Naboen is one of my regulars in Bergen. The beer bar downstairs is unusual in Norway, supporting several minor breweries and selling their products as draught beers. At the moment Nøgne Ø, Haandbryggeriet, Kinn and Ægir are represented with at least one tap each. The beers rotate, so it is not given that the draught beer you drank last time around is available. Fortunately Naboen also has a wide range of bottled beers, so there is a great possibility that you will find the beer you wanted.
A few days ago I was back at Naboen. I had time for a beer, and I thought that I would have another go at Kinn's stout, Svart hav. On the Haandbryggeriet tap, Hesjeøl was available. This is a newer offer from the Drammen based brewery, and I had not tried it as a draught beer. Therefore it was the right beer to choose this time around.
In the glass Hesjeøl (harvest beer) was a brownish beer with a small head and nearly no carbonation. In the nose there was pear and dried grains, and the pears had a visit from a hint of sweetness in the mouth. The finish was a combination of nicely balanced bitterness and grains. Hesjeøl was a fine beer, but I felt it was boring after a few sips. The price at Naboen is 98 NOK, which is about 11 GBP or EUR.Hesjeøl is not among my favourite beers from Haandbryggeriet. Next time around, I hope Naboen will have another Haandbryggeriet beer on tap. Or perhaps I should go for one of the Kinn beers?
Hesjeøl is not strictly a harvest ale, but for earlier in the summer - for the hard labour involved in handling the grass to make hay. I've not tried it on darft, but I lke the bottled version. It is nice of Haandbryggeriet to try to go back to old Norwegian brewing traditions.
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