Nøgne Ø # 100 (Batch 100)

Brewed by Nøgne Ø
Style: Imperial/Double IPA
Grimstad, Norway

Pours a dark orangish brown with amber colored head. Citrus, grapefruit, caramel, chocolate, dark fruit, and a bit of orange. Nice beer with balanced malts with hops, but the hops seemed a bit too harsh and metallic. I think this beer is closer to a barleywine then a IIPA.

500 ml bottle poured a clear dark reddish brown with a lasting amber head. Aromas of grapefruit, pine, carmel, orange, toffee and a hint of chocolate. Palate was medium to full bodied and smooth. Flavors of chocolate, pine, tangerine and grapefruit rind with a smooth lingering bitter finish.
Very tasty brew, but definitely not a DIPA closer to a Barleywine or American Strong Ale.

Bottle. Pours a very deep ruby-brown, almost looks black, with a large lasting foamy tan head -- looks like a Porter! Aroma’s milder then I expected but nice: A variety of hops, some chocolate, alcohol, light toastiness and yeast. Flavour of lightly roasted malt, tons of hops, a touch of chocolate, some alcohol and a long bitter finish. Medium to full bodied, thick chewy mouthfeel. At first I wasn’t sure what you’d call this, it didn’t seem to be a DIPA nor a Barley Wine but halfway through the bottle it did resemble a Barley Wine. Very good stuff!

Dark brown color, lots of tan foam. Great nose on this one. Sweet and complex, chocolate and dark fruits. Slick and boozy. Kind of thin on the body, the alcohol really dominates the flavor very hoppy and the alcohol and the hops add a somewhat astringent charachter.

Lavender-like perfumey chocolate shoots are accompanied by a bark-like exterior and a bitter finish which sinks itself into the malty mist. I can see how this is a "barley-wine style" with the chocolate malt presence and the slight alcoholic kick. But it seems like a barley wine/DIPA hybrid with the various complexities. Whichever style one wants to label it, it makes for an enjoyable beer if one can tolerate excess. The palate could be a bit more refined at the beginning instead of just the end.

Bottle. The label reads "Barley Wine- Style Ale". Pours black with a tan head. Sweet malt aroma but there’s a ton of hops in there! Chocolate malt flavors; burnt sugars, dark fruits, caramel and bready notes. Very bitter. I was pretty sure this was listed under the wrong style when i logged on to rate it but I’ve always argued that Bigfoot was an IIPA so this fits into that category.

Double IPA? No, I don’t think so. More like weird barleywine. The pour is a cloudy, dark cola brown color. A frothy, creamy, light tan colored head leaves behind thick sheets of lacing. If nothing else, this brew is very nice to look at. The aroma is a perfumey bouquet of chocolate and nougat malts with a heavy dose of spicy, floral hops and moderate alcoholic notes. The flavor starts out wit bittersweet chocolate, followed by sweet nougat and burnt caramel. Overly ripened figs and other dark fruits play a prominent role as well, adding sweetness and a natural, earthy component. A lingering, bitter finish clings to the tongue and won’t let go. The body is medium-full and syrupy, lightly coating the mouth with a sugary residue. This is a strange brew that feels like its past its prime, though its still very young for a berleywine. I would advise to drink this one fresh, and perhaps lower your expectations a bit.

Pours a dark brown with a large khaki head, creamy and long lasting. Aroma is dominated by the hops, and they are very citrusy, floral, and somehow dark. A little roast, lightly charred grass, chocolate, cinnemon, and a small amount of dough. Taste attacks pretty strongly with a hop presence that is floral, grapefruity, and almost has dark raspberry quality. A bit of caramel, dark chocolate, coffee, and a sort of stinging licorice flavor. Any sweetness is overtaken by hops are comes off pretty bitter. Finishes with a bitter grapefruity flavor an earthy charred aftertaste. The bitterness is plain and doesn’t really have much flavor. Full bodied for sure, well carbonated, very drinkable still, and a bit hot (makes the hops seem even stronger). This isn’t as strong as Old Crustacean, but it’s in that ballpark. Will it age as nicely? Thanks to my Secret Santa for this bottle!