Ølfabrikken (The Beer Factory)

By JASON AND TODD ALSTRÖM

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Scandinavian beers are all the rage right now. The craft beer scene throughout Denmark, Norway and Sweden is storming the US with its unique style twists and extreme beers that mirror the American craft-brewing scene in many respects. To boot, Scando brewers are welcoming more and more American brewers to pick up the mash fork and brew guest beers, or even work for a period of time.

This week, hailing from Ølfabrikken (The Beer Factory) in Roskilde, Denmark, we've got two great examples of the Scando craft-beer movement—they brew others, but the following are available in the Boston market.

Porter

Brewed with barley malt, roasted barley, hops, brown sugar and water.

Pitch black, with a gorgeous cascading creamy coffee-colored foam head that retains and clings to the glass. The nose is a bit nutty and roasty with suggestions of sweetness, powdery chocolate, molasses and a soft floral hop note with a unique herbal aroma. Super silky smooth and even palate. Medium, near chewy mouthfeel. Dark chocolate and mint come to the front. Burnt malt, smoke, chocolate, thick-sugar characters. Solvent-like alcohol, but clean. Underlying herbal hop character with a minty edge. Orange? Yeah. Charred bitterness in the finish, with a very flavorful pipe tobacco; smoky linger, toasted marshmallow and hint of hazelnut.

Simply put, this is one delicious Porter that lounges on the palate with one of the most seductive finishes we've ever run into. We found this one for $11.99 per 1 pint, 6.3 ounce bottle at Bauer Wine & Spirits on Newbury Street. 7.5 percent alcohol by volume.

100 Gram India Pale Ale

Hopped continuously throughout the entire boil, with hop additions made every three minutes and increased 100 grams with every new addition. Hold on. If the boil was say, for one hour, wouldn't they want to call it "2,000 Gram?" Okay, enough geekin' out.

Hazy orange-amber with tight, creamy foam head with lots of legs. Pungent, perfumey, citric-oily with a floral note that tears you up and massive orange character. Solid medium body, and the smoothness has some depth with a creamy mouthfeel. Massive bitterness though it never becomes too sharp; big orange peel flavors. Hop flavors are off the hook, incredibly dense and resiny. Some mint, soft oily pine, earth and then more orange peel. Floral honey. Bone-dry finish lingers with a ton of resin and ash.

Alcohol taste is well-hidden in this intensely orangey hop bomb, which is not as insanely bitter as loyal followers of the Double IPA style might be accustomed to. But man is it packed with a hop flavor that pummels the palate into submission. Purchased at Julio's Liquors in Westboro for $9.99. 8.5 percent alcohol by volume.

We highly recommend seeking out beers from Ølfabrikken, as well as other Scando brewers—like Nørrebro Bryghus from Denmark and HaandBryggeriet and Nøgne Ø from Norway. Look for more reviews from us soon.

FOR MORE INFO: OLFABRIKKEN.DK

FOR MORE BEER EDUCATION: BEERADVOCATE.COM

RESPECT BEER.