Hof

Organic standard pale lager variant in the Carlsberg portfolio - lighter than regular Carlsberg and allegedly referring to the Danish royal court, to which the Carlsberg brewery supplied beer in the old days. In spite of having been in existence under its current name since 1931, I never encountered this variant until I met it from tap in a marina at a lakeshore in Sweden. Snow white, medium thick, regular, stable head on a crystal clear, warm yellow golden robe with deeper old-golden tinge and lots of visible sparkling - the textbook look of a standard pale lager. Aroma of white bread, moist white pepper, papier maché, green banana, minerals, drying grass and, oddly, a touch of DMS (overcooked cauliflower) when warming up. Crisp, rather neutral onset, fizzily carbonated of course, with a bit of green banana in the background next to a somewhat 'rubbery' accent; slick cereally middle, very light white-bready edges, but also something plaster-like. Soft yet important grassy hop bitterishness appears at the back, slowly fading again but not before it had its drying, quenching effect - more so than in ordinary Carlsberg (or most other macro-brewed standard pale lagers for that matter). Notably more hoppy, delicate and refined than regular Carlsberg, but still, in all, a predictable industrial lager of course. Clearly a bit above average for its usually boring category, though - have a point for that.

Plain easy drinkable lager
Quite ok at a kind of low alcohol level
Mellow malty and herbal
Not to sweet either
[Bottle from Systembolaget in Sweden]

Ljusgul och klar vätska med tjock skumkrona. Lätt brödig arom. Len och halvfyllig kropp med en ren men ganska beskedlig beska. Avslutas aningens åt det torrare hållet.

0.33 l can, thanks Dragec. Clear pale golden, small white head. Mild grainy aroma. Light body, moderate carbonation. Sweetness. Bready and grainy flavour. Soft herbal touch. Abrupt finish.