Elephant Beer - Carlsberg Danmark A/S

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

1.48/5  rDev -46.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Probably one of the first beers I had after turning 21 and haven't had it since. I was told that this beer was good from a friend of mine and I took his word on it. I picked up a 6 pack and found this to be rather gross. I asked him what he liked about it and he just said that he liked it because it was strong. On the Strong side is correct especially for someone who's just getting into beers. This brew was yellow in color, it looked like a Becks, Smelled and Tasted like one too. The only thing this beer has going for it is the 7% ABV. Other than that you can leave this one on the shelf.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2011 16:10:23 | More by Knapp85

mavbrew

Massachusetts

1.88/5  rDev -32.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

A: Clear golden color with a massive frothy white head.

S: A bit of a grassy smell with malts and what I can only describe as the pure "skunk-like" stale beer smell from college.

T: Taste is what you would expect from the smell. Has a bland malt flavor and a bit of a stale skunked flavor. To put it shortly, it was bad.

M: Light to medium bodied, highly carbonated.

D: Normally I wouldn't really review a beer that I didn't care for, but this was so bad (drain pour) that I had to give it my lowest score because it was one of the worst beers I've had IMO. The green bottle and twist off cap should have warned me. I understand that some may like it, but I found nothing good with this beer, sorry Carlsberg.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2011 22:19:55 | More by mavbrew

hardy008

Minnesota

2.1/5  rDev -24.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Clear gold with a thin white head with decent retention and spotty lacing. The aroma is grain and yeast, with a little bit of sweetness.

The taste is the same as the aroma. Not much going on here. Grain, yeast, and a bit of sweetness. Not impressive.

Medium bodied with average carbonation. Has a bitter aftertaste. A low quality beer, which I will not try again. Avoid.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2011 02:14:49 | More by hardy008

THECPJ

Delaware

2.88/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Reviewed from notes:

appearance: golden yellow with a 1 finger white head

smell: malts, lemon, grass

taste: sweet malts, with a dry bitter finish

mouthfeel: mild carbonation, medium body, crisp

drinkability: Just another lager in my book. Nothing special here.

Cheers,

The CPJ

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2011 04:09:41 | More by THECPJ

JayS2629

Alabama

2.8/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Surprisingly this green bottled beer only has a mild skunkiness. The skunk is mostly in the aftertaste. Barely detectable in the smell. Its a nice bright, clear, gold with a creamy white head that fades fast and leaves no lace. Smell is slightly sweet malts, bit of corn, and some lemony edge with a tinge of skunk. The taste follows with a an over all watery taste. Some skunk in the aftertaste. a touch of lemon.

Its drinkable for a watery and skunky beer. Not on the top of my list.

It got a C from me. Most green bottles get an F.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2011 02:30:13 | More by JayS2629

Sachsenfreude

Germany

3.58/5  rDev +28.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

appearance; slightly cloudy yellow. White head that dissipates to velvety film that retains through the drink. Only the slightest lacing.

smell; wet malts and mild alcohol, a small tingle of sweetness mingles with some mild skunk. Hops reminiscent of moldy lemons.

taste; rather bland and watery upfront. Doughy malts start to take control but taper off to a dry grassy finish with a hint of bitter. Alcohol is mostly well hidden.

mouthfeel; some tingly carbonation that fizzes a bit on the tongue. Goes down rather smooth but sits unsettled in the stomach. Overall more towards the watery side.

drinkability; the alcohol is well hidden to say the least, why by malt liquor if this is available?....well if price is not an issue, a little too expensive for the quality received.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2011 19:23:29 | More by Sachsenfreude

RonaldTheriot

Louisiana

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

Carlsberg Elephant has a medium, very white head with a hazy, yellow-golden appearance, and a good amount of carbonation. There is not much lacing left down the glass. The aroma is biscuity, and I detected some vegetable smell as well. Taste is mild initially, but at mid-sip a lot of bitterness comes across. Mouth-feel is moderate, and Carlsberg Elephant finishes fairly refreshing and semi-dry. Overall, this is an okay beer, and I'd say it's worth a try.

RJT

Serving type: can

02-13-2011 18:27:40 | More by RonaldTheriot

Giggy

Michigan

2.68/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

An average appearance, a golden orange hue with a bubbly white head. Had a grassy, grainy aroma with some whiffs of alcohol. Moderate carbonation and a smooth, alcoholic medium bodied mouth feel, average drinkability. Had a sweet alcohol taste, a slight hop bitterness and a dry finish. All in all just an average beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2011 19:59:27 | More by Giggy

goblue3509

Pennsylvania

3.25/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a clear straw color with an one finger head which recedes to skim and leaves a small amount of lacing present. The smell is of hoppy bitterness and alcohol. The hop smell is generic though. The taste is a sweet malt up front with a generic hop bite at the end. The mouthfeel is moderately carbonated and slightly dry. Drinkability is okay, its an easy drink nothing to really make you dislike it. It is very generic and bland but you could take a couple. An overall okay beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2011 16:09:18 | More by goblue3509

boudreaux

Alabama

3.95/5  rDev +42.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Finally got around to this one after avoiding it for almost a year. I'm not a huge Euro Strong Lager fan, but this one had been on my list for a while, and it's always available at the Alcove International Tavern. Here we go.

A: pours well, with a firm, white, 3/4 finger head

S: definitely a potent, hoppy nose; boozy notes present as well, which almost mask a hint of maltiness

T: definitely malty, fulfilling the possibility of sweetness suggested in the nose; also, slight estery (nail polish) notes and alcoholic taste; dry hop bitterness pretty much dominates after that

M: Starts off kinda heavy, but quickly returns to the middle/light body typical of traditional Euro Lagers; refreshing and biting

D: A little to bitter for consistent consumption; not bad, but borderline skunky hoppiness keeps me on the fence with this one

Serving type: on-tap

01-28-2011 06:49:22 | More by boudreaux

matjack85

Illinois

3.28/5  rDev +18%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I got this as a gift - part of an 8 pack of "Beers from Around the World". I guess this beer is made in both Canada and Denmark, but since my neck label says "brewed and bottled in Denmark", I guess I got the Danish version. 11.2oz green bottle with no freshness date.

The beer poured a slightly hazed golden/orange color with a 1½ finger off-white head that had both decent retention and lacing.

The smell was malty and grainy with a touch of skunkiness.

The taste was very interesting. It starts out sweet and malty, but ends up dry and bitter. The first flavors I got were sweet grain, malt, and a touch of honey, but then in a matter of seconds, the sweetness fades and it's replaced by a flood of bitterness and alcohol. Very interesting.

Medium bodied mouthfeel with medium carbonation. Very bitter aftertaste.

Certainly an interesting beer that may take some time getting used to. The 7.2% alcohol kicked in even with just one bottle, so I don't think I'd have too many of these back to back.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2011 06:50:53 | More by matjack85

beerprovedwright

Georgia

3.28/5  rDev +18%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Slightly off white head of one finger. Splotchy lace with little cling. Matches a 8 on the SRM beer color chart. Aromas of wheat straw, barley, and a little citrus. Taste has flavors of wheat, barley. Starts heavy, sweet in the middle, tart at the end. Some body in the mouthfeel, sort of creamy, but just a little thin. Beer has some kick, good for a party with limited time to get a buzz.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2011 19:30:56 | More by beerprovedwright

tubacharlie

Michigan

3.15/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A slightly hazy, honey-colored brew fills the half liter glass mug, capped with a one-finger white head that has light lacing but sticks around for a while.

The mineral-rich Euro lager smell, with just a hint of skunk, seems right at home.

A good swallow reveals bright hops up front with a decent grain bill following. Notes of biscuits and sweet, grassy hay fight for recognition. The crisp and clean flavor is enhanced by plentiful carbonation, which sits well in the mouth and chases a bitter aftertaste past the swallow.

Drinkable and amped up, but a little rough around the edges.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2010 01:32:04 | More by tubacharlie

MisterE

Florida

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

from a six-pack of 11.2 oz (330 ml) bottles with no freshness date

A: pours a medium straw color with a thin head that vanishes quickly

S: nice sweet aroma of grain and subtle yeast , almost like a wheat beer

T: not as sweet as the smell and fairly balanced with the presence of hops remaining toward the end

M: pleasant and smooth enough, without excessive carbonation

D: I think I could happily drink a few, but because of the ABV one is probably enough

Notes: not my favorite euro strong lager, but a respectable beer when choices are limited

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2010 01:11:06 | More by MisterE

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

1.45/5  rDev -47.8%
look: 1.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1 | overall: 1.5

First had: bottle in a gift set.

I thought this was a Canadian beer. Maybe I've got this wrong. All I remember is that it had an Elephant on the label and was 11%ABV. And again, that's all I remember. Other than that, just a typical pale lager with extra alcohol for getting cheapos drunk faster.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2010 16:51:46 | More by Rifugium

MNJR

Illinois

3.85/5  rDev +38.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I got the real stuff brewed in Denmark, not the Canadian version. Nothing special in the appearance category. Pale gold-yellow, little to no head and scant lacing. But, Scandinavian beers pretty much follow this appearance in general. Smells not bad - some doughy orange rind and faint lemon. The flavor is good. Very smooth carbonation and great mouthfeel. A little spicy, vanilla cream or orange cream flavors. More malty than hoppy. Sweetness comes through nicely, similar to some Belgian ales I've tried. The booze quotient is high, but I hardly notice it. In fact it's pretty refreshing and I can happily down a few of these without getting tired of the flavor. The downside to the taste is a bit of an astringent bite, but the overall positive taste wins me over. I buy this on occasion and I'm never let down. Compared to Canadian "strong" beers or malt liquors I've tried this is exceptionally good.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2010 00:17:45 | More by MNJR

flagmantho

Washington

2.58/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Poured from 330mL bottle into a Pilsner glass.

Appearance: nice golden hue with a touch of haze and a nice effervescence. Head is three thick fingers of pillowy ivory foam.

Smell: aroma has a light malt component and a fair amount of grain. It isn't sour, though, and the lightest hint of earthy hops are detectable. Not spectacular, but passable.

Taste: a bit raw. Mostly grain, but in the flavor it is sourer than the aroma. There is a good bitterness, but the malt is balances is just not that appealing.

Mouthfeel: medium-light body which is kind of sticky. Carbonation is low despite the beer's appearance and so the overall effect is that of a sweet, sticky juice drink. Not good, but at least it's not insipid.

Drinkability: this beer's flaws, combined with its high ABV, make for not much drinkability. Still, I suppose you could do a helluva lot worse.

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2010 00:41:07 | More by flagmantho

beersensei305

Florida

2.45/5  rDev -11.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

This beer pours a pale yellow with a thin white head that dissapears quickly with little lacing out of the bottle. Clean aroma with you can smell some alcohol and grains. Starts a little bitter and grainy tasting, then turns to some sweetness and noticeable alcohol kick. I felt this beer is kind of thin and watery, not very good. Nice to taste once.

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2010 22:52:26 | More by beersensei305

deltatauhobbit

Maine

2.45/5  rDev -11.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Can't find a best by/bottled on date.

Pours a pale yellow color with a thin white head that fades fast, no lacing.

Smell is mostly sweet malt, the sweetness is actually quite prevalent, no hop aroma at all.

Taste has an odd alcohol sharpness to it without the heat or burn, hard to explain, cloyingly sweet from the malt and barley, carbonation is on the softer side but that actually works in it's favor.

The grain alcohol taste of it makes it disappointing, especially considering I rather like the creamy soft carbonation otherwise.

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2010 02:17:55 | More by deltatauhobbit

BeerAndBourbon

Ohio

2.95/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

A. Pours a pale orange-yellow with a three finger creamy white head that dissipates to a fluffy one finger with dollops of residual lacing.

S. Grains and expected green bottle hop skunkiness.

T. Sweet malty grain with some pepper. Some grape like sweetness starts to show through as the beer warms.

M. Thin to medium body with a fairly low carbonation.

D. The smell and taste are acceptable and it looks good for what it is, but the mouthfeel really lets this one down. It isn't crisp and refreshing like one would expect. It's unlikely that I'll pick this up again.

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2010 01:46:30 | More by BeerAndBourbon

Bouleboubier

Pennsylvania

3.28/5  rDev +18%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Ah, this reminds me quite a bit like a toned down version of their Carlsberg Special Brew, which is a bit on the side of airplane fuel. Alright for what it is though. Really, what this beer, and most of the other examples in the style, come off as or most closely resemble is (North) American strong malt liquor, aka the 'forty'.

So, as you can imagine, the basic run down of this beer goes as such:

A: pale, bland copper color, clean and clear, with a vigorous, yet not generous head

S: solvent-like, musty grain

T: zippy spiciness dominates, grain husky, mild-to-moderate cider-like fruitiness, with a little bit of a alcohol burn (I suppose this last one can be applied to mouthfeel as well). Somewhat dry finish with the fruity notes lingering a little.

M: covered that a bit above; in the ballpark of light-medium body, moderately smooth, fairly clean but not exactly crisp

D: if I'm trying to tie one on quick, I could see this coming in handy - couldn't drink more than maybe two in one sitting as I could anticipate tasting more paint thinner than lager as I go on. But, honestly, its okay for what it is

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2010 14:38:19 | More by Bouleboubier

lacqueredmouse

Australia

2.35/5  rDev -15.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Pours a very clear golden colour, with a big frothy head of white. Lots of fine carbonation, and the head leaves some pretty decent lacing. Overall, it's hard to admit it's a good looking lager.

Nose is sharp and a little peppery, with a decent whack of that classic euro skunkiness, which I have to say I don't mind. The sharp peppery characters are more prominent though, and there's a slight lingering sweetness which undermines everything. It's pretty much par for the course for the style.

Taste is definitely sub-par, however. Thin beginning, that wells with sharp phenolic booze characters and an unpleasantly rigid bitterness through the centre. Flavour-wise, the sweet, mulled-grain character comes forward too much, leaving a cloying feeling throughout the mouth. Feel is wise but overly sharp through the centre.

This falls away significantly as a drinkable beer, leaving it too harsh and too unpleasant. For all its aggressive characteristics, it doesn't have the quality in the base beer to support it. It ends up feeling overblown and harsh.

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2010 09:04:06 | More by lacqueredmouse

mnrider

Connecticut

2.93/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

11.2 oz. green bottle. No date. Brewed and bottled in Denmark.

A: Golden color with large clouds of carbonation shooting to the top. Head is large and creamy, but does go down fast. Lacing is known.

S: Alcohol is noticeable. Pretty clean aroma. grains are sweet.

T/M: Smooth and crisp. Gives me a warming feel. Mostly malts are tasted, with faint hops. Aftertaste is dry but not to bad.

D: Not the best drinkability.

Cheers

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2010 23:24:26 | More by mnrider

buschbeer

Ohio

2.13/5  rDev -23.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 1.5

I poured into a pint glass to a couple fingers of white head. The beer is a beautiful golden color. That's where my compliments end. It has a bready malt aroma and of course the initial skunk smell because it was in a green bottle. I get a strong bitter metallic taste. I had this beer probably ten years ago and couldn't remember how it was. Now I realized that I had repressed the memory of the ordeal.

Serving type: bottle

09-05-2010 17:19:45 | More by buschbeer

NODAK

Tennessee

2.1/5  rDev -24.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 1.5

Smells of some adjuncts...grassiness...and perhaps a bit of alcohol. This'll be interesting.

There's a medium initial crispness from the hops....fading into a grassy/husky finish that has an alcoholic/boozy astringent character to it. It isn't pleasant. I was grimacing a bit as I put this one down.

I'm not really impressed. I cannot imagine including this on any rotation of beers in my fridge.

Serving type: bottle

08-24-2010 01:20:46 | More by NODAK