Dugges Lager No. 1

Dugges Lager No. 1 (50 cl bottle) %
This beer was released at Systembolaget on the 24th of March and is now part of the permanent supply. I tried it at Söderbärke Micro beer festival last year and really enjoyed it. Gave it a 3,4/5 and this comment:

"It had a smell of hops, citrus, grape and grass. Nice smell. It was smooth and tasted of malt and grassy hops. Great lager! Recommended."
Style: Premium Lager
Cost: 24,90 SEK

Bitterness------Sweetness-----Sourness-----Intensity-------Body

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Appearance: 2/5
Clear golden liquid with a medium sized white head that left chunks of lacing on the side of the glass.

Smell: 7/10
Malt, bread and grassy hops.

Taste: 7/10
Fresh. Malt, bread, grassy hops, hay and citrus.

Mouthfeel: 4/5
Smooth mouthfeel, low-medium carbonation

Comment:
I just looked back at the score and see I gave this beer exactly the same score both times. However I remember it to have allot more hops when I tried it at SMÖF.

This is a well balanced lager, it doesn't have an overwhelming hop aroma or bitterness but there are some hops in it. It's just balanced against all the other flavours. I personally love beers with lots of hops but for this style it works very well.

I think this beer should work good with most kinds of food. Ranging from a nice steak dinner to a greasy pizza. But you shouldn't expect wonders. It will most likely make a good companion but it won't enhance the flavour like with kriek and chocolate.

If you are one of those people that only drink Norrlands Guld, Carlsberg or any of the other macro lager, then I recommend you to try this out. Don't get scared by the slightly higher price, it's worth the extra SEK.

Total: 3,4/5

Nalle Puh Jul Porter

Nalle Puh Jul Porter (50 cl bottle) %
Me, Chrille and my father brewed a honey porter a while back called Nalle Puh Porter (Vinnie the Puh Porter). We plan to bring it to the Swedish Championship in Gothenburg at the end of April. When we divided the beer between us we noticed that we would get 3 small 9 litre kegs of beer. So we decided to experiment with those kegs, each person was tasked to spice their keg and we would later try the results. This bottle is from my father and he decided to add saffron and some extra honey to his keg. I have a completely different plan with my beer, but I will keep it to myself for now.

I tried the original Nalle Puh Porter a while back, see review here. I wasn't overly impressed and it had a very noticeable chemical taste to it. I later found out it came from the honey. I used some of the honey in my cooking and noticed the same flavour. So I think it comes from heating the honey. Hopefully this off-flavour will disappear over time.

Style: Porter
Cost: Material cost of around 9 SEK/litre.

Bitterness------Sweetness-----Sourness-----Intensity-------Body

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Appearance: 5/5
It poured a pitch black liquid with a big brown head. The foam slowly receded and left allot of foam on the side of the glass.

Smell: 8/10
As I started to pour the bottle I could smell the saffron and sweetness of this beer. A closer sniff also revealed some chocolate and a dash of coffee.

Taste: 8/10
Very sweet with lots of saffron and honey. Also some chocolate, coffee, nuts and toasted bread.

Mouthfeel: 5/5
Smooth, creamy and mouth coating mouthfeel with a thick body and low carbonation. Great mouthfeel.

Comment:
Wow! This sure was something special. Very sweet with lots of honey and saffron, allot more then I expected. I honestly don't think I've tried something similar before. It's also extremely easy to drink and I keep interrupting my writing with a sip. The chemical flavour is also completely gone which is very happy news, hopefully it's gone from the original as well.

If I where to give any constructive criticism it would be about the high sweetness and almost overpowering saffron taste. I personally like both, but maybe it will get old over time. It would be interesting to lower the amount of honey and saffron a bit to let the other flavours of the beer come forward a bit. Not sure if it would improve the beer, but could be worth a try.

I say have this with most deserts and you won't go wrong. But it should be fantastic with chocolate.

Total: 4,3/5

Mohawk Extra IPA

Sigtuna Brygghus Mohawk Extra IPA (50 cl bottle) 7,5%
This beer entered the permanent supply at Systembolaget on the 24th of March.

Inspiration for this beer has come form the US west coast, a high alcohol beer with lots of hops and complexity. They used allot of hops to make this beer: Amarillo, Cascade, Centennial, Chinock, Columbus, Magnum and Simcoe.

Style: Imperial/Double IPA
Cost: 36,10 SEK

Bitterness------Sweetness-----Sourness-----Intensity-------Body

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Appearance: 4/5
Very hazy orange golden liquid with a medium sized dirty white head that left chunks of foam on the side of the glass.

Smell: 6/10
Surprisingly weak smell of grassy hops and flowers.

Taste: 8/10
Lots of grassy hops, grapefruit and citrus with a high and long lasting bitterness.

Mouthfeel: 5/5
Thick body, puckering and smooth mouthfeel. Low-medium carbonation.

Comment:
This is something for the hopheads (myself included). Lots of grassy hops and a very high bitterness that stuck around long after my lips left the glass. I really liked it and will buy more bottles in the future. However it could have been better. First of all I would have loved a stronger smell. It would also have been nice to have had more hop aroma in comparison to the very high hop bitterness. Would have also loved a more complex hop palate.

This beer works great on it's own but if you want some company with your beer try some Gruyère cheese. It's a salty hard cheese that works great with hopped up beer.

Total: 3,7/5

S:t Eriks Pilsner

S:t Eriks Pilsener (33 cl bottle) 5,3%
This beer entered the permanent supply at Systembolaget on the 24th of March. Just as with Sailor this is a re-introduction of an old brand. However this brand is far older then Sailor, it has been brewed by different breweries between the 1850s and the 1960s when it was cancelled.

This new version of the beer has been brewed by Jessica Heidrich at Slottskällans in Uppsala. Jessica is well known through the Swedish homebrewing scene and I've tried several of her beers over the years. They are often well produced and thought through so I had good hopes for this beer. Even thought the very nice package gives of a wibe of "nice exterior crappy interior".

Style: Premium Lager
Cost: 15,90 SEK

Bitterness------Sweetness-----Sourness-----Intensity-------Body

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Appearance: 1/5
Clear pale watery yellow liquid with a small white foam.

Smell: 7/10
As I poured the bottle I was hit by a fistful of fruity hops. Lots of tropical fruits such as passion fruit and pineapple. Also some grass and hey. Smelled very fresh.

Taste: 7/10
Also lots of fruity hops but also some grassy hops. Tropical fruits with passion fruit being the most dominant. It had a fairly high bitterness that lasted a long time.

Mouthfeel: 3/5
Medium smooth with a medium body and low-medium carbonation.

Comment:
A very nice american style hopped up lager. Very fresh and with lots of tropical fruits. If you like your hops you will surely enjoy this beer.

The bottle looks really cool and at first I was a bit afraid that it would be another beer that was intended to sell on it's package. But it's the inside that counts and this one had a much better inside than outside. Regarding food I'm not sure.

Someone once told me that hopped up beer works well with sushi. Since I can't eat sushi anymore I can only take their word for it. But I think this beer is best suited to be enjoyed in the sun. Feels like a perfect match with its thirst quenching fresh fruity hops and freshly cut grass.

One of the best Swedish lagers I've tried. I recommend trying it out, but try not to get freaked out by the fruity flavour and the high bitterness.

Total: 3,2/5

Sailor... toy or beer?

Sailor (33 cl bottle) 5%
This beer was released at Systembolaget on the 24th of March and is now part of the permanent supply. However this isn't the first time this beer has been at Systembolaget. It was actually sold in 50 cl cans until 2005, and is now being re-introduced in a whole new package. From a distance it almost looks like a ceramic copy of an old bottle. But up close it looks more like a plastic toy. Darren from BeerSweden commented that his kid thought it looked like something out of SpongeBob Square Pants. I've never actually seen it but I think the kid is on to something.

Style: Pale Lager
Cost: 12,90 SEK

Bitterness------Sweetness-----Sourness-----Intensity-------Body

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Appearance: 1/5
Greenish pale watery yellow liquid with a small white foam.

Smell: 2/10
Weak smell of white bread, lime, banana and fruit candy.

Taste: 2/10
An odd artificial taste of white bread, chemical sweetness, lime, caramel, bananas, fruit candy, wet paper and butter.

Mouthfeel: 1/5
Light body, medium-high carbonation, a bit rough mouthfeel.

Comment:
This was bad, tasted like a mix of chemicals, water and a fistful of mixed candy. Felt very artificial and hardly even resembles a beer. It also had some off flavours such as wet paper and butter which drags the points down a bit more. However it didn't have any of the really bad flavours that often troubles macro lagers such as puke, cat pee, metal and so on, which saves it from getting the minimum score.

Despite my dislike for this beer I think it might actually sell. The unique bottle design will turn some heads and will probably find a crowd that likes to stand out. But I personally ended up pouring it out after I finished my review. Just couldn't stand to drink any more.

Total: 0,9/5

Easter Beer Summary

I'm finally done with my Easter beer tasting for this year. I think the beer this year was slightly better then last year. However I didn't really find any great beers this year and I won't be buying any more bottles this year. Best was Mikkellers GIPA but it's not really an Easter beer.

After drinking them all I feel kind of feed up with them. Feels like Easter beer (and Octoberfest beer) usually are of lower quality then normal. Christmas beers are an exception where some of them can really stand out of a crowd.

Here is a summary of the Easter beer:

Mikkeller Hoppy Easter (33 cl) 6,6% - 34,90 SEK

A very interesting beer style named GIPA, aka German IPA. It's similar to a normal IPA but brewed using German hops, which gives it a completely different character.

Total: 3,5/5

Jämtlands Påsköl (50 cl) 6% - 24,90 SEK
The best Easter beer of the year. Good balance between bitterness and sweetness. It also had a noticeable hoppy and malty character.
Total: 3,3/5

Sigtuna Easter Ale (50 cl) 5,6% - 26,90 SEK

An easy to drink lightly hopped APA with some notes of tropical fruits. Well balanced and easy to drink, but nothing for hopheads.

Total: 3,3/5

Sigtuna Röd Påsk (50 cl) 6,2% - 27,90 SEK

A lightly hopped ale that I relate to British ales. It had some spices and orange flavours.

Total: 3,1/5

Dugges Påsköl (50 cl) 6% - 29,80 SEK

Smoky ale with very little carbonation. Worked well with chocolate.

Total: 3/5

Pumpvikens Påsköl (50 cl) 5,8% - 29,10 SEK

A smooth and mild British style ale with a decent amount of smoke. It didn't work with the Easter food last year and I suspect it will be just as bad a combo this year. It might work with other kinds of food though.

Total: 3/5

Easter Bird (33 cl) 5,5% - 19,90 SEK

A moderatly hopped APA that has some resemblance of regular lagers. However ok to drink and probably works well when you finally get to sit outside and enjoy the Spring sun.
Total: 2,9/5

Slottskällans Blåkulla Påsköl (50 cl) 4,8% - 24,80 SEK

Tasted like smelling a bag of malt. Something I love, but it lacked some hops and other flavours to balance it out. Should be a good partner with the Easter food.

Total: 2,9/5

Oppigårds Easter Ale (50 cl) 5,3% - 25,60 SEK

Mild, fruity and easy to drink English style ale, however it does have a metallic taste and mouthfeel. Worked well with the Easter food last year and will probably be just as good this year.

Total: 2,8/5

Nils Oscar Kalaspåsköl (33 cl) 5,6% - 19,30 SEK

A very mild and easy to drink beer with very little flavour. Was a decent partner with the Easter food last year and I think it will work well this year as well.

Total: 2,7/5

Eriksberg Påsköl (50 cl) 5,8% - 15,50 SEK
A very mild beer with very little flavour whatsoever. This beer needs to be acompanied by food, it just can't holds it's own ground.
Total: 2,1/5

Mariestads Påskbryggd (50 cl) 5,8% - 17,50 SEK
Tasted synthetic and artificial and I didn't like it very much. It will need some food to go with it, on it's own it was just to depressing.
Total: 2/5

New beer from Närke

Just got an email from Närke Kulturbryggeri. They have brewed a new beer together with Menno Olivier from De Molen. It's a Belgian double brewed with Finish smoked malt, Swedish juniper and Chinese tangerine peels, which they named Närke Double Dutch Viking (6,8%).

As far as I know this is the first Belgian styled beer that Närke makes. Also think this is the first time they do a coop brew. So I'm pretty interested in trying this beer out, considering I usually love both De Molens and Närkes beers this could be really good.

Below is a list of breweries that will get it soon or already have it:

ÖREBRO
Bishop's Arms (Drottninggatan 1)

LINKÖPING
De Klomp (S:t Larsgatan 13)

GÖTEBORG
Ölrepubliken (Kronhusgatan 2B)

STOCKHOLM
Akkurat (Hornsgatan 18)
Hörnans Kök & Belgo Bar (Bryggargatan 12, Stockholm)

Mariestads Påskbryggd

Mariestads Påskbryggd (50 cl bottle) 5,8%
This is the last Easter beer that I had to review, I'll post a summary tomorrow.

Style: Vienna
Cost: 17,50 SEK

Bitterness------Sweetness-----Sourness-----Intensity-------Body

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Appearance: 3/5
Clear amber liquid with a dirty white foam.

Smell: 4/10
Sweet and weak smell of caramel and bread.

Taste: 4/10
A synthetic taste of caramel and bread.

Mouthfeel: 2/5
Stingy mouthfeel with a medium-thin body, medium carbonation and a warm alcoholic finish.

Comment:
I didn't like this beer very much, it tasted to synthetic. Almost like it was made from chemicals rather then proper ingredients like malt and hops. I actually ended up poring it out in the end. It need some more body, more malt to carry the little sweetness there is and also a dash of hops to bring some bitterness. Feels like it's lacking all over.

I think these beer needs company to be able to work. Any kind of food should work, but don't expect a Hallelujah moment.

Total: 2/5

I might be a bit cranky with the score now, but I'm starting to get tired of the Easter beer. Tonight I'm going to drink something a bit more exciting. Founders Breakfast Stout maybe?

Jämtlands Påsköl

Jämtlands Påsköl (50 cl bottle) 6%
This is another Easter beer released at Systembolaget on the 15th of March.

Style: English Strong Ale
Cost: 24,90 SEK

Bitterness------Sweetness-----Sourness-----Intensity-------Body

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Appearance: 4/5
Dark amber liquid with a medium sized fluffy dirty white head that left chunks of foam on the side of the glass.

Smell: 6/10
Grassy hops, caramel, malt and fruits.

Taste: 6/10
Caramel, malt, bread, fruits and citrus.

Mouthfeel: 4/5
Smooth mouthfeel with just a little bit of sting, creamy, medium thick body and low carbonation.

Comment:
Probably the best Easter beer so far. Good balance between bitterness and sweetness. It also had a noticeable hoppy and malty character.

Fairly enjoyable but I suspect this isn't a great match with the Easter food. The bitterness isn't very intense but I got a feeling it would clash with the salty Easter food, specifically anything containing dill.

Total: 3,3/5

Nils Oscar Kalaspåsköl

Nils Oscar Kalaspåsköl (33 cl bottle) 5,6%
This is another Easter beer released at Systembolaget on the 15th of March. I tried this with the Easter food last year and gave it a 2,3/5, with this comment:

"It tasted of bread, caramel and a hint of burned toast and metal. Was pretty boring with low taste and smell, but was ok in combination with the food."

Style: Amber Ale
Cost: 19,30 SEK

Bitterness------Sweetness-----Sourness-----Intensity-------Body

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Appearance: 3/5
Clear dark amber liquid, medium sized light beige head that left an even layer of foam on the side of the glass.

Smell: 4/10
Weak smell of caramell and bread.

Taste: 5/10
Mild taste of bread, caramell and malt.

Mouthfeel: 5/5
Smooth and creamy mouthfeel with a medium thick body and low carbonation.

Comment:
Very easy to drink but also very mild with a malty caramel flavour. I think it was to mild though, would have loved some more flavour. I had to concentrate to feel anything at all.

This one worked well with the Easter food last year, and I suspect it will work well this year as well.

Total: 2,7/5

Eriksbergs Påsköl

Eriksbergs Påsköl (50 cl bottle) 5,8%
This is another Easter beer released at Systembolaget on the 15th of March.

Style: Vienna
Cost: 15,50 SEK

Bitterness------Sweetness-----Sourness-----Intensity-------Body

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Appearance: 3/5
Very dark clear amber liquid, almost looked brown, with a medium sized light brown head.

Smell: 4/10
Weak smell of malt and bread.

Taste: 4/10
Weak smell of malt, bread and caramel.

Mouthfeel: 2/5
Medium smooth mouthfeel with some sting, thin-medium thick body with a low-medium carbonation.

Comment:
A very mild beer with very little flavour whatsoever. I would have preferred some more flavour in this beer as it got a bit uninteresting to drink.

I suspect it might work with some food though, can't say for sure if it's a good combo with Easter food. But this beer needs company, it just can't holds it's own ground.

Total: 2,1/5

Nynäshamns Pumpvikens Påsköl

Nynäshamns Pumpvikens Påsköl (50 cl bottle) 5,8%
This is another Easter beer released at Systembolaget on the 15th of March. I tried it with the Easter food last year and gave it a 2,1/5, with this comment:

"It had a weak smell of bread. Tastes of bread and caramel and didn’t go very well with the food. The stingy bitterness was a bad combo with the salty Easter food, specially the salmon. To bad, I usually enjoy Nynäshamns beer."
Style: Mild Ale
Cost: 29,10 SEK

Bitterness------Sweetness-----Sourness-----Intensity-------Body

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Appearance: 4/5
Slightly hazy dark amber liquid with a medium sized beige head.

Smell: 5/10
Weak smell of caramel, fruits, oranges and other citrus.

Taste: 6/10
Smoke was the most dominant, but also bread, caramel, malts and oranges.

Mouthfeel: 4/5
Smooth mouthfeel with a medium thick body and low carbonation.

Comment:
A smooth and mild British style ale with a decent amount of smoke. Easy to drink and I can imagine drinking it in a pint glass at a pub.

This beer didn't work at all with the Easter food but I did try it with some cashews and spring rolls, both worked well. However the Easter food is a bit more salty and intense, which might not work as well. I think I'll settle with this being a good combo with food but not necessarily Easter food.

As you can see I'm raising the score quite a bit compared to last year. But I think it might have been the stressful testing schedule together with the horrible combo between Easter food and beer that lowered the score that time.

Total: 3/5

New beers at Systembolaget today!

For the third time this month Systembolaget release new beers. The reason this one isn't at the start of April is because of the Easter holidays. Since these beers are released into the permanent supply at Systembolaget they aren't all that exciting. For once I won't buy all of the beers released. I'll skip all the ones that have just changed packaging. I'll give some short comments below:

Adnams The Bitter - 4,5% - 50 cl - 19,90 SEK
As far as I can see this is the same beer as they have had on can before, this time released as a bottle.

Belhaven Wee Heavy - 6,5% - 35,5 cl - 17,90 SEK
If I'm not incorrect this beer has been part of the permanent supply before but now comes back in a smaller bottle.

Bjørnebryg - 4,5% - 33cl - 7,90 SEK
Released with a lower ABV and lowered price.

BrewDog Trashy Blond - 4,1% - 33 cl - 15,90 SEK

Another BrewDog beer in the permanent supply? Have to give it to them, they are very successful in getting their beers into Systembolaget. If I'm not misstaken this beer was initially released with a very different sticker. Couldn't find a picture of it though.

Bryggmästarens Premium Guld - 5,7% - 50cl - 12,90 SEK
Just a switch from can to bottle.

Carlsberg Hof, PET-bottle - 5% - 50 cl 15,10 SEK

The same Carslberg Hof but this time in a Pet-bottle.

Früli Strawberry Beer - 4,1% - 25 cl - 14,90 SEK

A wheat beer with strawberries? I'm getting some Hoegaarden Rosé flashbacks here, but I also like different kinds of lambics. No idea if this will be something similar, but it's definitely worth a try. The ratings at Ratebeer is very spread, most of the 'big' raters gives this a 2/5.

Åbro Guldkällan - 4,8% - 50 cl - 14,50 SEK

Used to be in a can now it's released as a bottle.

Jenlain Blonde - 5,9% - 33 cl - 12,90 SEK

It sounds like an interesting Belgian blonde but it's a pale lager from France. I don't have high hopes but I will try it out.

Lager No 1 - 4,7% - 50 cl - 24,90 SEK

I tried this beer at SMÖF and really liked it. One of the better lagers I've tried, it's going to be interesting to see what I think about it this time.

Mikkeller Jackie Brown - 6% - 50 cl - 34,90 SEK

A brown ale from Mikkeller? Sure why not, I'm definitely trying it out. Nice score at Ratebeer as well putting it at the 95th percentile.

Mohawk Extra India Pale Ale - 7,5% - 50 cl - 36,10 SEK
This is probably the beer I'm most interested in trying out. I thought the regular Mohawk IPA was pretty good, interesting to see Rye in a beer. But this is a more hopped up version of that beer, which sounds very intriguing.

Pripps Blå - 5,2% - 33 cl - 10,50 SEK
Not sure what this is, probably new packaging.

S:t Eriks Pilsner - 5,3% - 33 cl - 15,90 SEK

This beer is an old brand that is re-released with Jessica Heidrich as head brewer. I haven't tried her Angels Share beer but I tried plenty of homemade beer from her and they are always of high quality. Nice bottle as well.

Sailor, PET-flaska - 5% - 33 cl - 12,90 SEK
This bottle looks like an old sailors tattoo. According to the press release it's a meeting between the Caribbean and the Swedish Archipelago.

TT Green Lager - 4,5% - 33 cl - 8,90 SEK

An ecological version of the normal TT lager. I got a can at home so will buy a normal TT and see if there is any difference.

A picture of the beers and 1 cider that Galatea released:

Slottskällans Blåkulla

Slottskällans Blåkulla (33 cl bottle) 10%
This is another Easter beer that was released at Systembolaget on the 15th of March. As far as I know it's the only ecological beer in this release.

I tried this last Easter and gave it a 2,3/5, it was tested during the Easter dinner and I shared the bottle with my grandfather, father and brother. This is the comment I wrote:

"Had a medium bitter taste with hints of bread, caramel, metal and some sweetness. Easier to drink compared to the other Swedish Easter beers and enjoyed by the others around the table. "

Style: Dunkel
Cost: 24,80 SEK

Bitterness------Sweetness-----Sourness-----Intensity-------Body

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Appearance: 3/5
Clear amber liquid with a medium sized light beige head that left an even layer of foam on the side of the glass.

Smell: 6/10
Mild smell of malt, the kind of smell you get when smelling a bag of freshly grinded malt. Also some metal.

Taste: 6/10
Same as the smell. Malt bag, some metal and sweetness.

Mouthfeel: 4/5
Smooth mouthfeel with a thin-medium body and a low carbonation.

Comment:
It had a very distinct flavour that I relate to smelling a bag of malt. Something I love, but it lacked something to balance it with. It didn't have a much of any hops and the body was a bit to light to carry the heavy malty flavour.

I think this might work well with the Easter food though, there isn't an intense bitterness in the way of the fat and salty food and the beer might improve with some company. At least that's what I remember from last year.

Total: 2,9/5

Dugges Påsköl

Dugges Påsköl (50 cl bottle) 6%
This is another Easter beer released at Systembolaget on the 15th of March.

Style: Brown Ale
Cost: 29,80 SEK

Bitterness------Sweetness-----Sourness-----Intensity-------Body

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Appearance: 4/5
Very dark hazy amber liquid with a light beige foam that left a thick lacing.

Smell: 5/10
Very smell, noted some spices and smoke.

Taste: 6/10
Smoke was the most dominant, but also some roasted notes and bread.

Mouthfeel: 4/5
Smooth and creamy mouthfeel with a medium thick body and low carbonation.

Comment:
My first thought was a Scottish ale with smoked malt or a fairly mild smoked ale. But the style is set as Brown Ale. Ah well lets settle it as an English style ale with a distinct smoky flavour. A fairly easy to drink ale with a low carbonation.

I tried this with some salty snakes and it was a decent combo. But it worked allot better with some chocolate, not a perfect match but the chocolate actually improved the beer slightly. So this might work best after dinner with a couple of pieces of chocolate. Don't think this beer would work with a full on dessert.

I usually love Dugges beers but this feels slightly below average for the brewery. That Im still giving it a 3/5 is a testament to the quality of beer from this brewery.

Total: 3/5

Sigtuna Easter Ale

Sigtuna Easter Ale (50 cl bottle) 6,2%
This is another Easter beer released at Systembolaget on the 15th of March. Brewed with Riwak and Pacific gem.

Style: American Pale Ale
Cost: 26,90 SEK

Bitterness------Sweetness-----Sourness-----Intensity-------Body

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Appearance: 4/5
Slightly hazy golden liquid with a big white fluffy foam. Big chunks of foam stuck to the side of the glass.

Smell: 6/10
Not very intense but fresh with some hops and malt. Fruity hops with some passion fruit and other tropical fruit. My first thought was Simcoe, but it turned out to be Riwaka and Pacific gem. Also a hint of vegetable broth.

Taste: 7/10
Same as the smell, a mild taste of hops and malt. The hops where fruity towards tropical fruits.

Mouthfeel: 3/5
Medium smooth mouthfeel with a bit of sting at the end, with a low-medium thick body. Medium carbonation.

Comment:

An easy to drink pale ale. If you are expecting a hop fix you will be disappointed, since it's moderatly hopped and the hops is just there to balance the beer rather then be the major ingredient. But it's well balanced and enjoyable to drink. The only big thing I have to complain about is the vegetable broth smell. Feels like something might have gone wrong somewhere.

I have a feeling this beer might work well with the Easter food. But I can't know for sure, since many of last years Easter beers where horrible matches for the fatty and salty food. Hmm... it feels like I will end up trying many of these during Easter.

Total: 3,3/5

Sigtuna Röd Påsk

Sigtuna Röd Påsk (50 cl bottle) 6,2%
This is another Easter beer that was released at Systembolaget on the 1st of March. The translation of Röd Påsk is Red Easter.

It's described as a hoppy american style red ale brewed with Centennial and Amarillo

I've now tried 3 of the Easter beer and hope to be done with my tasting before the holiday.

Style: Amber Ale
Cost: 27,90 SEK

Bitterness------Sweetness-----Sourness-----Intensity-------Body

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Appearance: 4/5
It had a clear amber liquid with a fluffy dirty beige head that left allot of foam on the side of the glass.

Smell: 6/10
Grassy hops, citrus, malt and some fruitiness. Do I smell oranges?

Taste: 6/10
Grassy hops, malt, some fruits and flowers and that orange flavour is there again. Some spiciness but not enough to say what it is.

Mouthfeel: 3/5
Medium smooth with a bit of sting to it. Medium body.

Comment:
Even though the description says American style ale my first thought was British. It's moderately hopped with a fruity and flowery flavour. But not fruity like many American hops, more like some of the British hops.

Anyway, leaving that subject. I think this is a drinkable ale but it feels like it's missing something, the flavours aren't really mixing as well as I would have liked. There is some spices here but not sure if it's from hops, yeast or malt or if it's actually added spices. Either way it's not distinct enough so that I can put my finger on it. But that's not a complaint as I like beers like that, a bit mysterious.

Now to the question of what to eat with this. I reckon it's intended for the Easter feast but I can't say for sure if it would work. Will have to try during Easter holiday.

Total: 3,1/5

Opigårds Easter Ale

Oppigårds Easter Ale (50 cl bottle) 5,3%
This is another Easter Beer that was released at Systembolaget on the 15th of March. I tried it with with the Easter food last year and gave it a 2,6/5. This a short comment from that test:

"Had a metallic taste and smell with some hops and spices. It wasn’t very exciting but it worked very well with the salty food."

Style: English Strong Ale
Cost: 25,60 SEK

Bitterness------Sweetness-----Sourness-----Intensity-------Body

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Appearance: 3/5
Clear amber liquid with a dirty white head that left chunks of foam on the side of the glass.

Smell: 6/10
Fruity, caramel, malt, citrus, some oranges and a hint of metal.

Taste: 6/10
Caramel, malt and some fruits, also a hint of metal.

Mouthfeel: 2/5
Metallic, medium smooth, medium thick body, low-medium carbonation.

Comment:
Slightly below average English style ale. Mild, fruity and fairly easy to drink, but the metallic taste and mouthfeel draws down the points.

This beer worked well with the salty and fat Easter food last year and I got a feeling it will be just as good this year as well.

Total: 2,8/5

First beer in the sun!

It has been a very long and cold winter this year but yesterday we finally got a taste of Spring. The weather was fantastic, the sun was shining and it was the warmest day we have had in months. I figured this was a good as time as any to have a sun-beer-premier. I positioned myself in shelter of the wind (which was still fairly cold) and enjoyed the sun. Here is a picture:

However today we are back to Winter again. The snow is pouring down outside and Spring feels far away again.

Mikkeller Hoppy Easter new

Mikkeller Hoppy Easter (33 cl bottle) 6,6%
This is one of the Easter beers that where released at Systembolaget on the 15th of March. It's actually Mikkeller Drikkeriget GIPA. Now you might get as puzzled as I was when I saw GIPA, but it stands for German IPA and it's basically brewed with German hops.

Style: India Pale Ale
Cost: 34,90 SEK

Bitterness------Sweetness-----Sourness-----Intensity-------Body

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Appearance: 4/5
Hazy dirty orange liquid with a huge white head that left big chunks of foam on the side of the glass.

Smell: 7/10
Hops, grass, citrus and yeast.

Taste: 7/10
Fresh with hops and grass. The hops definitely feels more European then American.

Mouthfeel: 3/5
Medium smooth, dry with a medium thick body.

Comment:
A very interesting beer, I don't I've tried this style before. It definitely doesn't feel American and although I wouldn't have nailed German hops as the source it did feel very European.

The beer itself doesn't feel like an Easter beer, which is logical since it's another beer with a different label. I think the fairly high bitterness won't be a great match with the salty and fatty Easter food, but it feels suiting for the oncoming Spring weather. So go outside and enjoy this beer in the sun.

Total: 3,5/5

Halfway through the Easter beers

I'm currently focusing on this years set of Easter beer. I've now tried 6 out of 12 and hope to finish within the next couple of days. I will post two reviews per day for a couple of days and then finish with a summary.

I started out with the beers I hadn't tried before and so far I feel this years set of beers has been better then last years. Here is a link to last years summary.

Fuglsang Easter Bird

Fuglsang Easter Bird (33 cl bottle) 5,5%
This is one of the Easter beers that where released at Systembolaget on the 15th of march. They have used European malts and American hops, Cascade and Simcoe are mentioned.

This beer is named Early Bird in Denmark and has just been re-labelled for Easter.

Style: American Pale Ale
Cost: 19,90 SEK

Bitterness------Sweetness-----Sourness-----Intensity-------Body

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Appearance: 4/5
Clear copper liquid with a medium sized white foam that left big chunks on the side of the glass.

Smell: 5/10
Lager-like smell, bread, malt, citrus and just a little bit of metal and hops.

Taste: 6/10
Grassy hops, malt, citrus and also some fruits. Can't quite distinguish which, but feels like a faint tangerine taste.

Mouthfeel: 3/5
Medium smooth with a medium thick body. Feels ok I have nothing to complain about really.

Comment: A fairly easy to drink American pale ale that I initially mistook for a lager. The only thing that made me think otherwise before trying it was the foam that didn't look much any lager I've seen. Even as I drink it I find some characteristics that I relate to regular Danish lagers. Not sure why I draw that reference, could it be the yeast? It's also very moderately hopped, which is a bit disappointing.

This beer might work with your Easter dinner, but I have a feeling it's better suited for that first Spring sun. Find shelter from the cool winds and I think this beer would come to it's best.

I'm not overly impressed, it's a decent APA, but there are better options available. Feels like they chickened out a bit when they added the hops. Or maybe it was the use of lager yeast... or both. Anyway here is the score:

Total: 2,9/5

Summary of the February release at Systembolaget

I have now tried and rated all the beers from the release at Systembolaget in the beginning of February. Here is a short summary of my scores:

Anderson Valley Hop Ottin IPA - 35,5 cl - 24,30 sek
Nice IPA that has gotten a bit tired. Don't think we got the freshest batch. But if you like hopped up beer and they are all out of Oppigårds Amarillo Spring or Sierra Nevada Torpedo IPA, I would go for this one.
Total: 3,3/5

Dugges Spring Beer - 50 cl - 23,90 sek
A few of the bottles had gone bad. But if you get one of the good ones you should count yourself lucky. It doesn't really taste like a lager, more like a hoppy ale.
Total: 3,5/5

Dugges 1/2 Idjit - 50 cl - 39,00 sek
Fantastic porter. Fantastic with chocolate, but works great on it's own.
Total: 4,1/5


Goose Island 312 Urban Wheat Ale - 35,5 cl - 19,90 sek
A wheat beer with very little taste of wheat, tastes more like a lager. Not a good match with food. I recommend trying other wheat beers on the market.
Total: 1,8/5

Nynäshamns Sotholmen Extra Stout - 25 cl - 23 sek
An easy to drink stout with a light body. Mostly tastes of dark chocolate with just a hint of coffee and roasted toast.
Total: 3,6/5

Oppigårds Amarillo Spring - 33 cl - 19,90 sek
Fantastic beer. A single hop american style IPA with lots of fresh hops. Run and buy now!!
Total: 4,3/5

Pistonhead Spring Edition - 33 cl - 11,50 sek
Spendrups tries to go micro and fails. Tastes like any other macro lager on the market.
Total: 1,8/5

Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale 2009 - 35 cl - 26,90 sek
A hoppy christmas beer with some pine needle, caramel and spices. Despite the theme I say this would work well on a hot summers day.
Total: 3,7/5

Sigtuna Vårweizen - 50 cl - 24,90 sek
Nice to see a Swedish wheat beer, but it doesn'treach the same quality as others available at Systembolaget.
Total: 3,4/5

Stensbogaard English Dark Stout - 50 cl - 56,00 sek
A decent stout with some odd flavours. Drinkable but there are better options available.
Total: 3,4/5

Stensbogaard India Pale Ale - 50 cl - 56,00 sek
An IPA with lots of fresh hops. It looks and smells great but has a fairly light body and milder taste.
Total: 3,9/5

Stone Double Bastard Ale - 65 cl - 89,90 sek
A very nice strong ale that almost resemble a Barley Wine.
Total: 4,1/5

Schneider Aventinus Weizen-Eisbock

Schneider Aventinus Weizen-Eisbock (33 cl bottle) 12%
This beer was released on the 1st of March at Systembolaget and is still available in many stores across the country.

It was originally created by mistake when a batch of the breweries Aventinus Doppelbock froze and they tried the concentrated liquid. The brewery has since then recreated the "mistake" in a controlled fashion.

Style: Eisbock
Cost: 31,90 SEK

Bitterness------Sweetness-----Sourness-----Intensity-------Body

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Appearance: 4/5
Dark hazy brown liquid with a medium sized dirty white foam.

Smell: 8/10
Strong smell of foam bananas and booze.

Taste: 8/10
Foam banana, fresh bananas and vanilla. Fairly sweet and with a noticeable alcoholic profile.

Mouthfeel: 5/5
Thick body, smooth mouthfeel and alcoholic warmth.

Comment:
Wow! A very thick, intense, complex and high alcoholic wheat beer. I tried a Franzizkaner on the side and it tasted like water in comparison. It had allot of bananas but not only foam bananas, also some fresh bananas.

I usually prefer my wheat beers during hot summer days but this beer feels to strong for that. It might work well with certain cheeses, but I also believe this could work as an aperitif, possible coupled with a dessert. Unfortunately I didn't have any sweets to try it with at the time.

A very interesting beer that I wouldn't mind trying again. Curious on how this will evolve over time I will save a bottle for later.

Total: 4,2/5

Stone Double Bastard Ale

Stone Double Bastard Ale (65 cl bottle) 10,5%
This beer was released at Systembolaget on the 1st of February. I have tried it several times before but never gotten around to rating it. Also had the pleasure of trying the oak aged version a couple of times, a great beer that I gave 4,2/5.

Style: American Strong Ale
Cost: 89,90 SEK

Bitterness------Sweetness-----Sourness-----Intensity-------Body

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Appearance: 5/5
Hazy dark amber liquid with a medium sized dirty beige foam that left a nice lacing on the side of the glass.

Smell: 7/10
Fairly mild smell of hops, malt and caramell.

Taste: 8/10
Caramell, malt, hops, grass and pine needle.

Mouthfeel: 4/5
Dry and medium smooth mouthfeel with a thick body.

Comment:

It almost felt like a barley wine with allot of malt and a bit wineous. The alcohol was well hidden and it was really easy to drink. Having a pint of this wouldn't be a problem but the effect of the alcohol afterwards might be. All in all a very nice beer. The oaked version is slightly better in my opinion but it definitely holds it's ground.

Total: 4,1/5

Ola Dubh tasting

Ola Dubh is Harviestouns Old Engine Oil that has been stored on old whisky barrels. They use Highland Park barrels of different ages. Last Saturday we tried their 12, 18 and 30 year old versions. I tried their 12 year old version at Örebro Beer and Whisky Festival and was really impressed. Ended up giving it a 4,3/5 and was lucky enough to be given what was left in the bottle when I bought my 5 cl sample. However there where more then 5 cl left in the bottle so I was quite pleased with myself.

To save time and space I can tell you that all three of them had similar characteristics. They where all black as sin with chocolate, coffee, whisky, licorice and wood aromas. So instead of repeating myself I will give you some shorter reviews focusing on their differences.

Ola Dubh 12 (33 cl) 8%
This one was quite raw and boozy despite it's relatively low alcohol. The others thought this one had the most whisky flavour in it. Some even claimed it had to much whisky flavour. I personally didn't find it that intense.
Total: 4/5
Ola Dubh 18 (33 cl) 8%
This one was allot milder then both the 12 and the 30. It also had more licorice and butter compared to the others. It also had the lightest body of the three. Definitely worse then the others.
Total: 3,8/5

Ola Dubh 30 (33 cl) 8%
This is the one I thought had the strongest whisky flavour of the three. It had a very noticeable smoky whisky flavour. It had the most intense flavour and the thickest body of the three I tried. Also felt more complex and well balanced then the others. Definite winner in this test.
Total: 4,2/5