Hey look at this, I’m actually participating in this beautiful little encyclopedia of opinions formed while thinking under the influence of beer. Let’s see if my three years of experience of learning how to taste coffee’s subtlest undertones comes into play while drinking something that isn’t a tongue-burning and taste bud-distracting 196 degrees.

Brewery Hometown: Copenhagen, Denmark

Appearance: Medium-bodied, golden-brown, like a nicely toasted bun with latte-esque head that lingers a bit (latte-head may be a result of my pouring technique which originated behind an espresso bar. Pouring that crescent moon is addicting, even if it only lasts for a second before any decent beer’s head takes over that final little bit of the top of the pour).

Aroma: Hints of honey-roasted peanuts with a bit of a caramel-malty undertone.

Taste: Carlsberg has a very rich taste that develops as it hits different parts of the palette. It starts a bit sweet on the lips, but as it falls down the throat there’s a definite bitterness that comes through, if only for a second before calming into the rich, mildly sweet, honey-nut (cheerio) finish. One of my favorite features of Carlsberg is that when you wake up in the morning after a good (bad) night spent drinking the premium beer, you get the whole experience all over again. I’ve honestly tried brushing my teeth, using Listerine before bed, eating hot-wings at the bar, you name it, and I still end up tasting Carlsberg in the morning and remembering how I felt the night before, which is sometimes a good thing, sometimes… not so much.

It seems that Carlsberg is the perfect compliment to a decent meal. Today I had it with a nice, greasy double-cheeseburger (Teddy’s Red-Hots on Main.. we’re not talking McDonalds here), and it worked very well, bringing out the char-grilled goodness of my burger. I also recently had a Carlsberg with a nice salmon and mashed potato dinner and it played nice with the fish as well. It must be something about the variety of flavors that come through as you sip it that allows it to interact so well with different styles of food. This also attests to the weight of the beer; it sits similar to an American light beer, but has many of the flavor characteristics of European’s heaviest.

Like many beverages, Carlsberg, and most beers, taste different at different temperatures. I will say that once Carlsberg warms a little bit, it’s much more likely to linger with the bitter taste of the hops, instead of the sweetness. You’re best off finishing before your beer gets even slightly warm. Who likes drinking slow anyway?!

Carlsberg’s tagline, “Probably The Best Beer In The World,” is probably a pretty accurate statement.

Alcohol: a fast-acting 5%

Drink one or all?: I’d be a hypocrite if I said drink one, seeing as I’ve had a few nights where I just couldn’t stop. Bottoms up, drink em all.

Cost: $11.99/12, $7.49/6, generally moderately priced on draught at a decent bar

Overall: 9/10, sometimes it’s bitterness and staying power just isn’t what I’m looking for, but on almost all occasions, I can dive in and enjoy.