Back at Naboen

As I was walking the streets of Bergen again, it was beer o'clock. I decided once again to enter one of Bergen's best places for beer, Naboen.

On the street level Naboen is a nice restaurant with Swedish food, while the cellar is a charming pub. Food from the restaurant menu can also be ordered in the cellar pub, but mainly this is a beer joint.

Aass delivers the pale lager, while draught beers from Kinn, Ægir, Nøgne Ø and Haandbryggeriet are always available together with loads of bottled beers. There are also two house beers. The Bavarian styled Naboen's Bayer is brewed by an undisclosed brewery. It is a bit silly by the bartenders talking about the secret brewery all the time and not telling who is brewing the beer. Some of the rumours say Aass brewery, but there are also people gossiping that Naboen's Bayer is brewed at Hansa in Bergen. Taste the beer and find out for yourself!

The other house beer is Naboen's Bitter, which is brewed by Kinn brewery in Florø. Naboen's Bitter was a new beer for me. It was a brownish beer with a small head and some carbonation. In the nose I felt yeast and toffee, while the beer tasted of toffee and a touch of grass before a partly bitter finish. I liked this bitter, which is a fine example of this British beer style.

Another Kinn beer

While in Bergen, I normally visit Naboen now and then. The pub in the cellar has a nice selection of craft beers at any time, and draught beers from breweries like Nøgne Ø and Haandbryggeriet are always available. This is also the only pub in Bergen to offer beers from Kinn brewery from tap.

One of Kinn's newest beers is called Manna. This is a stout with a lower alcohol content than the brewery's other stout, Svart Hav. In the glass Kinn's Manna is a black beer with a small head and barely no carbonation. In the nose there is some cold coffee. In the mouth this is a watery beer with some coffee and a touch of caramel. I feel this is a boring beer, and it is one of the less interesting beers from the little brewery.

Springtime with Ægir

It is Easter, and as the only brewery with national distribution in Norway, Ægir has made an Easter beer. Last year Ægir's Påskesol (Easter Sun) was a very good lager beer brewed at Ægir. This year Påskesol is brewed for Ægir by a brewery in Belgium.

I searched for Påskesol on tap at various bars in Bergen, but the beer was only available in bottles. But at one bar, Naboen, they had another interesting Ægir beer on tap: Ægir Hefeweizen.

I had a go at this wheat beer. In the glass it was a cloudy beer with some carbonation and a little head. I felt bread, grains and some banana in the nose. In the mouth there was biscuit, bread and banana, while the finish had banana and grains. This was a lovely wheat beer, and I hope it will soon be available in bottles.

What about the Easter beer then? Well, I have tried it several times at home in bottles. It is a nice lager, but nowhere as good as last year's version. In the nose I felt malts and some citrus, while the mouth was dominated by some fruits and a touch of yeast before a sour finish. Last year an orange taste was present. This year the orange has been toned down. Unfortunately, because this very good beer could have been an excellent one.

Wheat and more

Kinn brewery from Florø is one of the smaller craft breweries making themselves a name in Norway right now. In Bergen some Kinn beers are always available as draught beers at Naboen. Last week I found a new beer there, Kinn Jubileum.

This was a wheat beer brewed after Belgian traditions. In the glass this was an unclear beer with a nearly golden colour. The nose was fruity with a hint of orange peels, while the mouth feeling made the orange peels take the lead. This was a lovely wit, but I would love to try it in Summer in the sun. In that case, Naboen is not the right place as it lacks outdoor seeting.

Outdoor seating can be found at Henrik, where you now and then have exciting beers from tap. In December the Danish Mikkeler brewery was present on the taps with their Beer Geek Bacon. This was a dark beer with nearly no head. In the nose I felt coffee and a touch of yeast, while it tasted coffee, tobacco and dark chocolate. A lovely beer.

Earlier this week a beer from BrewDog could be found on one of Henrik's taps. I had some bottles of 77 lager in Sweden last year and liked the beer quite a lot. It was also very good as a draught beer with a nose of grapefruit and straw. In the mouth there was orange, malts and a touch of grapefruit before a nice and not too bitter finish. Another lovely beer.

During the last two weeks I have visited Kontoret several times to try some of the Ægir beers. They have not been available due to weather conditions near the brewery, and the management at the pub has decided not to make other beers available on the taps. Thus I ended up with a glass of Old Speckeled Hen this week. This beer with a toffee based nose is OK, but I prefer the Ægir beers to it. In the mouth Old Speckeled Hen is creamy with toffee and malts dominating. It is a nice ale, but nothing more than that.

Bergen odds and ends

During December and January I have had several bar visits in Bergen tasting some beers for the first time. Some of these beers were seasonal beers, while others are available now and then at Norwegian taprooms. This post is a collection of tasting notes and beer photos.

At Kontoret you can find two Ægir taps at the moment. Ægir is a small craft brewery based in Flåm. Among the Ægir beers sold in December, were the Christmas beer, Rallar and IPA. Rallar is an amber ale named after the Scandinavian word for railroad workers. In the glass at Kontoret it had a small head and little carbonation. In the mouth I felt some toffee before a partly bitter finish with some caramel. This was a nice beer from Ægir brewery, and I am looking forward to trying it at home from a bottle.

Draught beers from the little Kinn brewery in Florø are always available at Naboen. In December one of the offers was Kinn Julefred. This was a seasonal beer with a name which translated into English means Christmas peace.

Kinn Julefred was sold as a cask beer with a coppery colour. In the glass it had little carbonation and a solid head. The beer had aromas of malts and sweetness. In the mouth I felt this was a boring beer with a strange taste combining some coffee, cloves and a sugary touch. The finish was partly bitter with a hoppy flavour. I did not feel this was worth 84 NOK or about 8.50 GBP for a pint. Other beers from Kinn are better and more interesting than this Christmas beer.

Also available in December at Naboen was Ægir's Julebrygg, which was another Christmas beer. This was a copper coloured beer with some carbionation and nearly no head. The beer had an aroma with a touch of toffee. Otherwise there was nothing in the nose. I felt the beer was very sweet with a dominating taste of syrup and cardamum together with a flavour of glögg, a Scandinavian winter drink. The beer was OK, but nowhere near the greatness of Nøgne Ø's God Jul, which was my favourite Christmas beer in 2010.

Haandbryggeriet's Pale Ale is a main stay at Naboen. I had a glass a December afternoon of the somewhat unclear coppery coloured beer. In the nose there were apples, while malts and apples danced around in the mouth before a semibitter finish. This was a lovely beer, and it is much better than Kinn's Austkyst, which is another pale ale often available on tap at Naboen.

Some beers in Bergen

This week I ended up doing a pub crawl in Bergen. My plan was to start at one of the bars I usually never attend. Not far from Torgallmenningen I found Scotsman. This is British themed pub with a young following. If you want to see a football game, Scotsman is a place that always will show Premier League or Champions League.

There were no beers for me that evening at Scotsman. The pub had not opened yet, so I walked on. It was probably a good thing to do. The Heineken tap I saw through the window did not tempt me.

About a hundred metres from Scotsman, an Irish themed pub is located. Straight across the Bergen theatre Den nationale Scene, you will find Finnegan's. Inside this is a typical pub, but there is also outdoor seeting. Due to the ban on smoking indoors at Norwegian bars and restaurants, this is where you find the smokers. Usually this is a great place to sit down. Blankets are available to keep yourself warm, and there are also outdoor ovens.

I went in to have a beer, but turned around and walked on. From tap there was Hansa lager, Guinness, Kilkenny and Murphy's Red. I like a pint of stout now and then, but I was not in the mood that night.

From Finnegan's you can see towards Henrik, which is a must for people interested in beer. Sure, you can drink draughted Kilkenny, Guinness or pale lagers like Carlsberg or Frydenlund there, but what lures me in are several Nøgne Ø beers on tap. This week you could drink Nøgne Ø's Christmas beer Special Holiday Ale. This was one of my favourites last year, but I tried another beer from the Nøgne Ø taps. It was marked with a Friends of Nøgne Ø label, and there I found BrewDog's Punk IPA. I liked it in the beginning, and enjoyed the scents of grapefruit. In the mouth there was more grapefruit and a hint of pepper before a bitter finish. I liked the first sips better than the last ones, but in the end I felt this was a much too bitter beer for me.

After Henrik I went to another of my favourite haunts in Bergen, Naboen.

At Naboen there is a good selection of draught beers, and I set my eyes on a new addition to the beer lineup: A metallic plate introducing Oppigårds from Sweden.

Oppigårds Indian Tribute was a nice IPA. In the nose there was lemon. The beer had a full body with tastes of lemon, toffee and a hint of bread. This was a lovely beer with some lovely bitterness. I liked it! I also tried Kinn's Austkyst, which is a British styled IPA. It was not a good experience with a lousy aroma and a dominant taste of pine. The Vestkyst IPA from Kinn is a much better beer.

The evening had a final stop at Kontoret. I enjoyed draught beers from Ægir there. I did not make any tasting notes, but Ægir's Rallarøl was an excellent night cap.

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.

Harvest in June

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?

New Norwegians

Naboen is one of the best places in Bergen to find interesting beers. At the moment Naboen can offer several Norwegian craft beers from tap, and as far as I know this is the only place in Bergen to offer ales on hand pumps.

Last year Naboen started offering draught beers from Ægir brewery, and just before Christmas the new Kinn brewery was also present at the combined restaurant and pub. Naboen is really supporting the Kinn beers, and the last months they have always made two beers from Kinn available on the hand pumps.

I had a visit to Naboen last month. I was a little bit hungry, so I started out with a hamburger. The beef was perfectly cooked. Mince meat was not used, and the chips had a great, crispy consistency. The bun was also nice, so in all it was a good and filling fast food dinner with a tasty salsa on the side.

To drink I tried Ægir's special Easter beer, Påskesol. Påskesol (which means Easter sun in English) was a golden lager with very little carbonation. It was a nice lager with a solid presence of orange in both the nose and the mouth. The finish was tasty with a hint of bitterness. This was a great lager and one of the best I have ever had in Norway. Delicious! The price at Naboen was 94 NOK for a half litre, which is slightly more than 10 GBP.

I also had to try one of the Kinn beers. I chose the stout, which is called Svart hav (black sea in English). The beer lived up to its name, and Svart hav was a really black stout. In the glass it had no carbonation and was served with a little head. I felt some coffee aromas before tasting the beer. In the mouth cold coffee struggled with tastes of pears before it had a bitter finish. This was a very nice stout, and it is nice knowing that a little brewery in the little Norwegian town Florø makes this beer. 69 NOK was the price for a pint, which is around 7.50 GBP. At the moment, Naboen also sells Kinn's brown ale, Sjelefred, which is translated to English as "peace of mind".

I am a frequent visitor to Naboen when I am in Bergen, and I will recommend visitors to Bergen to take the trip to the restaurant. The food is nice, and the beers are great. In addition to Kinn and Ægir, you will always find beers from Nøgne Ø and Haandbryggeriet on tap.

New kid on the block

A new Norwegian craft brewery has been started in Florø in western Norway. The little Kinn brewery had its first batches of beer ready for sale earlier this month. According to the brewery's website, the first beers are two Christmas beers (Julefred 4.7% and 6.5%) and Pilegrim, a pale ale with 4.7% alcohol.

As I visited Naboen during the Christmas days, the excellent Bergen pub had started selling draughted Pilegrim. It is available on the new handpump replacing the Haandbryggeriet beers that were available there earlier this year. Of course, I had to try out this new beer.

Pilegrim Pale Ale is a cloudy amber beer with a lasting, medium sized head. In the nose there are hints of hops, but otherwise very little aroma. The beer is medium bodied, and the hoppyness follows through in the mouth. The aftertaste is very bitter, and I feel it should have been more balanced. Still, it is the first attempt from Kinn brewery, and it is a qualified effort. I am looking forward to trying more of the brewery's beers, but right now Norwegian craft brewers like Nøgne Ø, Haandbryggeriet and Ægir have better offers than Pilegrim from Kinn. And of course: Kudos to Naboen for making a new beer from a new brewery available.

Ægir in Bergen

Beers from Norwegian craft breweries are getting easier to get hold of in Bergen. Henrik has offered Nøgne Ø beer on tap for a while, and Naboen is even better with also beers from Haandbryggeriet available.

These days Naboen even has another ace in their sleeve. It is now possible to drink draughted beer from Ægir brewery. Ægir is based in Flåm in the deepest of the West-Norwegian fjords. Their beers can be found at some Vinmonopolet outlets and have also appeared from tap at beer bars in Oslo this year.

The addition of Ægir makes Naboen a really interesting beer destination in Bergen. During the last few weeks the line-up has had some changes, but the current offers are: Aass lager, Aass Classic lager, Naboen Bayer, Nøgne Ø Blond, Haandbryggeriet Weizen, Ægir IPA and Haandbryggeriet Norse Porter.

Ægir IPA smells of flowers and hops. The hops are very distinct in the mouth and the beer feels bitter. There is also some fruitiness, and after a few sips I conclude that this is a delicious beer. But as I drink more of it, I feel it gets way too bitter. But it is still a nice IPA.

In addition to the new beers, there is also something else that is special to Naboen right now. The pub has recently started using a traditional hand pump as the only bar in Bergen, I believe. This week they had Haandbryggeriet Norse Porter available from the hand pump. Served in the glass this is a black beer without carbonation. The head has a medium height and is offwhite. There is coffee in the nose, and in the mouth the beer feels creamy and very tasty with more coffee. The beer is also fruity with a bitter finish. Norse Porter is a very good and enjoyable beer.

I also tried Haandbryggeriet Pale Ale from tap. This was a dark and cloudy beer with much hops. There are hints of pear in the mouth, and the fruit stays through the finish where it struggles with bitterness. A good beer that I prefer to the Ægir IPA.

Earlier this month you could find Haandbryggeriet IPA from the hand pump. The IPA had very little carbonation and a lasting head. The beer was fruity in the nose, and in the mouth a combination of pears and apples gave the beer a great punch.

This was an excellent creamy beer, and I preferred it to the Haandbryggeriet Pale Ale and the Norse Porter. If you people at Naboen read this, I recommend you to have the IPA on the hand pump and not the Norse Porter.

If you want to try out more beers from Ægir, Haandbryggeriet or other Norwegian breweries, Naboen has also a lot of bottled craft beers. Prices are high. I paid 98 NOK (11 GBP or EUR) for my pints of draughted beers.