Times changed, and the regional system disappeared. Now it was possible for Norwegians to buy beer brewed outside of the area in the local supermarkets. Tou was no longer king of its mountain, and people from the Stavanger district had more choices. But things went even worse. Tou was bought by the Norwegian market leader, Ringnes brewery. The brass looked at the bottom line and decided that the brewing in Stavanger had to be stopped. Instead, Tou suddenly was one of many brands brewed by Ringnes.
As I was sitting at Barometer bar at Stavanger's airport Sola, I decided it was time to try Tou Pilsener. The pale lager had some carbonation and a small head. I felt some sweetness and malts in the nose. The beer was sweet with some grains and a finish with a hint of hoppy bitterness. This was a boring lager that can be counted among the many average ones of its style.
You should have baught a sixpack og LERVIG whisk took over when Tou was dead in Stavanger! Tou is now produced in Ringnes plant in Oslo. Lervig is located nearby the center of Stavanger and produce quite a few VERY good beers. Konrad Stout, RYE IPA, Winter Ale, Lucky Jack, Betty Brown, White dog and pilsner is worth testing!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment, Leif. This is the first of a series of posts about beers from Stavanger. Later this week several of the Lervig beers you mention will be reviewed.
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