Alternative Aass

The Norwegian Aass brewery has several beers on the market. Among them are two beers brewed especially for communities in Norway. In Skien one could once find the Union brewery. These day the brewery is nothing but a memory, but Aass makes a version of a Union pale lager from Union's own recipe.

Union Sommerøl is one of those Norwegian pale lagers made especially for the Summer season. The beer had some carbonation and a large head. I felt malts and grass in the nose. The beer had a malty taste with some grains before a partly bitter finish. This was an average pale lager that will be fine to seafood like shrimps and crabs.

Aass Halling Pilsnerøl is a beer made by Aass for the Hallingdalen valley. It is another pale lager with a lot of carbonation and a medium sized head. I feel aromas of grains and grass. The beer is malty, but has a boring finish with some hops and cardboard. I felt this beer was boring.

Two Drammeners (and a Drammen beer festival)

The city of Drammen is home to two Norwegian breweries. Aass is the traditional, local macro brewery, while Haandbryggeriet is the newer craft brewery. The first weekend of May 2012, Drammen will be the arena for Norway's first craft beer festival. Haandbryggeriet is the arranger, and Aass will be one of the guest breweries attending. Among the other guest breweries you can find Alvinne and Rulles of Belgium, Magic Rock of the UK, De Molen and Emelisse from the Netherlands, Närke of Sweden, Loverbeer of Italy in addition to Kinn and Nøgne Ø from Norway.

But back to Aass and Haandbryggeriet. Both breweries have extensive beer line-ups. Aass is going the traditional route in Norway with various pale lagers as the main focus of their product line. In addition to these, they have a gourmet line including a stout, a pale ale and a weizen. Most bigger breweries in Norway also make a beer in the Bavarian style, and Aass is no exception.

In the glass Aass Bayer is a copper coloured beer with some carbonation and a large head. In the nose there is a combination of burnt malts and some caramel. In the mouth I feel some toffee, sweetness and some burnt tones. The finish is watery and nearly anonymous. This was an inoffensive Bavarian beer that I felt was just average. In Norway I prefer Frydenlund Bayer if I will drink a beer in the Bavarian style.

Haandbryggeriet is one of Norway's experimental breweries. I am especially fond of the brewery's beers Pale Ale and Dobbel Dose, but there are also other gems in the product line. One of them is the Fyr & Flamme IPA. I have tried this beer earlier this year as a draught beer, and I felt that the beer was enjoyable.

From bottle Fyr & Flamme has a cloudy brownish colour. The beer has barely any carbonation, but there is a medium large head. I feel aromas of fruit cocktail, wood and yeast. In the mouth there is fruit and a lot of hops. The finish is partly bitter with a touch of tutti frutti chewing gum. This was a nice beer, but I feel it was better as a draught beer.

Time for Lundetangen

A supermarket I visited had a pale lager I have seen in Norwegian shops several times but never bothered tasting. That was not a good move, as Lundetangen Pilsnerøl was worth checking out. It is brewed by the Norwegian Aass brewery, by the way.

In the glass Lundetangen Pilsnerøl has the typical pale colour. There was nearly no carbonation nor head. In the nose I feel malts, grass and some sweetness. The beer tastes of honey and malts before a somewhat watery finish. I enjoyed this beer, although I would consider it an average pale lager beer.

A taste of Christmas

I have tasted some of this season's Christmas beers, juleøl. Some are great, some are not. The first I tried during this session was Grans julebrygg with an alcohol content of 4.7%. That was a disappointment.

Grans julebrygg is a dark beer with a lot of carbonation, but the medium sized head disappears quickly. In the nose there is some toffee. In the mouth there is some caramel and old Coke before the taste of Belgian yeast and British washing cloth takes the lead. This is a boring beer!

The next beer was Hansa Juleøl. This was the supermarket version with 4.5% alcohol. The beer copper coloured beer was fizzy with a medium sized head. In the nose I felt some caramel. The beer had a watery feeling with some assertive toffee. There was also a metallic taste making the beer quite uninteresting.

Aass Juleøl was bought at Vinmonopolet. This was a dark beer with some carbonation and a medium sized head. In the nose I felt toffee and malts, while the beer tasted of dark chocolate and some caramel before a sweet finish. Aass Juleøl was a fine beer.

Ringnes Julebokk is a strong beer at 9%. In the glass it was a dark beer with some carbonation and a medium sized head. I felt dark chocolate and caramel in the nose. The beer tasted of dark chocolate and some tobacco before a finish with cold coffee. This was a lovely, full-bodied beer that I really enjoyed. I will have more of Ringnes Julebokk before Christmas!

Ægir Julebrygg is a copper coloured beer with nearly no carbonation and a medium sized head. In the nose I felt cinnamon, cloves and some spices I could not pinpoint. In the mouth a taste of gingerbread took the lead. The beer was nice, but different. Still a glass is enough, as I got bored of this beer in the end.

The great lager beer test

It was the Norwegian beer blogger Lars Garshol who started it all. He did a blind test of pale lagers available in Norwegian supermarkets. The results surprised him, and they also started a very interesting thread on a Norwegian beer forum. Various posts from beer lovers and beer bloggers showed that many did not recognise certain beers they generally knew well. In other cases posts showed that people had prejudice towards certain beers or breweries, and that a beer tasted much better than they had thought in advance. The beer forum had a software update this Summer and due to no backup of data all these posts are unfortunately lost.

I have also done the blind test, and it was really interesting to see my results. Lars Garshol had used five different pale lagers in his test. I forgot to buy Grans pilsner, so I ended up with pale lagers from the Czech Bernard brewery and from the Norwegian Aass, Hansa and Ringnes breweries. All beers were served at the same temperature in the same kind of beer glasses.

The first beer out was a pale lager with some carbonation and a small head. I felt some apple in the nose. Otherwise there was nearly no aromas. In the mouth there was apple, yeast and a touch of hops in the finish. This was a boring lager that I thought was Aass.

The second beer also had a pale colour. It had some carbonation and a large head. In the nose there was some malts. In the mouth I felt malts and a touch of pears. This was an average lager that I felt was better than beer number 1. I thought that this was brewed by Ringnes.

The third beer had a nose of dried flowers and some butter. In the glass it had some carbonation and a small head, but it was a little bit darker than the other beers. This beer had a fuller body and a malty taste before a partly bitter finish. I felt this was the best beer so far, and I thought that it was the Bernard lager.

The fourth beer was paler than beer number 3. There was some carbonation, but it had a small sized head. In the nose I felt malts and some hops. In the nose the malts took the lead, but it had a boring finish that called for some hoppy bitterness. Still, this was a nice pale lager although I preferred the third beer. I believed that this beer was brewed by Hansa.

Then it was the moment of truth. I had recognized both Bernard and Aass in the test, but I had thought that Hansa was Ringnes and vice versa. The result sheet from this blind test thus looks like this:

1: Bernard. 2: Ringnes. 3: Hansa. 4: Aass

Blind tests are good tests, and I will call all beer bloggers to do more of them. Perhaps you will find out that not all pale lagers taste the same, and that one of the lagers brewed by a large brewery actually tastes better than you believed? It is also a way of checking out beer prejudices and a good challenge for the palate.

Beer notes update

Sometimes I get a large backlog of beer notes. This is one of the times, and here I will present my thoughts on five beers. Four of them are Norwegian, and the last one is from the United States.

Aass pale ale is a copper coloured beer with some carbonation and a medium sized head. In the nose there is caramel, yeast and some sweetness. In the mouth I feel some fruit salad, toffee and a touch of yeast before a semi bitter finish. This was a nice beer that I liked.

Aass bayer is a more interesting beer. It is made in the Bavarian style, and it has not much carbonation nor a large head. In the nose there is caramel, and I feel the beer tastes of caramel and some coffee. The finish is watery but with coffee and spices still making the beer worth checking out.

Arendalspilsner is a pale lager from Arendal. It is from the same district as the Norwegian cult brewery Nøgne Ø. In the nose I feel that Arendalspilsner has some malts, grass and sweetness. This is a partly sweet beer with some maltiness and a touch of apples. The finish has a touch of bitterness. This is a decent pale lager, but there are many beers I prefer drinking compared to it.

Seidel pale lager is one of those Norwegian generic brand beers where the brewery name is disclosed on the can. In the glass the Seidel beer is fizzy with a large head. I feel malts and sweetness in the nose, and in the mouth there is some malts before a partly bitter and watery finish. This is a boring lager that it is easy to avoid.

Duck-Rabbit Märzen is an American beer. This is a copper coloured beer with some carbonation and a small head. There is some burnt malts and caramel in the nose, and the beer has the same taste except for an extra touch of honey. This beer was a little bit too sweet for me, and I felt it was boring before I had emptied my glass.

Brewpub without brewery

Beerwise, Oslo has been getting more interesting during recent years. Some exciting pubs and bars have opened, and craft beers are easier to find both in bottles and on tap. These days there are three brewpubs in Oslo. Grünerløkka Brygghus is one of them, and it started up last Autumn. The pub is situated in the hip and trendy Grünerløkka area, where you can find many bars and restaurants.

It is easy to get to Grünerløkka. Tram number 11 from the city centre takes you to the Olaf Ryes plass tram stop two blocks away from the brewpub. But there is a catch about Grünerløkka Brygghus. The brewpub has not started brewing so far, so the beer menu consists of beer brewed elsewhere including a good selection of bottled beers. There is also a food menu with sandwiches and solid pub grub. On Fridays the pub has a special offer on oysters.

Grünerløkka Brygghus has nine draught beers. On my visit last week, you could drink Samuel Adams Boston lager or pale lager and bayer from Aass brewery. Ale drinkers could enjoy Old Speckeled Hen or be more bold trying out BrewDog's Punk IPA or Nøgne Ø's Imperial IPA #500.

The real deal at Grünerløkka Brygghus are two beers brewed especially for this pub. Haandbryggeriet's Løkka Steamer was not available on my visit, but I had a chance to try Nøgne Ø's Kjell Pop Single Hop. Served in a red wine glass, Kjell Pop Single Hop was an unclear copper coloured beer with some carbonation and a little head. I felt a touch of hops and citric acid in the nose. The taste was dominated by grapefruit, but the beer also had a watery feeling. This IPA was a very good beer, and I felt it was much more sessionable than Nøgne Ø's other IPAs.

Grünerløkka Brygghus is a must for visitors to Oslo. The pub has a great atmosphere, and I enjoyed being there. On the evening I was at Grünerløkka Brygghus, the place was packed and it was difficult to find a table. It looks like the pub is very popular in the neighbourhood, and the draught beer menu is good and varied. I recommend this brewpub, and I hope to be back in the future trying Grünerløkka Brygghus' own beers.

In the neighbourhood

Visiting Bergen, anyone interested in beer should check out Naboen. The combined restaurant and bar with Swedish dishes has made a special effort in their beer menu. Beers from many Norwegian micro breweries are available in bottles, and Naboen also offers several draught beers. And of course you can find a bottle menu with different international beers.

The "usual" pale lager is from Aass brewery of Drammen. Aass is also represented with a Classic lager, while Naboen also sells its own Bayer. The Norwegian craft breweries are well represented. Both Nøgne Ø and Haandbryggeriet always have one tap each. At the moment you can find Nøgne Ø's bitter. You can also find beers from the smaller Ægir and Kinn breweries. From Ægir you can drink Altbier from tap, while Kinn has two draught beers at the moment. One of them is the stout called Svart hav.

This week I was back at Naboen to have a quick beer. I decided to postpone a test of Ægir's Altbier. Instead I was ready for Kinn's IPA called Vestkyst India Øl (Westcoast India Beer).

Naboen has two handpumps, and both Kinn beers are served from the pumps. In the glass the India Øl had an unclear copper colour, a medium sized head and very little carbonation. The nose was fruity, and the beer had a creamy texture in the mouth. It had a taste of apples and pears before a more bitter finish. In my opinion this was an excellent IPA that I really liked.


Naboen is giving the little brewery a great support by selling Kinn beers this way. The first beers I tasted from Kinn were average, but the current lineup at Naboen is very good. The IPA and the stout are both very good beers, but do not forget the beers from Ægir, Nøgne Ø and Haandbryggeriet.

Last Christmas

Christmas is only a memory, as the Winter of 2010 lingers on. I had my share of Christmas beers in 2009, and here are three examples of the stronger beers sold at Vinonopolet and some bars and restaurants:

Hansa Juleøl was a boring beer also this Christmas. Like in 2008 it was dull and dark with a little head and nearly no carbonation. The body was thinnish, and I felt it was too sweet although there was some bitterness in the finish. Perhaps next time around?

Mack Juleøl Sterkøl was one of the better Norwegian Christmas beers this season. It was a dark amber beer with little carbonation and foam. In the mouth sweetness and bitterness collided in maltiness and hints of raisins, coffee and chocolate. The beer was a rather enjoyable effort from the world's most northern brewery.

My favourite Christmas beer from a Norwegian macro brewer in 2009 was Aass Premium Juleøl. Actually, this was one of the few topfermented beers from Norway this Christmas with a brownish colour, small head and nearly no carbonation. In the nose fruits were to the fore, and in the mouth a delightful fullbodiness pleased me with hints of plums and apricots. It was a truly great beer that I hope there is more of in the shelves of Vinmonopolet.

Finally: A little regret. I never tried Nøgne Ø's God Jul from tap. But I should...

Merry Christmas

It is Christmas Day, and here at Beer Sagas we would like to wish all readers of this blog a very Merry Christmas.

With Christmas there are also the traditional Christmas beers. Here in Norway the strongest beers are sold at the state owned liquor outlet, Vinmonopolet. There are also beers that are available in supermarkets and shops, but these beers have less than 4.7% alcohol. I have written about some of this year's weaker Christmas beers in this post.

Most Norwegian breweries make Christmas beers, and the beers from the largest breweries are usually available in 0.33 litre bottles. I have tried some of them, and my favourite among the Norwegian Christmas beers from the macros is Aass brewery's Premium Juleøl. This is a fullbodied, sweet delight with fruity aromas both in the nose and in the mouth. A great beer at 9% alcohol that made me think of the supreme X33 beer I tried at U Medvidku in Prague earlier this year.


The craft breweries also have their offerings available at Vinmonopolet. I have seen both Nissefar and Nissemor from Haandbryggeriet, and my bottle of Nissefar is waiting for consumption. Nøgne Ø has had several beers for sale this Christmas. The traditional Christmas beers God Jul and Underlig Jul have been supplemented by the Special Holiday Ale, which is a collaboration between Nøgne Ø and two American breweries. I have had two bottles of this beer in November, and it was a truly good beer.

Unfortunately I never made any tasting notes, and since late November this excellent beer has not been available in any of the Vinmonopolet outlets I have visited. Some outlets are also out of Underlig Jul and God Jul. I have tried a bottle of Underlig Jul. It was quite enjoyable, but it was not as good as Special Holiday Ale.

And what are my opinions on God Jul then? Well, it is also a good beer, but when I drank it head to head with Special Holiday Ale it fell through. That says a lot about Special Holiday Ale, as God Jul is an excellent beer as well. In the glass Nøgne Ø's God Jul is a very dark fullbodied beer with no carbonation. The head is offwhite and small. The beer has a sweet nose. There is some caramel and hints of coffee. In the mouth there is some cloves. The aftertaste makes the hops kick in, and it is somewhat bitter but also some sweetness. I really like this beer, but it is a beer to be enjoyed in small sips with its 8.5% alcohol.

Ægir brewery of Flåm is also supposed to be available at Vinmonopolet. I have not found it so far in bottles, but the Kontoret pub in Bergen sells it on tap right now together with among others Old Speckeled Hen. Ægir Juleøl has a cloudy amber colour in the glass. There is a large head, but there is very little carbonation. The beer feels balanced with some sweetness and bitterness in the aftertaste. It is a good beer, and in the mouth it also has hints of honey. I would not consider this a Christmas beer, but it is labelled as one. The price? 106 NOK at Kontoret, which is about 12 EUR or 12 GBP.

Stout battle

There are many stouts to be found around the world. Here in Norway there are not so many of the macro breweries that brews stouts, but the cult brewery Nøgne Ø has two of them in their line-up. Nøgne Ø's Havrestout is made of oats, while their Imperial Stout is a heavy hitter with 9% alcohol. Aass brewery has a gourmet line of beers, and among them are Aass' Gourmet Stout. Here these Norwegian titans clash, and I have also invited Guinness to have a reference point.

First out is the oats stout. Nøgne Ø's Havrestout pours black into the glass. At first it seems fizzy, but the carbonation stops rather quickly. It builds a medium sized tanned head, but it dissolves more or less at once. The nose has a lot of coffee, and the coffee is also there in the mouth together with some burnt notes. The beer feels watery and has a bitter ending. A nice stout, but it is not my favourite. At 4.5 % alcohol this beer is available in some Norwegian supermarkets.

Aass brewery is in English speaking countries perhaps more known for its name than its beers. Aass Gourmet Stout has very little carbonation and a tanned head. I can smell some coffee and chocolate. In the glass the chocolate is more distinct, but there are also notes of licorice. The aftertaste is bitter with more hints of chocolate together with a watery feeling. The beer has 4.7% alcohol and I prefer it to the Havrestout.

Guinness is the classic Irish stout. From cans it has the draught flow system, which gives the beer a creamy feeling. This is something that both Aass Stout and Nøgne Ø Havrestout lack. There is less kick in the nose from Guinness than from the Aass and Nøgne Ø stouts. I feel coffee and hints of burntness. In the glass the coffee has been joined by some caramel, but there is also a watery feel to it. The beer feels more filling than the other stouts, and is easily my favourite among them.

Nøgne Ø's Imperial Stout is the strongest of the four beers. At 9% alcohol it is absolutely no session beer. Instead it is a black beer with little carbonation and a large, tanned head. In the nose I feel coffee, and in the first taste the coffee is joined by some chocolate. It has a much fuller body than Nøgne Ø's Havrestout, but it does not have the creamy character found in Guinness. The aftertaste is bitter with a hoppy bite.

In all Nøgne Ø's Imperial Stout is a great offer, but it is a beer that asks you to be careful. The higher amounts of alcohol is very well integrated in the beer, and it feels weaker than it is. This is a great beer for Winter evenings, and I can see myself enjoying it in front of the fireplace when the snow is falling.

The Imperial Stout from Nøgne Ø is the best beer of these four, but in the long run I would prefer Guinness as a session stout due to the lower alcohol content. Its creamy texture is also a plus for Guinness, but in all Nøgne Ø's Imperial Stout is the better offer.

In Norway the Imperial Stout is only sold at the stately outlet, Vinmonopolet. Aass' Gourmet Stout is sold in many supermarkets, while Guinness is available more or less in every shop in Norway.