Double Mack

Mack is the most Northern brewery in the world, if the propaganda is to be believed. The Tromsø based brewery has several beers on the market, and in Summer the seasonal special is called Mack Sommerøl.

Mack Sommerøl is another of those Norwegian pale lagers sold in the warmer season. In the glass it has some carbonation and a medium sized head. I feel aromas of grains and sweetness. In the mouth this is a beer with some sweetness but otherwise not much taste before a touch of bitterness in the finish. It is a boring beer.

Mack 1877 is a more interesting beer. This is supposed to be brewed from Czech lager traditions. In the glass it has some carbonation and a medium sized head. In the nose I feel flowers, grains and some hops. The beer is a bit sweet and tastes grass and some hops. The finish has grains, butter and a touch of bitterness. This was a nice lager beer, and it is one to be recommended.

Bryggerikaia Blues

My favourite place in Bodø is Bryggerikaia. Bryggerikaia used to be a brewpub, but that has changed. Nowadays beers from Mack in Tromsø are sold at the restaurant together with some bottled beers.

At my latest visit to Bryggerikaia, I was happy to find two new taps. As usual Bryggerikaia offers Mack's Pilsner, Arctic Beer, Bayer and Haakon, but now there is also a choice of Bryggerimesterens Spesial (the brewmaster's special). This is a series of draught beers brewed by Mack's own microbrewery. The beers in the Bryggerimesterens Spesial series are supposed to change now and then, and there will be both experimental beers and Mack's various takes on different beer styles.

There was no doubt which taps I was going to have my beer from. I asked the friendly and cute waitress what was on the Bryggerimesterens Spesial taps. She did not know, but she offered me to sample one of the beers. Great, I thought, and listened to the sound of the last drops of liquid coming out of the tap. There is always the other one, I thought just before she told me that both kegs were empty.

I decided to go for Haakon instead. This is one of Mack's many lager beers, and I liked it when I have tried it earlier. This brownish, but still somewhat golden beer had a lot of carbonation and a medium sized head. In the nose I felt malts and caramel. The malts were assertive in the mouth with some toffee. The finish was typical Mack with a lot of grains. I was disappointed, as I remembered Haakon with a fuller and more advanced taste pattern than this.

After a meal and another glass of Haakon I left Bryggerikaia to find a taxi to the airport. Bryggerikaia is a fine place to enjoy a meal, but I hope to find beers from Bryggerimesterens Spesial when I return. The other Mack draught beers available at Bryggerikaia are nice, but they are not that impressive. And what about brewing your own beers again? The equipment is still there in the building.

A devil and a wheat beer

Mack Hveteøl is a new wheat beer from the brewery who claims to be the most northern brewery in the world. In Norway it is only available at selected Vinmonopolet outlets. The beer is cloudy with some carbonation and a medium sized head. In the nose there is banana, and I feel banana in the mouth before a fruit cocktail with a touch of vodka leads on to a watery finish. This was a nice effort from Mack, but I felt it had a much too fruity taste than what I expected from a wheat beer.

Kinn Bøvelen is the micro brewery's take on a Belgian triple. Bøvelen means the devil in the local West-Norwegian dialect. The beer has a cloudy, coppery colour. There is some carbonation, but the beer builds a large head. In the nose I feel yeast and fruit. The taste is very fruity with plums and prunes taking the lead with some yeast in the background. The feels nice for a while, but in the end it becomes too sweet for me. Kinn has better beers, and if you can find the Vestkyst IPA it is well worth to be tasted.

Back to Baran and Cacti

After my first visit to Baran Cafe earlier this year, the cafe has become one of my favourite beer temples in Bergen. Friendly bartenders, a nice atmosphere and an excellent selection in draught beers with 16 taps. That some of them are dedicated to craft breweries like Haandbryggeriet, Nøgne Ø and Ægir make Baran a must for visitors to Bergen. In addition to this Naboen and Henrik are nearby, so the Engen area of Bergen has become a mecca for beer lovers.

On my recent visit to Baran Cafe I wanted something simple and ordered a lager. Not just any lager, actually, as I decided to have a Pilsner Urquell. Sure, it is better on tap in the Czech Republic, but it is probably the best lager beer you can get on tap in Norway.

From the visitor statistics I see that many visitors these days look at my post about Cacti Art Cafe in Bergen. A new visit was therefore neccessary to see if the cafe had changed during the last months. Cacti Art Cafe has a reputation of having many beers available, but this month I only found three draught beers. Just like in August these were Bitburger, Mack Arctic Beer and Erdinger wheat beer.

Of course the bottled beer menu is large at Cacti Art Cafe, but I am interested in draught beer. I can drink bottled beers at home. Therefore I ended up with Mack Arctic Beer from tap. This is a nice Norwegian pale lager with a distinct nose and body with a grainy character. It was as expected at Cacti Art Cafe, but I should have chosen the Bitburger. It is a better beer.

Cacti Art Cafe has a better draught beer selection than most pubs in Bergen that normally only sell Hansa or Ringnes pale lagers. But to have exciting draught beer, I prefer other places than Cacti Art Cafe. Baran Cafe is one of them, but it is on the other side of Bergen's city centre. But if you want bottled beers in that neighbourhood, why not try Bar Barista at Stølegaten street? It has an exciting and cozy atmosphere that Cacti Art Cafe lacks.

The most Northern beers?

Mack markets itself as the world's northernmost brewery. The Tromsø based brewery has a wide range of beers, but typical of Norway most of them are pale lagers. Here I will showcase five of Mack's lagers.

Mack Arctic Beer is the Mack beer I usually have been drinking when I find it on tap. From the can this is a pale lager with a medium sized head and some carbonation. There are grains and malts in the nose, while the beer has a more distinct malt taste before a grainy finish with a touch of biscuit. There is also a metallic note in this beer, but that could come from the can.

Mack Pilsner is Mack's ordinary lager beer. This is another pale lager with some carbonation and a medium sized head. There is very little aroma. I feel a touch of grains, but that is all. This beer also has a malty taste like Mack Arctic Beer, but the grains taste is not that distinct before a semi bitter finish. This is a boring lager.

Mack Høstøl is one of Mack's seasonal beers. This is an Autumn beer, and in the glass it has a golden colour. There is some carbonation, and the beer builds a medium sized head. Høstøl has a fruity nose. In the mouth there are apples, some caramel and a touch of pear in the finish. This was a delicious lager!

Mack Mørketidsøl is the brewery's Winter beer. On the can it is called a dark beer, but in the glass the colour is golden. In the nose I feel a touch of caramel, while in the mouth this is a malty beer with hints of caramel. The beer also has a watery feeling, and it is a boring beer compared to the Høstøl.

Mack Haakon is a copper coloured beer with some carbonation. In the nose there is caramel, while the beer has a toffee taste to the fore with a burnt touch. This is another lovely beer from Mack.

After tasting these beers, Mack Arctic Beer is no longer my favourite beer from the Tromsø brewery. These days I would go for Haakon or Høstøl. Høstøl is a gem that I have never seen on sale outside Northern Norway. (Please correct me if I am wrong.) But it should be available, as it is a much better product than Mack's Pilsner and Arctic Beer.

Forgettable

Near the city square in Bodø, you can find Paviljongen. In Summer it is possible to sit outside enjoying the North-Norwegian weather. In Winter it is better sitting inside keeping oneself warm.


If you want something to eat, hamburgers, lasagne, chicken, salads or fish soup are among the courses on the menu. But I wanted something to drink, and on offer there were draught beers from Mack brewery. The choices were Arctic Beer or Bayer, a beer in the Bavarian style. In short, this was a very boring selection. At least a place like this should have a draught beer available from a brewery like Nøgne Ø, Haandbryggeriet or Ægir. But this is typical of Bodø. Pale lagers rule the taps in pubs and bars.

Mack's Arctic Beer is one the brewery's many pale lagers. It has usually a grainy taste, but for some reason I felt the beer tasted different at Paviljongen. There were no aromas, and the taste was typical for a eurolager but without the grainy touch. Perhaps there was something wrong with the lines, or perhaps the beer was subpar? In addition to this, the atmosphere at Paviljongen was not very good. The waiter seemed under pressure by stress, and a customer did not make his day better by yelling to him after something that had happened earlier.

I went into the city square thinking that Paviljongen perhaps is a better place in Summer. I did not fancy being there this time around.

Bodø once again

It is beautiful in Northern Norway. The nature is stunning, and there is a certain charm being north of the Arctic circle in Winter. The days are short, and it is strange walking around in the early afternoon feeling it is in the middle of the night.

Bodø is the second largest city in Northern Norway. Every time I visit Bodø I end up on the quayside visiting the Bryggerikaia pub. Once it was a brewpub, but nowadays it is selling draught beers from Mack brewery of Tromsø.

I have always enjoyed being at Bryggerikaia. The waiters are both service minded and friendly, and they seem to like having conversations with visitors.

At this visit I wanted to try another Mack beer for the first time. I ended up with Mack's Haakon. Haakon is a golden beer with some carbonation and a small head. In the nose there is some caramel, while toffee and burnt notes are typical of the taste. I liked the beer, and felt it was superior to the Mack Arctic beer, which has been my usual beer at Bryggerikaia.

Back to Bodø

A ten hour train journey from Trondheim took me past the Arctic circle and to Bodø. Bodø is one of the largest cities in Northern Norway, but with about 46,000 inhabitants it is really a small sized city.

A few years ago, Bodø had a brewpub in the city centre. Bryggerikaia served several beers brewed on site. These days the brewing equipment inside the combined restaurant and pub is a sign of the former brewpub activity. The brewer has left Bodø, and visitors to Bryggerikaia must make do with beers from Tromsø based Mack brewery.

Bryggerikaia is a nice place to have a few beers and something to eat. At lunch time there is a lunch buffet with a lot of tempting courses. I sat down and had several servings of among others Spanish meatballs, marinated prawns and tasty fish.

Mack is one of the better of the large Norwegian breweries. As usual in Norway, pale lagers are the most common beers brewed by any brewery. My favourite from Mack is the Arctic Beer, and fortunately that was one of the available draught beers at Bryggerikaia.

Arctic Beer is a decent pale lager with a nice and grainy aftertaste. The nose is flowery and in the mouth malts and hops dance along in a fine combination.

If you go to Bodø, Bryggerikaia is perhaps the best place in town. Unfortunately it is no longer a brewpub, but it has a great atmosphere and a fantastic view of the harbour and the wild, North Norwegian nature.

Beers and cacti

Not far from the harbour in Bergen you can find Cacti Art Cafe. It is located in Øvregaten street, and it is a great place for tea connoiseurs. The cafe brags about having the biggest selection of tea in Bergen.

I visited Cacti Art Cafe earlier this week, and I was not there to drink tea. Instead I wanted to check out the beers sold at the cafe. On a street sign Cacti Art Cafe advertises that more than 80 different beers are available. That was a reason to visit the cafe.

Any bar or restaurant can build a good selection in bottled beers. That can also be said of Cacti Art Cafe. In addition to beer in bottles, Cacti Art Cafe had three kinds of draught beer: Mack Arctic pale lager, Bitburger pale lager and Erdinger weissbier.

The Arctic beer is the cheapest one, and a half litre of the North-Norwegian beer costs 50 NOK. For a half litre of Bitburger you must pay 65 NOK, while a half litre of Erdinger costs 75 NOK.

I chose Bitburger, as it is the first time I have seen it available as a draught beer in Bergen. It had a lot of carbonation and a medium sized head. In the nose there was little aroma, but some malt and grains could be found. In the nose the grains were more present and it was blended with sweetness and a nice, bitter finish.

Bitburger is supposed to be the best selling beer in Germany, according to the friendly and service minded bartender. That does not mean that it is the best beer in Germany. In my opinion Bitburger is an average pale lager, but it is a better alternative than many Norwegian lagers.

Cacti Art Cafe looks like a place for local students. The atmosphere is nice, and the cafe also hosts a small exhibition of pictures. For beer tourists it is not a must in Bergen, but a place to find something else than Hansa or Ringnes on tap. But perhaps the three available draught beers can become five or six on my next visit?

Back on the quay

If you want to have beer in the city centre of Bodø, there are several bars and restaurants to visit. One of them is Bryggerikaia, which is perfectly located next to the wharf. Bryggerikaia used to advert that it was the only brewery in Bodø. In June I was at the brewpub twice to check out the beers brewed there. When I visited, there were no beers available in the brewpub. I was therefore hoping for a new chance to check out Bryggerikaia's beers when I was in Bodø earlier this month.

Once again I was disappointed. The cute and friendly waitress could tell me that the brewer has moved from Bodø and that all the brewery equipment is not in use at the moment. She then showed me a corner of the pub where I could see some of the brewing tanks.

According to the waitress, the management at Bryggerikaia hope to start brewing again, but they do not know when. In the meantime Bryggerikaia sells draughted beers from the Mack brewery of Tromsø. Mack is according to their advertising the most northern brewery in the world, and on tap I could see their Arctic Beer, a pilsner, a Bayer, Haakon special beer and a seasonal beer. I like Arctic Beer, so I used the opportunity to try it again.

Mack's Arctic Beer is a pale lager. It was served with much carbonation and a medium sized head. The beer has a flowery aroma with some malts. In the mouth the malt takes the lead with some hops and grains in the aftertaste. Arctic Beer is a very good lager, and I would like to recommend it among Norwegian pale lagers. The price at Bryggerikaia is 69 NOK, slightly more than 6.50 EUR or 6 GBP. If you want bottled beers, Bryggerikaia also sells Corona, Grolsch or Carlsberg.

I hope Bryggerikaia will get back to brewing their own beers. The pub is a very nice place to visit, and I would like to return there.

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...