Carlsberg Lager

http://www.carlsberg.com/

Brewed by Carlsberg Danmark A/S
Style: Euro Pale Lager
Copenhagen, Denmark

Carlsberg, one of the most iconic beers in the World, and to be found in bars and pubs all across the planet. Founded by J. C. Jacobsen in 1847, in Copenhagen, Denmark, he called the company Carlsberg after his son Carl.

Jacobsen had a scientific bent and a keen interest in all things related to chemistry. With this he set up the Carlsberg Laboratory in 1875, which worked on scientific problems related to brewing. It featured a Department of Chemistry and a Department of Physiology. The Carlsberg Laboratory also developed the concept of pH and made advances in protein chemistry. They also did a bit of research into beer production as well!!

In 1876, J.C. Jacobsen established the Carlsberg Foundation, run by trustees from the Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters, which managed the Carlsberg Laboratory as well as supporting scientific research within the fields of natural sciences, mathematics, philosophy, the humanities and social sciences in Denmark.

Since Jacobsen’s death in 1887, the majority owner of the company has been the Carlsberg Foundation, as unfortunately he had a falling out with his son Carl and decided not to leave him the brewery after his passing. A bit unlucky for Carl.

It also brews and controls, Tuborg, Kronenbourg, SuperBock, San Miguel (UK), Holsten, Somersby cider, Russia’s best-selling beer Baltika, Belgian Grimbergen abbey beers, Feldschlösschen in Switzerland, and more than 500 different beers in numerous countries all over the world, but especially in south east Asia and Europe. Carlsberg also produce at home, Special Brew, a particularly strong lager, oh so well loved by street alcoholics and down and outs all across the UK, and Elephant beer, an export lager beer that references the history behind the The Elephant Gate outside the brewery in Copenhagen. I wasn’t such a fan of that beer, read my review here.

The company is a big employer, with 41,000 people working for the company, primarily located in Western Europe, Eastern Europe and Asia. With an annual turnover reaching just under 10 Billion Dollars the company is a major player on the World beer market.

But for all the beers and acquisitions, it is Carlsberg Lager that is the flagship beer brand in the Carlsberg Group’s portfolio. The 5% abv pilsner beer, first brewed in 1904, is sold to over 140 countries world wide, with its iconic Art Nouveau-style logo and even more well known advertising tagline “Probably the best lager in the world”.

The beer is also very closely associated with the beautiful game of football. They were one of the major sponsors of Euro’s 2004, 2008 and 2012 and also UEFA Euro 2016 (where their ad-boards were changed to read their abridged tagline, “Probably”, due to France’s laws against alcohol advertising) and they were also a sponsor of the 1990 FIFA World Cup. Carlsberg also have a well known link with Liverpool F.C. having sponsored the club from 1992 and were advertised on their club shirts for many years. Carlsberg also sponsor, or have sponsored, F.C. Copenhagen, Havant and Waterlooville, Odense Boldklub, Hajduk Split and, Bulgarian team, Pirin Blagoevgrad.

Review: 0,33l bottle of Carlsberg: ABV: 5%

A lager that is popular with football lovers the world over, as the beer likes to capitalise on its strong association with the round ball. It also sells by the bucket load in the supermarket as its relatively cheap and easy to find.

The export version that is sold throughout Europe. I think the UK version is different, less alcohol for the crazies to deal with.

Comes in a long dark green bottle, which looks a bit shite to be frank.

Initially on the pour get a nice white head, and a clear golden coloured beer. Goes all a bit flat after a while as the head dies a death, not really much of a looker.

Smell is not bad, nice and malty on the nose, some grains too. Ok for smell.

For the taste, it is all bitterness and the hops are strong. I wish it had a cleaner smoother finish.

Full of sweet malts and the grain flavours are imposing.

I always find Carlsberg to be a little too strong for me, strong in the taste, it has that slight bitterness in the front that one doesn’t have with other lagers. Also a citrus bite to it. Some people like all this, I don’t though. It is definitely an acquired taste. It is manageable if I was at a party or something, or desperate, but I prefer to drink smoother lagers, ones that you don’t squirm when you drink them.

Not quaffable enough for my liking, but I can understand how some could like this beer.