A round of IPAs

Suddenly Vinmonopolet had several new India Pale Ales available, so I bought some of them and had an IPA session.

From Denmark, Herslev Bryghus IPA is probably the palest IPA I have tasted. It looked like a pale lager in the glass, and there was some carbonation and a medium sized head. I felt some grapefruit and apples in the nose, while the beer tasted of apples, citrus and some pine before a partly bitter finish. This was a nice beer, but I was a bit disappointed that I did not feel the grapefruit promised from the aromas when I tasted it.

Skands Elvegade IPA is also from Denmark. This is a cloudy beer with some carbonation and a small head. In the nose I felt apples and some sour citrus. In the mouth there was lemon and some bitter hops. The beer was quite alright, but it was not what I expected from an IPA.

Southern Tier IPA is an American beer. This cloudy beer had a small head and nearly no carbonation. In the nose there was some assertive grapefruit, and the grapefruit also dominated in the mouth. The finish was bitter with a touch of grass. This was a great India Pale Ale and my favourite of these three.

To finish the session I went for a wheat beer with a hoppy twist. Schneider Weisse TAP 5 was a cloudy beer with a nice, white and large head. There was some carbonation, and the aromas were very hoppy. I felt grapefruit and some banana. In the mouth this was a beer with an assertive fruit cocktail in the lead. Some bubble gum and sweetness danced along before a finish with a touch of sweet pear and a touch of hoppy bitterness. This was a very good beer, but I felt that a half litre bottle was too much. As a Weizendoppelbock with an alcohol content of 8.2%, this is a strong beer.

Two wheat beers and a lager

Weihenstephaner is one of my favourite wheat beers. As frequent readers of this blog know, I usually buy Paulaner weizen when I am in a wheat beer mood, but Weihenstephaner is a good alternative for me as both beers are easy to find at Vinomonpolet outlets in Norway. Erdinger wheat beers are also common in Norway, but I tend to avoid these as they are less tasty and feel more watery.

For some reason I have never reviewed Weihenstephaner Hefe Weissbier on this blog, so I choose to write about it together with two Danish beers that are new on the Norwegian market. In the glass Weihenstephaner Hefe Weissbier seems very clear for a wheat beer with yeast. In the nose there is banana and grains. The beer tastes of grains, banana and cloves before a partly sour finish. This is a delicious weizen!

Then the turn has come for Herslev Bryghus Hvedeøl from Denmark. This beer has the typical cloudy look for a wheat beer. The beer has a lot of carbonation. In the nose I feel banana and some pineapple. In the mouth there is banana and some spices. I recognise some cloves before a semi bitter finish. Herslev's wheat beer is a very nice effort, but I prefer Weihenstephaner.

Last but not least is Nørrebro New York Lager. This is a beer with some carbonation and a medium sized head. The beer is nearly copper coloured. In the nose there is grapefruit and some grains. The taste is of some grapefruit and a hint of toffee before a watery finish. The beer is nice, but I would like to have a Brooklyn lager instead. Or perhaps a Samuel Adams Boston lager.