Looks

Dark brown reddish pour, which leaves a dark brown color in the glass with a reddish hue. The head is quite small.

Aroma

I’m getting dark fruits, boozy hints, sugary sweetness and some resin-like aromas.

This beer reminds me more of a barley wine, as it somewhat did last year as well.

Flavor

Sweet, syrupy, pine and some booze. Pretty balanced and complex. The beer is really different compared to the first time I tried it.

The body is smooth and the carbonation is low.

Finish

Long finish with a nice sting from the alcohol. There is a good amount of malty sweetness present as well. The finish is quite lovely.

Rating

I’m not going to bother rating these Abstrakt’s anymore (as in the cellared ones). This particular beer has transformed into something that reminds me of a barley wine, and no hoppy hints are anywhere near the beer anymore. I would love some more carbonation, but it appears that the corks used in these bottles aren’t too good. Too bad!

This beer has been added muscovado sugar for some nice fruity aromas, and has been brewed with coffee. With an ABV of 16% I’m about to open a beer that I will be enjoying for a good while!

Looks

Dark brown pour with a small light brown head. Once in the glass it looks pitch black.

Aroma

Intense aroma with a good amount of sweetness and coffee. There is also a good amount of fruity aromas coming through.

As the beer warms up a bit I’m getting some lovely chocolate notes and some hints of alcohol.

Flavor

The flavor is also very intense. I’m getting coffee, alcohol, something which reminds me of blackcurrant, and dark chocolate. There are also hints of liquorice and some caramel.

The body is silky smooth with a medium level of carbonation.

Finish

The finish lasts a good while and includes a good warming sensation without too much boozy notes. Coffee and chocolate is also present in the finish.

Rating

What an amazing beer! Incredibly complex and smooth. As the 3rd Edition it’s quite sweet, and I’m looking forward to trying it again some time next year! Score: 4.7/5.

As I’m writing this there are still some bottles left at some Vinmonopolet stores. Go grab a few, and make sure to stash one or two of them in your cellar!

As an added bonus this beer was my 1000th unique checkin on Untappd.

Looks

A lovely hazy dark yellow / orange color with a big off-white head. The head disappears quite quickly, and leaves some nice lacing on the glass.

Aroma

Really fresh, hop heavy, aroma. I’m getting pine, grapefruit and lemon.

Flavor

The flavor is also mostly hops, with hints of grapefruit and lemon. There is also a lovely malty backbone present, but most of the flavors come from the hops.

The body is surprisingly full for a beer with an ABV of 4.5%, and the carbonation is sharp.

Finish

Really long and bitter finish with hints of pine and grapefruit.

Rating

All in all this is a hop bomb! Loads of (tropical) fruity aromas and flavors. One of the best low alcohol beers around! Score: 3.8/5.

Looks

Deep mahogany color with a small head. The head disappears quickly and leaves a small ring around the edges of the glass.

Aroma

The aroma is quite sweet and fruity. I’m getting caramel, chocolate, nuts and some raisins.

Flavor

The flavor is as expected and matches the aroma spot on. There are some bread-like hints that appears but otherwise most of the notes from the aroma fits the description of the flavor.

The body is medium and the carbonation is slightly sharp, which fits the beer good.

Finish

Pretty short finish with some bitterness and herbal notes to it.

Rating

A good rendition of a Belgian beer, but not as good as some of the classic Belgian abbey beers. Still, a really enjoyable beer. Score: 4.1/5.

This beer is available at Vinmonopolet.

Looks

Dark brown pour with a creamy mocha colored head with a really good retention. The head almost looks like a light brown milk chocolate soufflé.

Aroma

The aroma has caramel, cocoa, rye and liquorice. Quite complex aroma. As the beer warms up I’m getting some boozy hints.

Flavor

There is quite a lot of chocolate present in the flavor of this beer. Chocolate, toffee, coffee, caramel, rye and some salty liquorice. Really complex but well balanced and incredibly tasty.

The body on this beer is mind blowing. Silky smooth with a really mellow and comfortable carbonation. Fits the beer perfectly!

Finish

The finish is surprisingly short, but has some lovely hints of chocolate and rye. I’m also getting some boozy hints, but not too much.

Rating

Yet another stunning beer from Nøgne Ø (and Terrapin). This is a sipper, and it gets better and better. Score: 4.6/5.

Looks

Dark brown color with a mocha colored head. The head disappears quickly but leaves some really sticky laces on the glass.

Aroma

There is a good amount of roasted malts up front. I’m getting hints of coffee, milk chocolate and some dark fruits. The aroma on this beer is stunning!

Flavor

The roasted malts is also present in the flavor, along with hints of cold coffee. There is also a slight tartness present.

As the temperature of the beer rises I’m getting some hints of smoke as well. The beer is well balanced and all flavors blend perfectly.

The body of the beer is medium and the carbonation is slightly sharp.

Finish

The finish lasts for a good while and has hints of roasted malts, dark chocolate and some floral notes from the hops.

Rating

I have no idea why I haven’t reviewed this beer until now! Nøgne Ø Porter is a delicious beer! Score: 4.9/5.

This beer is available at Vinmonopolet, and at Systembolaget in Sweden.

Looks

Dark brown color with very little carbonation left. It seems that the Abstrakt beers don’t keep the carbonation that well as this is not the only one that is almost completely flat. Perhaps it has something to do with the quality of the plastic corks used?

Aroma

The aroma has a huge hit of sweet malts, and some hints from the hops. There is not much left of the original hoppy aroma.

I’m picking up liquorice, caramel and some fruity hints. I’m not picking up any alcohol at all.

Flavor

I’m getting some dark fruits and a good amount of malty sweetness. There are some hints left from the hops as well, but as in the aroma there is not much left. There are some small hints of tropical fruit as well.

Finish

Long and bitter finish with nice hoppy flavors up front and some sweet malts and liquorice that lasts all the way.

Rating

This beer could need some more carbonation to make it less demanding, but it’s still a good beer, but far away from what it was like when it was fresh. Score: 3.7/5.

Looks

Clear dark yellow color with a white fizzy head. There is a good amount of yeast left in the bottle, so pour carefully if you want the beer to stay clear.

The yeast has a good amount of flavor in itself, and personally I like to include at least some of it.

Aroma

I’m getting some fruity hints up front with some sweet honey-like aromas in the back. There are hints of green apples and citrus fruits present, and some yeasty notes.

Flavor

The flavor has much of the same as the aroma. I’m getting citrus, yeast and wheat as well.

The mouth feel is smooth and the carbonation is lively, but not too sharp. The carbonation fits the beer perfectly.

Finish

Long and somewhat warming finish. There are hints of alcohol, apples and citrus fruits.

Rating

I really enjoyed this beer. It felt really refreshing and balanced. Not really a pilsner, but a really good and refreshing beer nonetheless. On a warm summer day this beer can get quite scary as the ABV of 9% does not really show too much. Score: 4.2/5.

St Peter’s Organic Best Bitter

This beer is brewed with organic malted barley and organically grown Golding hops. The ABV is 4.1%.

Looks

Dark amber color with off-white head that quickly disappears. The color of this beer is stunning!

Aroma

The beer has a malty backbone with some hints of caramel and toffee. There are hints of toast and biscuits as well. Some faint hints of hops.

Flavor

As with the aroma there is a well balanced malty body. I’m getting some clear hints of caramel and some grassy hoppy hints.

The body is full and the carbonation is smooth and pleasant.

Finish

Medium long finish with some bitter notes blending nicely with the sweet malty flavors.

Rating

All in all an OK beer. Well balanced malt-heavy profile, but perhaps a bit too bland. One of the better organic ales I have had. Score: 2.9/5.

St Peter’s Best Bitter

This is a classic Bitter with an ABV of 3.7%.

Looks

Clear dark golden color with a white fizzy head that disappears quickly.

Aroma

I’m getting mostly malts with some faint roasted notes. As the beer gets warmer some bitter notes appear. I’m reminded of toast.

Flavor

There are hints of toast in the flavor as well. There are also a good amount of bitterness present.

Well balanced, with an impressive body with regards to the low ABV. The carbonation is soft and fits the beer well.

Finish

Medium long finish with hints of caramel and grass.

Rating

Another solid and well balanced beer from St Peter’s. Score: 3.1/5.

St Peter’s Dark G-Free

The first gluten free beer reviewed on BeerNorway. This beer has an ABV of 3.9% and uses locally grown hops for aroma and bittering.

Looks

Crystal clear dark amber color with a fizzy head. Again a beer which looks incredibly good.

Aroma

By smelling the beer it seems that the looks is all there is to talk about. There is very little going on in the aroma of this beer. I’m picking up some earthy notes and something that reminds me of cat piss, which I don’t really appreciate. Sadly I don’t have anything good to say about the aroma.

Flavor

And it seems I won’t have anything positive to say about the flavor either. I’m getting hints of caramel and some fruity notes. The mouth feel is watery and the carbonation is sharp.

Finish

The finish is quite short and has hints of caramel and green apples.

Rating

I have not had many gluten free beers so I can’t really compare it to others, but on its own this is a really sad story. Score: 1.1/5.

St Peter’s Suffolk Gold

This beer uses First Gold hops and malt from Suffolk, and sports an ABV of 4.9%.

Looks

Clear dark yellow / light orange color with an off-white head. The head leaves some nice lacing on the glass.

Aroma

I’m picking up some fruity hints and some grassy hops. There is also a malty sweetness lurking in the back.

Flavor

Grassy bitterness and a nice malty sweetness. A well balanced beer.

Finish

Long and slightly bitter finish. I’m also picking up some slight acidic notes that I did not get in the flavor of the beer.

Rating

A well balanced and tasty beer. As with the others this beer is also slightly anonymous. Score: 3.2/5.

St Peter’s Fruit Beer (grapefruit)

This is a beer based on the St Peter’s Wheat Beer. The beer has an ABV of 4.7%.

Looks

Clear orange color with a white fizzy head. The head has good retention and leaves some nice lacing on the glass.

Aroma

Distinct grapefruit aroma. I’m also picking up wheat and some yeasty notes.

Flavor

I’m picking up some clear hints of grapefruit in the flavor as well, but not as much as in the aroma. There are also some other nice hints of citrus fruits and some caramel sweetness.

The body is rich for a beer with this low ABV, and the carbonation is soft.

Finish

Long and bitter finish with grapefruit up front and some nice sweet malty notes after some seconds.

Rating

I’m not sure how to rate this beer. The hints of grapefruit is very forthcoming and makes this an interesting and “different” beer. Sadly not really my thing, but it’s worth a try if you want something different. Score: 2.6/5.

St Peter’s Winter Ale

Last up is a “Winter Warmer” with an ABV of 6.5%.

Looks

Very dark color with a beige head. The head has good retention.

Aroma

I’m getting roasted malts, dark bitter chocolate and dark fruits. By far the most complex aroma of the beers I have tried tonight.

Flavor

The flavor of the beer is quite complex. I’m picking up roasted malts, dark fruits, some spicy notes, chocolate and caramel. I would have guessed this to be a porter if I hadn’t known the style.

Finish

Medium long finish with hints of chocolate and caramel. Really enjoyable.

Rating

The last beer in this session happened to be the best beer of the lot, by far. This beer feels well balanced, and the hints of roasted malts really play well with the rest of the flavors. Score: 4/5.

All in all this has been a very varied session. Of the beers I have tried, the last one, the Winter Ale, was by far the most tasty and enjoyable. Cheers!

Disclaimer: The beers in this review was given to me by Interbev.

When did the plans for starting a micro brewery in Fredrikstad start, and how long did it take to realize them?

The idea had been floating around in the back of my head for about a year before we established the company, on December 12th, 2012 (we actually had the meeting at 12 Noon!).

We all agreed that the quality of the beer brewed by the local home brewers was quite high, so why not give everyone else the chance to buy them at their local pubs? Norwegian alcohol policy is one of the strictest in the Western world, so if this was to be a reality, these forces would have to gather in a commercial brewery, with all consents and paperwork in place. Our goals was not to start a brewpub, but a brewery that will focus on brewing the best beer possible.

When the company was established and some of the most qualified and dedicated home brewers in the local beer scene joined in on the project, everything went pretty fast. It only took about three months from when we started until we had signed a lease and ordered the pilot brewery. From the beginning of April we had started re-building the premises for the brewery, and some time in June we hope to be able to start brewing there.

Since we don’t want to start our own pub, we have teamed up with a new local pub in Fredrikstad called Havnelageret Gastropub. It’s much easier for a place that is already allowed to serve beer, to get the consent to brew beer as well. Because of this we have brewed some of our beer on the premises of this pub to begin with. The pub opened May 7th 2013, and it had Nøisom beer on tap. For us it was important to launch our beer commercially, before being ready to ship our beer from the new brewery.

We will develop our products ourselves, and since there are so many talented people working with us we will be able to brew and launch some really interesting beer!

What sort of equipment are you brewing with?

The pilot brewery consists of a 500L Speidel Braumeister, 4 yeast tanks, and 8 conditioning tanks. This was by far the best choice with regards to the current location and financing.

What sort of beer will you be brewing? Will you brew both low and high alcohol beer?¹

We will brew high alcohol beer (ABV >4.7%) in the beginning until we feel we have the new equipment under control. As a small brewery that aims to sell our beer in pubs in our part of the country, we will be providing beer for beer aficionados and people new to craft beer. At first we will only deliver kegs to the pubs, as being able to bottle beer involves a big cost, and requires much more work.

We will also brew lower alcohol beer (ABV <4.7%) but probably not within the first year.

Will FMB/Nøisom have a flagship beer from the get go?

Too early to say. We want an entire fleet of ships with equally large flags! I’m guessing that we will make some seasonal beer, and that the brewers will brew whatever they want to brew from time to time.

If everything goes according to plan, where do you see FMB/Nøisom in a couple of years?

In 2 to 3 years we hope to extend our capacity and market share significantly. The brewery we have now is a pilot brewery and has its limitations. This makes the start of this adventure less risky, easier to finance, and easier with regards to consents and permissions. We hope that by 2015 we have a new brewery with new equipment that will open some time in 2016, that enables us to brew batches up to 5.000 liters, with a yearly production of around 500.000 liters of high quality craft beer.

Where will the public be able to try FMB/Nøisom beer?

In the beginning people will be able to buy our beer at local pubs and restaurants. The first pub that will serve our beer is Havnelageret Gastropub in Fredrikstad. This will be our arena for introducing new beer to the public. We hope to be able to sell our beer at other locations in our part of the country as well, but we haven’t started this process yet. We would also like to try and brew beer tailor made for some of our potential customers.

And that’s that. Expect more news and information about this brewery on this blog in the future!

1. In Norway grocery stores are allowed to sell beer under 4.7% ABV (low), and Vinmonopolet can sell beer above this limit (high).