Ale
Midtfyns Bryghus

Copenhagen 7/5 2016. 50 cl bottle from Fakta. Label looks like a seasick cross from the crusades. On the back of the bottle they declare this to be a full-bodied and well balanced ESB.

Pours clear amber with a white head. Settles as a paper thin layer of foam struggling to cover the surface of the beer.

Aroma is medium sweet of caramel and something fresh and flowery. A weird note of detergent in the background.

Medium strong carbonation and slightly thick palate.

Flavor is medium sweet balanced by medium strong bitterness. Aftertaste is quite sweet.

So the "well balanced" offered in the flavor text seems to hit the mark. But a bit too watery to be "full bodied".

500 ml bottle, now available in Norway (Vinmonopolet). Reddish brown colour, large and creamy off-white head. Bakery aroma, notes of brown bread and moderate hops. Flavour is also bready with distinct notes of caramel, sweetish with a hoppy and alcoholic bite in the finish. Not the best beer in the world, but much better than I feared.

Bottle: Poured an hazy deep amber color ale with a relatively large foamy head with good retention and some very good lacing. Aroma consists of caramel malt with light sweet undertones with some light citrus and bitter hops notes. Taste is also dominated by lightly sweet caramelized malt backbone with some light citrus and bitter notes. Body is quite full with good carbonation. Enjoyable beer that is unfortunately not that close to style.

50cl brown bottle with a freshness date.

Shiny copper clarity, foamy head stays for a good while. Buttery and estery with a powdery husk grain and toffee maltiness in the nose. Moderately sized fluffy body and smoothness. Earthy, leafy, oily hop character dons a balancing bitterness. Wet malt flavor is pushed around a bit, husk with a toffee back. Buttery and yeasty finish that lands semi-dry.

Definitly in the vein of the ESB though the bigger buttery tone and lighter maltiness take away from the drinkability.