First of five of our ultra-premium beers and first of four by this unique brewhouse in the Nørrebro district of Coppenhagen. Now what exactly do I mean by ultra-premium? Well in Ontario it has to do with price, standard beers are in the range of $1.50 to $2.50 a bottle, premiums and imports range upwards from this point to about $6.00 to $7.00 a bottle. Ultra premiums start here and can go sky high. One such beer just sold for around $177 dollars. As I am not that flush, we will concentrate on the lower end of that scale. The next five beers are all over $7.50 a bottle and have an average price of $12.50. The most expensive being over $21.00 (and yes... so far that is the most I have ever paid for a bottle of beer, and yes it hurt a little...)Tonight we start with Bombay Pale Ale from Nørrebro Bryghus. Nørrebro is a microbrewery opened in 2003 by the former Carlsberg brewmaster Anders Kissmeyer. It started when Anders was flying around the world on Carlsberg's dime. He was head of quality control for the beer maker and on a trip to the USA he uncounted the Garret Oliver and the Brooklyn Brewery. Fascinated by the fact that a small brewery could be producing "world-class" beers, he studied Brooklyn Breweries and a number of other small operations in the US intently. He took all of this information back to his superiors in Denmark and reported on it. Unfortunately they did not believe that there was any kind of place for this "microbrewing" in Denmark. Undeterred, Anders left Carlsberg and in 2000 began earnestly working on his dream of a Danish Microbrewery. With the investment of 1 million Danish Kronar from a close personal friend, and then nine other sizable investors Nørrebro Bryghus became a reality in 2003. Accolades soon followed. The brewery, the beer, the bottle and the label and logo have all won awards. The beer was so popular in the first two weeks 4 out of the five initial offerings sold out. Fortunately, they have figured out their supply issues enough, so that they can send some over to Canada for the Pint Jockey to try.
Let's not disappoint them. Tonight's tasting:
Off gold to light copper in colour, translucent in clarity but not cloudy. Off-white head leaning towards a light gray. Packaged in a specially designed award winning bottle and label, containing "60 cl" or for us non-Europeans 600 ml. 6.5% ABV puts us right into IPA territory. Nose is light floral and fragrant, hints of apple, fresh herbs, and spice (cloves) Malty character develops as the beer warms. First sip is very herbal, hops dominate, as they should in an IPA. Notes of juniper and some citrus oil. Finish is mid length, with herbs and Darjeeling tea on the after taste. Aeration gives us the subtle oiliness of a Czech style hop... perhaps saaz?Overall results: (Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional)
Taste: Pass
Cost: So-so (In Ontario it is $7.55 a beer)
Colour: Pass
Beer Style: Pass
Re-order: So-so
Experience: Pass
Final Thoughts: This beer was very hard to read. Normally when you taste a beer something is not quite right or not in balance and you notice it right away. This beer is the complete opposite, everything "clicked" and worked together blending into a cascade of flavours that was difficult to see a beginning or an end. Very English in style, best drunk slightly off the chill to enhance the herbal fruity aromas. The only thing I find this beer lacking in is a distinct character. Certainly all of the element are there for a good beer, however, there isn't a "taste" that will leave me thinking of this beer in six months, and longing for it again.
Hopefully the next one will be more memorable.
Cheers
CJT
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