Elephant Beer - Carlsberg Danmark A/S

ZekemusMaximus

New York

1.05/5  rDev -62.2%
look: 1 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1

A - Very little head, very yellow and average. Typical beer look to it.

S - Very Malty, almost sulfury.

T - Metallic, reminds me of the sulfur again. Not much to it.

M - Super carbonated watery mouthfeel. Nothing to really say here.

O - Pretty terrible. Will never have this beer again. Upset my stomach.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2012 07:01:01 | More by ZekemusMaximus

yesyouam

New York

1.83/5  rDev -34.2%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 1.5

Carlsberg Elephant is a very clear, very sparkling, light golden beer. It has a thin, white head that vanishes quickly. It has an aroma of light grain, malt extract and skunk. It's medium bodied, pretty smooth and pretty sparkling with a reasonably clean finish. It's quite sweet. It tastes like malt extract and fusel oil with an aftertaste of burnt rubber. This is pretty unpleasant. Is this malt liquor?

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2012 19:10:31 | More by yesyouam

BierStein711

Illinois

2.78/5  rDev 0%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Bottle poured into pint glass
no freshness date

A: light brown, no head retention, there was a two finger head for almost a half minute
S: Good, hops and dark malts most evident

T: Miserable, water with some weird grasses

M: Water

This is a beer I would not have again. I would accept it if it was on draft to see if there would be a difference.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2011 01:32:48 | More by BierStein711

dunit697

California

2.33/5  rDev -16.2%
look: 2 | smell: 4 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Decent smell, I like stronger beers so I was looking forward to it. But after I tasted it I was disappointed. This was not good at all, bad after taste too. I was tasted much smoother beers at much higher alcohol concentration. So overall I see no reason to buy this beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2011 19:17:27 | More by dunit697

thatruth

Washington

3.18/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

pours a 1" frothy off-white head with moderate, lasting lacing. from the bottle a slimy yellow turns to a proper, full golden body.

smells like your typical hoppy, boozy, "green" lager. strong.

tastes might pale and mighty hoppy. pungent. dense like a euro lager it's suppose to be.

mouthfeel is mighty boozy. tantalizing, bright on-bringing to a crisp, dry finish.

boozy beer. in the smell, taste, feel, and after effects.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2011 00:41:10 | More by thatruth

gopens44

Virginia

3.08/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

A - Solid yellow with a thin, if any head. Hazy but otherwise your normal looking beer.

S - A bright hoppy initial whiff that gives way to a malty-ness

T - Tastes like the smell of an American adjunct lager brewery. Lots of barley and a touch of alcohol with a tinny finish.

M - Big time carbonated and fairly thin with an aftertaste that seems a touch bitter and slightly soured.

O - not nearly the crisp and light beer that it's brother is.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2011 03:29:27 | More by gopens44

dansmcd

Australia

3.03/5  rDev +9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A - One finger of dense white head with quite good retention, light golden body, quality rings and streaks of lacing.

S - corn, adjunct, lemon, grass, slight yeast.

T - sweet corn with butter, sweet malt, some spice and heat.

M - crisp, light body, moderate to high carbonation.

O - A better than average lager.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2011 13:16:14 | More by dansmcd

jsprain1

Minnesota

3.33/5  rDev +19.8%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A- Medium golden. Head is one and a half finger white head and lasts well. Minimal lacing.
S- Aroma is a sweet aduncty lager. Pretty strong aroma though.
T- It's sweet up front. There is a bit of a vegetal nature, and a bit of apple in the finish.
M- Sits more firm on the tongue than I expected. A bit of lingering sweetness. Medium carb.
O- It exceeded expectations. It's an above average pale lager, but it's not a particularly great beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2011 02:57:18 | More by jsprain1

MoreThanWine

Massachusetts

3.4/5  rDev +22.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured a 2" white head. Clear straw yellow color. Smells moderately skunked and I'd suppose the green glass bottle despite looking cool contributed to that. Everything about this beer up to this point struck me as BMC. But then with the taste it surprised me. It is very sweet, creamy, has malt, an herbal aspect, and a mild hop finish. This is more than your typical BMC.

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2011 08:28:39 | More by MoreThanWine

doktorhops

Australia

2.73/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Time for a Carlsberg. A brewer that seems to straddle itself between macro consumer cheapness and traditional lager brewing practices, however if there is one thing I've learnt from reviewing beers it's that traditional brewing practice doesn't always equal a winning brew. We shall see then.

Poured from a 330ml bottle into a Stein.

A: Princeton orange body which presents itself with a slight cloudiness (bottle-conditioned perhaps?), and a chalky white head that shrinks down to a thin lacing.

S: Sweet husk grains and malt barley with a slight citrus hop nose. This brew has an iced water overtone that would suggest that either I'm serving it too cold or it's a thin watery beer... I'm leaning more towards the former.

T: Quite sweet for a lager, almost sickly sweet and it's the very first thing I notice before the grains hit. After that I'm getting a malt grain base that is followed by a combined sweet/alcohol/bitter back note. It's not nearly as drinkable as the Peroni Gran Riserva reviewed a little while back, although one could argue that the Peroni was 6.6% ABV and this is 7.2% ABV however those people are missing the point of drinking beer - it's not about how quickly you can get drunk it's about the overall experience when drinking Q.E.D.B. (Quod Erat Demonstrandum Bitch).

M: They got this part right - medium to heavy body, light carbonation.

D: If it wasn't for the over-the-top saccharine sweetness and harsh alcohol back note (and if it had decent hops, which is a given for me), this brew would be an "A". Instead it is relegated to the oddity section for beers with minor quirks; in this instance a heavy alcohol lager, and nothing more. Too bad Carlsberg, at least Peroni made their effort at a "heavy" lager interesting, you guys didn't even go that far.

Food match: It's almost sweet enough to be a dessert beer, and I'm inclined to suggest a flan of some description, perhaps strawberry [jokes on me - I just did!].

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2011 09:57:04 | More by doktorhops

ZenAgnostic

Texas

4/5  rDev +43.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle poured into a clear plastic cup. No discernible date.

Appearance - Clear copper body. One finger white head with low stick and decent retention.

Smell - Mild corn. Musk. Very adjunct. Pretty sweet smelling.

Taste - Smooth. Mostly balanced. Some alcohol in the finish, which is quickly covered by the sweet aftertaste.

Mouthfeel - Creamy. Light bodied, but feels medium bodied due to the head. Some slight alcoholic/acidic sharpness.

Overall Drinkability - Pretty decent. Well balanced. No off characters. Smooth. Easy.

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2011 22:49:26 | More by ZenAgnostic

onix1agr

Pennsylvania

3.03/5  rDev +9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

This review goes out to my late Uncle Jim who always used to bring this around the way, This may have even been one of the 1st beers I drank some of when underage. I have a long history with this beer, and it's a 100 style tick for me.

Elephant pours into the mug with a strong pour resulting in some very light yellow looking liquid with some eggshell colored head that's an inch with legs, minor sticks.

Smell is pretty minimal and lacking and I don't know. Some whiffs of the alcohol come into play, that's apparent. I also get some stale pale malt with some vegetal scent with warming, better get to drinking.

Taste is what you would expect from the style, A stronger version of a weak (IMO) euro lager. Pale malt is up there, alcohol too, some Heineken taste, maybe it's lime? Whatever is in here, I don't want to know.

Feel is a bit below medium with crisp carb felt on the tounge, which stings after a few sips. With that, the alcohol stings and puts tears to my eyes. glad I got another go at this one, but maybe it is time for me to retire it forever.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2011 01:40:23 | More by onix1agr

tlazaroff

Virginia

3.05/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Drinking at room temp. at the request of a friend.

A: Bright cloud-like white head that laces nicely. The beer is perfectly clear golden color with nice carbonation bubbles that stream to the top.

S: It has a slightly sweet grainy smell to it, almost a little candy-like, but not much else.

T: Defiantly a lager, It is very doughy, bready, and a tad yeasty. The alcohol is quite present and doesn't hide. Nothing special here.

M: Highly carbonated, to the point that the beer just dances on the tongue, it's very effervescent. Medium body, somewhat "chewy" but not thick.

D: Low drinkability as I am having it, I think it might be better chilled.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2011 02:56:05 | More by tlazaroff

Jordan1985rec

Maryland

4.25/5  rDev +52.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

In reading through the reviews of this beer, I think some people 'get it,' and others simply do not. I don't say this to be inflammatory, or in anyway mean, I just think that this beer is more of a sense-memory kind of beer, more akin, therefore to somebody liking Narraganset because it reminds them of their father or sharing a beer with friends. For me, this beer reminds me of Europe. It sends me back to sitting under an umbrella in Ghent, Belgium. There is a definite headiness to this beer, and for those of you who may remember their first attempt at drinking European beer after trying weak American lager will know this feeling.

I know this is not a perfect beer. I, and many other Euro-fans on here enjoy this beer it seems for similar reasons, it reminds of us a time when beer was something new, and was directly tied to locality. To me, this beer is terrific in its unpretentious attitude and overall European confidence.

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2011 03:19:25 | More by Jordan1985rec

powellmg

Pennsylvania

3.03/5  rDev +9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Gold color with a white, fizzy head. Low aroma of grain, subtle hops, a little husky. Taste leans to malty, with a slight metallic tinge. Slightly creamy mouthfeel. Moderate carbonation.

Overall, this is drinkable but not a great example of the style. I did appreciate the bottle (green glass with raised Carlsberg, not as currently pictured).

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2011 00:11:26 | More by powellmg

BeerDocT

Georgia

3.9/5  rDev +40.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Had not seen this beer in years and spotted it at a local bottle shop. Had to pick up a six pack.

Neck says the beer was brewed in Copenhagen, Denmark. Maybe the bad word of mouth got back to Carlsberg; the brewery listened, decided to make some changes and only brew this baby at home.

Poured into a wide-mouthed glass.

-Appearance 3.0: Typical golden lager color. Almost no head when poured. Strange: once poured the surface of the beer was clear, but the more I drank it, the more a thick, white foam appeared. I also saw small bubbles appearing in different places all over the beer.

-Smell 4.0: Really good aroma/ bouquet. I smell hops, barley and just a general appealing sweetness. Promising.

-Taste 4.0: First taste is of a medium-bodied sweetness that is quickly followed by a very intense hop/ barley/ grassiness. After swallowing there is another very intense combination of the three flavors that ends on a hoppy note. Very good.

-Mouthfeel 3.5: Carbonation is almost perfect, but there is a slight over-carbonation at times. Still, very refreshing and the carbonation helps to lift the beer's almost syrupy texture. Great interplay.

-Overall 4.0: Very good beer and worth tracking down. This is almost like a "dubbel German lager" in that it tastes like the a condensed version of the best German lager you've ever had. All those flavors are here and intensified. If you like the German lager style, you will really love this beer. Be sure you remember that this is a 7.2% ABV.

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2011 23:06:39 | More by BeerDocT

ackleydg

Virginia

3.9/5  rDev +40.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Pours a clear golden with a strong, foamy white head that dissipates quickly.

Noble hops on the nose with a hint of spice.

Taste takes me back to Europe. A pilsener for sure - not much of an alcohol taste - but it sure hits you after a few sips. I think it's slightly extra bitter to hide the alcohol content.

Mouthfeel is pretty standard - prickly carbonation.

A little surprised at the low scores on this one. But to each his own....

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2011 20:42:41 | More by ackleydg

UCLABrewN84

California

2.05/5  rDev -26.3%
look: 3 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Pours a clear light yellow color with a 1 inch white head that fades to a thin cap. Thin rings of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smells heavily of skunk (green bottle?) and some very light grain aromas. Pretty gross. Taste is of sweetened grains and some minor metallic notes. Mouthfeel is a bit flat with a smooth and slightly creamy taste. Overall, this is a pretty poor beer for any style. The skunk smell is very hard to get over every time you bring the glass to your lips for a sip. Blah.

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2011 04:36:26 | More by UCLABrewN84

drabmuh

Maryland

3.2/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

At the time of this review, this beer is the #32 Euro Strong Lager beer on the best of lists on beeradvocate.com. Poured from a 12 ounce bottle into a Russian River -tion glass.

Beer is yellow and clear, dark yellow, with a big white head of small and medium bubbles, moderate and steady carbonation, some lacing....looks good, exactly like I thought it would.

The aroma of the beer is surprisingly bitter. Still grainy and mild alcohol perhaps.

Beer is medium in body, heavier than I thought it would be on the palate. It is mildly sweet on the get go and finishes with a mild bitterness. Overall not super great. I doubt I'll ever have it again but it is not as bad as the reviews had me thinking.

This review brings me closer to one of my reviewing goals, 3 beers per style (all 104) on beeradvocate. I am now only missing one Gose review and one Bière de Champagne. Soon.

Serving type: bottle

07-05-2011 15:45:01 | More by drabmuh

sweemzander

Illinois

2.38/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

12oz. bottle poured into a tulip. Thanks to cjacobsen for sharing!

(A)- Pours a clear orange color. Produced some white froth that dissipated quickly. Some lace.

(S)- Slight green-like hop characters with corn meal/husk.

(T)- Similar to the smell in every way. Almost slightly metallic somehow.

(M)- A good carbonation level. A decent balance, but there is just not much here to begin with. Superb ABV integration though; drinks like an adjunct strength-wise.

(D)- Thin, light, and refreshing, though to a point since there really is not much to this.

Serving type: bottle

07-01-2011 03:53:28 | More by sweemzander

cjacobsen

Illinois

3.9/5  rDev +40.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

(A) Fairly clear, golden yellow, straw like color. Slight white head on it.

(S) There are a lot of citrusy and acidic fruits like orange peel and some lemon. It is almost a bit earthy.

(T) Light malts and some citrus bursts in there. Lemon and orange peel throughout the flavor. The hops are present at the end. Almost a hint of bread, maybe sweet bread.

(M) It's pretty well carbonated but still pretty smooth. It's very crisp but light bodied.

(O) This beer doesn't get any love on here. In all honesty, this is one of my go-to imported beers. It could scale back just a hint on the lemon and orange peel, but other than that I think this is pretty good.

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2011 13:02:29 | More by cjacobsen

kojevergas

California

2.23/5  rDev -19.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Can acquired in Bamberg, Germany, and poured into a Guinness brewhouse series true imperial pint glass. My can shows clearly "7.5%", not 7.2.

A: Pours a four finger head of slight cream, good thickness, and pretty incredible retention for 7.5%. Clear yellow colour.

Sm: Clean but stale barley. A mild strength scent.

T: Crap barley, awful unhidden alcohol, and stale cream. Bleh. Simple and garbage. Largely unbalanced and poorly built for the style.

Mf: Too smooth and wet. A bit watery. At least it slides the nasty flavour right along for you.

Dr: Very easily drinkable, low quality, and high ABV. A great chugging beer for a night in with the lads if ye're seeking to get bollocksed, but not worthy of a proper serving if you're wanting a good beer. Pretty cheap, at least by German standards, especially for an import.

Serving type: can

06-13-2011 15:19:19 | More by kojevergas

MrVonzipper

California

2.3/5  rDev -17.3%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Nice unfiltered golden straw color like a Hef. Decent white head with little retention.

Smell of skunk immediately after opening. Smells like I just opened a bag of weed. As I stick my nose in the glass I get less skunk and more sour-pale maltiness.

Flavor has the euro pale malt flavor with a touch of caramel an bongwater. Has a little odd sourness towards the end.

Mouthfeel is crisp, light-medium bodied with medium carbonation.

Overall, this another bottle I bought just cuz I needed the bottlecap. I use to buy this sometimes about ten years ago when I was 21 and broke, because of the 7.2% ABV. I'd only recommend this to someone who happens to like Heinekin because of the abv.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2011 20:28:54 | More by MrVonzipper

neliam24

New York

4/5  rDev +43.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I got purchased this beer as part of a mix and match six pack that I got at a Wegmans grocery store. I thought that it was a pretty decent European lager. However, it is a tad overpriced if you're buying it here in the states. It reminded me of a Heineken, only with much more kick since it is 7.20% ABV. I would recommend giving it a try.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2011 15:47:52 | More by neliam24

ThaCreep

Belgium

2.48/5  rDev -10.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

The nose offers grain a bit outdated with a fine touch of alcohol, such as through any fruit liqueur. The taste is alcohol, syrupy (a bit too much) and offers an array of ripe fruit on the edge of decay. In addition, it is unfortunately not easy to drink. Many blabla finally a beer that is closely related to ordinary strong lager without any personality and originality.

Serving type: on-tap

05-09-2011 11:57:35 | More by ThaCreep