Okocim Mocne

Mocne is a uniquely Polish beer, essentially a Polish Strong Lager. Okocim's Mocne weighs in at 7% abv so it fits the description of strong pretty well. My Polish heritage attracted me to this beer when I saw it in the liquor store. It poured a medium golden color with a fluffy white creamy head, which left a nice lacy coating on the glass. The beer has a fuller body than most lagers. The nose is flowery and buttery, with a hint of the alcohol to come. The beer is sweeter than most lagers, probably due to the higher malt content, and again, the alcohol shows itself in the taste. It has a lingering floral hop character. My first sip was a bit underwhelming, but the beer improved as I worked my way down the glass. Okocim also makes a wonderful Baltic Porter, so check that one out too.

Carlsberg Elephant

Carlsberg Elephant is from Copenhagen, Denmark and is classified as a Malt Liquor on the bottle. That's the classification of any imported beer or ale that is higher in alcohol than the standard 4-4.5% abv. It's actually a European Strong Lager and has an alcohol content that's over 7%. It's a smooth beer with lots of malt flavor, and slightly sweet. It poured a deep gold color with a cream-colored head. The head disappeared rather quickly.