Faxe Premium Review

“Danish Disappointment”

Country: Denmark

Brand: Faxe Premium (113th Anniversary Limited Edition)

Bottler: Royal Unibrew A/S, Faxe

Type: European Lager

Age: NAS

ABV: 5 %

Antioxidant: Not Indicated
Stabiliser: Not Indicated

Colour: Pale Gold/Straw

Foam: Thin White Foam that dissolves rather quickly. Only very little Foam remains in the glass once you finished it.

This Must Be a Beer for Real Men!

Nose: Light and Quite Sweet. I find White Supermarket Bread, Grain, a light Grassy Hop note and Butter. I can't help but smelling a distant Corn Aroma. This should not be possible of course as Faxe Premium is made only of Water, Malted Barley and Hops. At least that's what the package tells us. Therefore it must be "Just My Imagination" as the Temptations and Rolling Stones sung quite some time ago.  

Palate: Light, Sweet, Watery and slightly Edgy. Medium Carbonation. I find Grain, Butter Biscuits, the same Bread as on the Nose, light Metal and some Caramel. I get images of Candied Cotton and Dried-Out Grass. 

Finish: Short and Sweet with some light Metal notes. I also find some Bitter Grain/Hops, Vegetables and Artificial Sweetener. It tastes a bit Musty.

Rating: *****  (Five out of Ten)

General Remarks: The Faxe Brewery was founded in 1901 by Nikoline and Conrad Nielsen. It stayed in the Nielsen family until 1989 when it merged with Jyske Bryggerier to form what is now known as Royal Unibrew A/S. Today, it's Denmark's second largest Brewery group. The Faxe Brand Name was only known locally until the 1970's when it became an important name in the Danish market. Exports to other markets followed quickly. Today, Royal Unibrew has a strong presence in the Baltic countries and Poland. It also brews and markets Heineken in Denmark. The 113th Anniversary Limited Edition of Faxe Premium comes in a 1 liter can with a fine drawing showing Viking Warriors celebrating a victory. Nice for collectors!

Drinking Experience: I found it drinkable but not extremely pleasant. Too many notes I don't want to find in a good beer such as Metals, Artificial Sweetener and Vegetables. And a storm warning: Don't let the Beer get warm! Because all the negative aspects are enhanced that way. Drink it ice cold so your Taste Buds are Comfortably Numbed.

Conclusion: Faxe Premium is certainly not an expensive Lager and as such it might attract consumers. The size of the can and the nice presentation give it an extra edge as well. Taste wise however I have some problems with this Lager. I can't find any significant Aromas and Flavours but that's okay at this price level. It should at least be Fresh and Refreshing however and it fails on both counts. It smells and tastes Musty and a bit Sour and Rancid. And it has an artificial Sweetness I could easily live without. In short, it's not a Beer I would buy again.

Jan van den Ende                                                                      April 22, 2015