6
Black as night. Clearly orange features, already in the nose- accompanied by x-mas pastry’s. Mild, superb impression already from the start. The oranges shines clearly through, with ever-imminently thick’n cost mouthfeel. Exciting and really good stuff!

AMUNDSEN «Sticky toffee cinnabun» (12.5%) 4/6
Black-Dark brown, no bubbles. Relatively thick, vanilla. Tasty chocolate with slight mild bitter edges. Sticky sweet, super Sweet middle. Slight essence twist, still deliciously good.

AMUNDSEN «BA Sticky toffee cinnabun» (13%) 5/6

Much more balanced nose! Complex fusion in time for Xmas. Black as tar. Taste is supersweet with delicious vanilla & pastry (for those who’s into that kinda thing). The barrel aging has taken off the synthetic twist too, making this one of this years winners for me.

 

 

 

 

 

LERVIG “No worries- Driving home for Christmas” (0,5%) 3/6

 

 

 

 

Dark brown visuals with creamy, light head. Subtle nose of burnt/roasted malts. The beer is fresh and easydrinking. Light-bodied, with traces of Xmas pastries provides the right seasonal assocciations.

 

 

RYGR «I svarta nattå granskudd NEIPA» (8%) 5/6
Wow, surprising colour indeed! Super-dark w/cremé lookin’ hat, one would definetely go to the assumption that this was in the darker, sweeter territory. But: Wrong!
Really fresh, forest/piney nose, deliciously enhanced with floral, earthy notes. This seems o be very right for this season, judging by the aromas. And tastewise?
Distinct sprucetips, burnt, flaked oats, X-mas pastry, subtle hint of sweetness towards the end. Surprising? Check. Good? Yeah- and then some.

RYGR «Jolemandarin IPA» (4.7%) 3/6
Well, it certainly looks like some Juicy thing, topped with a quick-evaporating hat. Nose is distinct orange, freshy feeling going on… let’s taste this. Light, hoppy (very bitter, as a matter of fact!) Even in the aftertaste. Very little orange/mandarin in the taste. Still, quenchable though.

HAAND  «Julestout» (12%) 4/6
Black , tar-like looks. Sweet nose. Fresh for so thick to bee. Taste is Sweet at first, then the Bourbon- sting sets in. Quite thick to medium mouthfeel & good balance of the elements.

HAAND «Bestefar» (9%)
A bit of rustiqueness /tobacco/wood in the nose. Pours nice head. Nutty taste,lots of spruce/bitterness, light strike of bitter coffee combined with sweetness.

HAAND “Halvors Jul” (8%) 4/6
Forest-assocciations is what comes to mind here. Brown chestnut-like looks. Some great malty hop beam in the aroma. Smooth medium-to-full bodied, with hop balancing greatly on top of the woody-nutty feel.

MJØDERIET «Julemjød» (12%) 6/6
Apple, cinnamon and X-mas pastry is easily detected within the nose-spectre, definite Xmas vibes. Mouthfeel is medium fullbodied, refreshing and delicate. Smooth! Not overly Sweet, just insanely well-tasty. Delicious fruity middlesection, followed by a light and Sweet, wonderful long aftertaste. This is a fantastic work of art as a matter of fact! Will definetely buy more of these this X-mas. Absolutely splendid!

 

AASS «Uten» (0,5%) 3/6
Deceivingly good looks, even pours nice head. Is this one gonna bring any X-ma spirit then?
Nose is malty, sweet & deep. And taste? Actually pretty nice indeed. Less sweet than expected, with fruity notes and great overall taste. Okay drivers- you’ll be just fine with this one.

LERVIG «Julebock» (4.7%) 3/6
Lightly brown, pours nice creamy head. Nose is first nutty and fruity. Taste is moderately maltdriven, with a lightstruck sense of dates. Lightbodied and fresh.

LERVIG «Naughty & nice» (8%)
Red-brownish looks. Very subtle taste. Good carbonation. Some sweet nutty subtle taste, evolving into some slight bitter notes.

KRECHER «Gynjerdread» (11%) 4/6
Ultra-Dark/black visual impression.
Nose: Cinnamon, clearly Sweet christmas pastry. Tonka beans. Tastewise: heavily cinnamonified! Quite bitter too, especially in the aftertaste. Nicely carbonated, medium bodied. Good heat from the alcohol.

RINGNES «Julebokk» (9%) 5/6
Deep Dark brown colour. Caramel and figs in nose and furthermore caramel in taste. Deep, rustique feel, woody basement.medium to light body. Long aftertaste.

RINGNES «juleBRYGG» (4.6) 3/6
Light brown & transparent looks. Pouring light head. Light aroma of malt. Super-light, thin and bland

EC DAHLS «Lille Bjørn» (4.6%) 3/6
Brown/red looks. Toothpaste aroma(?) spices. Lightly fruit-nutty intro, before the caraway sets in , albeit subtly executed though.

E.C. DAHLS «Kong Vinter» (7%) 4/6
Brown/red’ish with great foam hat. Caramelly nose. Heavy malt-driven sliding into gently hoppyness.

E.C. DAHLS «Juleøl» (4.5) 4/6 nose is Anise & Xmas spices. Super-dark. Nice sweet subtly spiced. Very well balanced. Great, advanced long aftertaste.

EIK & TID «Juleheliks» (7.2%) 5/6
Light brown-yellow visuals. Beautiful acidic notes of Apple and vinegar. Bubbles going on. Taste is delicious sour fermented fruit! Peachy, apple’ish. Very, very good!

GOUDEN CAROLUS «Christmas ale» (10%) 5/6
Dark brown looks. Liqorice, Xmas spices to da max.great carbonation. Resonnates great! Sweet, transforming into spiced. Superb balance, exciting daredevil’ish profile.

BREWDOG «Hoppy Xmas» (6%) 4/6
Dark golden transparent. Fruity nose with citrus features. Light-to-medium body, lightly fruity-bitter at first. Then, citrus takes over. Smooth, light and nice.

OSLO BREWING «Flåklypa juleøl» (6.5%) 4/6
Lightly Dark brown. Sweet malty nose of toffee. Lightbodied, maltsweet taste with a tad of floral notes midway. Fades quickly, but a very tasty christmas beer that I’f drink again.

OSLO BREWING «Voksenjulebrus» (6%) 3/6
Papaya, pomegranade and Lemon nose. Nice bubbly head. Lactose gives a fullbodied impression. Quite acidic. Unbalanced.

OSLO BREWING « Christmas cookie bock” (4.7%) 3/7
Deep dark brown looks, with the slides foamy head. Slightly fruity caramelly nose.
Great carbonation. Lightbodied, quite tasty, albeit a bit acidic in bottom. A bit too watery.

OSLO BREWING “Christmas red” (4.7) 3/7
Yellow-golden looks, pilsener malt nose. Light as hell mouthfeel. Sweet mild hop taste. Easy drinking albeit a tad bland.

OSLO BREWING “Christmas lights” (4.7%) 3/6
Light yellow with great foam. Smooth, clean Pilsner. Mild and lightbodied. Really easy-drinking, pairing well with most foods for the season.

ST. HALLVARDS «Reserve-Jul» (10,5%) 4/6
Stingy mild Aquavit nose with fruity undernotes. Pours good head. Sweet quick intro, before oak takes over and develops into a sharp bitter alcoholic Aquavit sense slowly is creeping up on you. Looong aftertaste.

ÆGIR «Julepott» (4.7) 3/6
Light brown visuals. Malty nose. Fruity, almost like a crossover between a Dark lager/Amber ale. Light bodied. Short outro, easily quenchable.

LERVIG «Hipster for christmas» (13.1%) 5/6
Deep brown colour, with close to no head when pouring. Nose reminiscent of burnt oak barrels, barley, lightly fruity and with caramellish undertones. So taste then? Little bubbly action, suitable for the style’s character. Medium bodied. Spiced intro with assocciations of Yuletide, super-delish Sweet Bourbon-infused middle, with long lasting aftertaste. Super-heat in the aftertaste. Stunning!

HAAND «Even S’more Xmas (11%) 4/6
Sweet, vanilla, chocolate, Dark fruits aromas. Thick bodied, low carbonated, heavyweight champion this one. Nice tingly backline from the Aquavit-barrel.

HAAND «Julepils» 4.5% 4/6
Hasselnøtt aroma. Frisk, nydelig light to medium bodied lager of the best kind. Refreshing and smooth. Delicious & easy drinking.

JACOBSEN «Naked christmas ale» (7.5%) 4/6
Red/Dark brown, pouring creamy small head. Lightly spiced & malty nose. Fresh & bubbly. Sweet, liqorice midway. Opening up with more spices. Nice, smooth balanced taste. Sweet & lightly hoppy aftertaste.

E.C. DAHLS «Julebrygg» (4.6%) 3/6
Lightly brown, pouring little head. Subtly Sweet malty nose. Very subtle nose and little carbonation. Sweet and a little thin/bland.

 

 

 

 

TOPPLING GOLIATH «Kentucky Brunch Brand Stout» (12%) 6/6

Of course being a dream long time coming, it is FINALLY time to get to try this spectacularly rarity. Being one of the most sought after beers in the world (if not THE most sought after), it was difficult enough to get hold of one (Thx Aaron!) meaning that the joy of finally getting to taste it is even greater. And as if that wasn’t enough, a friend had gotten hold of the previous year’s edition. How crazy wouldn’t it be to taste’em besides eachother? Let’s do it!

 

KBBS 2019

So thick in the glass… Oily as f@!%, leaving more than just wine legs. As a matter of fact, more like a whole wall of thick, oily layers… this is just floating chocolate.

Nose: Incredible coffee, followed by bourbon, caramel and chocolate. Outstanding, unrealisticly strong maple coating, with a hint of bacon in the back… longest lasting taste- EVER! Violentry raging maple on palate with time. On the other side of the ring, we find heavy caramel, draped in a layer of sirupy burnt wood/oak.

Still, velvety finish, playing all instruments of the whole goddamn spectre! In other words: An oral orchestra.

 

KBBS (2020)

 

 

 

A little less developed body? Without a doubt, the same delicious base… Out-of-this-world! Not as thick as it’s predecessor, but still Super oily. North is distinct caramel, lots of sweetness. Cleaner, in a sense…  if that description can be applied. Absolutely wonderful and astonishing!

Less heavy bodied, with just purity in aboundance, pure caramel. Delicious velvety maple syrup here too, as expected. Slight note of coffee in the bottom, albeit no alcohol traces as such. Just overwhelmingly smooth caramel & chocolate pralines of the most exclusive sort. Out-of-body experience! Drinkable confectionery.

I’d do this again any day… if luck/fate/the-powers-be would direct another chance in my direction.

 

 

Photo: M.K. Burheim

TREE HOUSE “King Jjjuliusss” (8,4%) 6/6

As one would with such a hyped item, this beer has been looked forward to consuming a long time. Being one of the pretty difficult ones to get hold off out there, expectations are high when pouring this deep murky yellow perfection in the gloss. Aromas of citric fruits, piney notes and mango strikes the nose instantly, all the way from can into glass. Powerful indeed!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Murky-looking, perfectly carbonated, fresh albeit broad and bold, this masterpiece first teases the palate with a swift sweet brush, before all hell breaks loose- cause that is indeed what happens here. I mean sure, yeah- it’s an incredible double IPA, but the grip that the stingy hop has on the tastebuds cannot be described along anything else than stormy, yet still evolving. It’s one of the best examples of how this style’s mastery can be: Complex, all over the place, multi-dimensional and violent to the palate… Completely insane.

Looong after the swig, it keeps on stinging the back of my tongue, like a swarm of miniature hop-bees, ravaging. And several minutes after, it’s slowly fading out, with a sweet fruity  touch closing. This was actually worth the wait. Supreme.

 

Photo: M. K. Burheim

TREE HOUSE “Juice machine” (8.2%) 5/6

Oh my Lord… this yellow mushy refreshment, dressed in a beautiful white head, seems so inviting.

First off: the nose is nothing but extraordinary. Full of fruitiness, mango, oranges, piny/forest-like notes of late summer- let the bells of pleasure chime. On the palate, it works even much different ways. The refreshing elements are of course there, even almost milky intro. Then delish bitterness accompanied by freshness of carbonation transforms, as it entangles with the fruity tastes, before a throwback into absolute bitterness again. A massive angry fruit punch!

The aftertaste is also really bitter, slowly fading. It just goes to show, that some of these Tree House brews are far from overrated, but rather fantastic representatives of the current hip hazy-trend. I for one’ll let myself be led into these seductive vibes… I won’t fight it! Not at all.

 

Photo: M. K. Burheim

NÄRKE “Stormaktsporter Romkaggen! 2016” (12%) 5/6

Damn! I’ve looked soooo much forward to this… Several calls & a reservation later (thx 2 the nice bloke @ Bishop arms, Bellmanns gatan), I finally get to taste this dark, mystic-entangled thingy.

Black in color (surprise!), not much carbonation going on here. This sought-after gem. barrel aged rum goodie and 2016 edition promises a lot. Nose is licorice, Deep dark caramellish, burnt & honey. Taste: Not much more carbonization, but delish BA maturity. Pastry-like, warmth and alcoholish candy goodies going on here. A beer for gods!

The sugars definately plays a big role here. Very much sweetness, mostly deriving from the honey. Mildly sourish notes midway, before heading back & fading out in that sweet manner. Nice treat, even at a summer day. Cool experience indeed!

Photo: M. K. Burheim

SIERRA NEVADA «Oktoberfest 2017» (6,1%) 4/6

I’m always a bit exited when it comes to trying a new beer from Sierra Nevada. The brewery has since I first tried their «Pale Ale» and later «Torpedo» as well as «Celebration» + a few others, surprised me with a supreme quality in the whole selection, even though it’s a brewery of their size. At hand this time we have their «Oktoberfest», which would be their interpretation of this famous seasonal brew. Together with them on the team is the German craft brewery Brauhaus Miltenberger, in order to bring the level of expertice to an even higher level. Light and crisp with golden colours, this fine brew is pretty malt-driven with several layers, together with a quite complex fruityness from the hops and with a very fine bitter adjustment at the end. No dissapointment, pretty far from. A right beer for the fest!Oktoberfest2017

Haandbryggeriet «Nissegodt» (4,5%) 4/6

NissegodtWith fruity aroma of intense blaccurrant vibes- fits the dark colour well. At first, it’s very fresh, before going off in an explosion of deep in the forrest-berrytaste, also with a very nutty twist to it and great bittterness at the ending. This is very fine christmasbeer.

Nøgne Ø “1001 natt” (10,01%) 5/6

With smell of some kind of a stout’ish angle  1001 natt(but clearly with reference to the sibling/neighbour in the box), this has eastern spices influence to it. X-mas spices, but greatly camouflaged behind the yeastiness and a hint of liqurice. When tasting, there’s a sense of coffee blended with a combination of cinnamon, fruity sweetness of plum and pastry. The mouthfeel is medium- bodied. There’s a hint of bitterness at the end, but very, very subtle.