So far, I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve had from Nogne O, the Norwegian brewery that’s part of the Mikkeller family. I’m sorry to say that streak has come to an abrupt end. What you see above is one of their beers being poured into my sink. It was unceremoniously returned to the sea, never to be purchased again…
Here’s the culprit, Tyttebaer Wild Ale brewed with cranberries.
It started off well enough. The pour was a pretty golden red with a generous and tight tan head. Then I took a sniff, and was greeted by the sweet smell of cranberries and something else. Something a little antiseptic. Still, overall the nose was intriguing.
Upon taking the first sip I was greeted almost immediately by an unpleasant flavor that I recognized but couldn’t place. Seconds later, my wife was calling in from the family room, saying the beer I just handed her was “unusual.” We like unusual stuff, but I got the sense that this wasn’t the “I like it” kind of unusual; it was the other kind.
Then it hit me. I knew just what flavor memory this beer elicited. A Band Aid soaked in Bactine. Basically, it was like kissing a freshly dressed scraped knee. Yuck. I could go on, but what’s the point. After taking a few tries (and reopening my mind after each one) I finally gave up and poured it out, which is a very rare thing around here, especially because this beer wasn’t cheap. My wife’s glass quickly followed, as she too was repulsed by the Tyttebaer, which is a shame, because it has an awesome name that I’d like to offer to my wife again and again.
Beer & Whiskey Brothers 
A Band Aid soaked in Bactine? Jim, you come up with the best descriptions sometimes! Too bad with this one though – you win some and you lose some!
BTW, here in NJ when you dump it down the sink it goes to the water plant and not the sea. At the plant, they add the hormones and antibiotics to the mix, filter out the chunky stuff and then it gets put back in the system, so you’re likely going to have this beer again somehow. Maybe it will be in your shower tonight.
haha Great job in showing Jim he can’t escape Scott.
Actually, Scott, it goes into the septic tank where it mingles with other nicities and then goes into the leach field where it is returned to the wild. So basically, my trees will be grimacing from the awful taste in a few weeks.
Funny thing about the Bandaid soaked in Bactine description is that my wife was really trying (and failing) to enjoy the beer until I said that. Then her nose curled up and she put it down for good. She obviously concurred.
Oh darn Jim I was just going to send you this link for what looks like a great cake recipe using beer. As I know your wife is a wonderful baker I thought you two could combine effort and ingredients-you might have been able to use that dumped beer!
Here’s the link anyway: http://noblepig.com/2009/12/09/guinness-stout-ginger-cake.aspx
I’ve had this cake before. It is amazing!
The beer cake looks good., and calls for a stout (we dumped a wild ale, which wouldn’t have worked). We can make it with Storm Kung Stout, Caryn’s favorite beer. Thanks!
You’re welcome, let me know how it comes out.
OMG!!!
Jim, you’re killing me! I take it your not a fan of wild/sour beers. I thought this was an excellent beer. In fact I’ve had 3 bottles of it since it came out and will probably get another bottle of it on Friday, if it is still at the Liquor Outlet.
Let me ask you was yours super carbonated, bursting out of the bottle when you opened it? Every bottle I had made a mess on the table or floor.
http://www.simplybeer.com/blog/2009/12/08/n%C3%B8gne-%C3%B8-mikkeller-tyttebaer/
Just for you Jim, I think I’m going to change my session beer on Friday to a lambic 🙂 HAHAHAH!!!!!
Jim has stated that he is not in love with sour beers. Funny, though he didn’t mention that this beer tasted sour, only antiseptic. I have a sour that I am going to try this weekend. Monk’s Cafe sour Flemish Ale. I’ve never had a sour before(other than the really gross one I took a sip of from that crappy microbrewery in Lewiston, Idaho) so I am looking forward to experiencing a well crafted sour beer. We’ll see. I hear it is an acquired taste.
Don, that is probably the best one to start with in the flanders style. more sweet then sour, but you can get a real sense as to what “good” sour can be in a beer. I hope you enjoy it.
I don’t love Duchesse de Borgogne, but I can drink it and appreciate the style (a sweet sour beer). This one was just awful, like drinking Bactine.
Monks Sour Flemish is my hands down favorite beer. The first time I had it was from the tap in the back bar at Monks in Philadelphia. Just an FYI–the food at Monks is really good too. That PA beer tour is sounding even better now, isn’t it?!
It overflowed immediatly and I quickly held the bottle over the sink. As it turns out, I should have turned it over right then…
LOL! you’re too funny Jim. I have to find something to torture you with at the Beer Brawl on Friday 🙂
At this rate, make it a sour – I’m not having good luck with them!
Sounds to me like you got a bad bottle. Between it over flowing and tasting medicinal, sound like an infection to me. It happens. I implore you to get a second bottle at least and try it again. If it is bad once again, call the brewery or email them with a translator and let them know. Bad beer happens, sucks that it happens then people write a beer off.
on a side note, there’s a microbrewery in Lewiston?
You might be right, Marvin. But I’m not going to dish out more $$ to find out. I’ve enjoyed other stuff by Nogne O and Mikkeller and will continue to try their stuff, but I’m going to stay away from the Tyttebaer (even if I have a bunch of singles burning a hole in my pocket!).
Jim:
Just got back from visiting my local beer guy, and he recommended going to the beer store and telling them the bottle was bad. He said if a customer tells him that he replaces it no questions asked. He concurred that it sounded like a bad bottle because he once had a stout that had the same bactine flavor profile and he doesn’t see how a stout and a sour should have the same flavor profile unless they were both tainted. If you got it from Kevin, let him know. He might just give you a replacement bottle gratis.
A good idea, but Peter from SimplyBeer had the same experience a few times with the same beer (at least from an over-carbonation standpoint) and lived them. So either it’s the way the beer is and it’s just not for me, or all the Tyttebaers in stock are bad, and I’ll just get the same thing.
Kevin (Dark Lord of the Stout) knows his stuff, so I’ll run it past him. If he says that’s how it should be, I’ll trust his answer.
I don’t think it was the overcarbonation as much as the antiseptic flavor that is the tell tale sign that the beer was tainted. Talk to Kevin (do you have to put Dark Lord of the Stout behind his name every time?) and see. I think the carbonation is just a trait of the lambics, it is the flavor that would indicate skunking.
I’ll bring it up to Kevin (Dark Lord of the Stout) when I see him tomorrow night. And to answer your question, yes.
More like Pale Lord this time of year! :-0
What was it John was saying last night? “Light Lord of the…?”
If it isn’t Dark Lord of the Stout himself! Not sure why Jim puts that behind your name every time Kevin, but I think it is some sort of honor he has bestowed upon you. So congratulations…I guess…you are our first patron of this site that has an official nickname! All hail Kevin (Dark Lord of the Stout)!
Marvin: Yes there is a microbrewery of sorts in Lewiston. MJ Barleyhoppers is the name of it, and they have a bar in the Red Lion hotel, but I tried all the brews they had available and they ranged from just bad to deplorable.
MJ Barleyhoppers wins for most contrived brewery name ever. Sounds like it was created by a focus group.
Their logo and sign are horrific too. It reminds me of the 70s show HR Puffinstuff. Every time I see it that stupid song gets stuck in my head…HR Puffinstuff, just can seem to get enough…of that HR Puffinstuff. God, I need a beer!
I was thinking this was a bad bottle too. I’d like to try this one to see if I have a bad reaction to it since I’m a big fan of sours. I’m typing this while sipping a sourish Kasteel rouge.
i’ll have to find out what the deal with it was. I’ve had terrible luck with sours so far, but I refuse to give up!
Keep fight, Jim. Sometimes it takes a serious amount of time to make peace with and enjoy a style. I really hated IPAs for about 3 or 4 years. I thought they were okay for another 2. Now I’m really enjoying a well done IPA. Tastes change and Wilds are certainly beers that can be hard to track with for a while. I remember liking Mikkeller’s It’s Alright….maybe try that as a straight up wild ale.
I’ll keep trying, Mike. I’ll keep doing anything if it involves drinking beer 😉
“All Hail…” I like that! Really cracks me up… I’m working on business cards for it now, too. I do have the website, but it’s not up and running.
Those better be some badass business cards. “Dark Lord of the Stout” probably doesn’t look right on eggshell white stock…