Nøgne Ø Dark Horizon First Edition

Bert, finally managed to pop the top. Wasn’t sure what to expect as some coments from long ago were floating through my head about this possibly not being worth the price. Well, not sure about that and only know about what I was drinking - just amazing. Alcohol was there, but NOTHING to show that it was amped up to this degree - was told it was 16% well into sampling and just found it hard to believe. In that eregard, will say I felt the alcohol was hidden, and the coffee and bitterness play like the best of friends on an outing when the weather is just so, the mood is right, the sun strikes all to amplify what is good and the pieces just fit in place. Sometimes when brewers go all out, they’re hoping for this. This is that in a bottle. Thanks Bert, yer the very best SLOB Ia guy could know.

Bottle is a birthday gift from and belatedly shared with DuctTape. Pitch black body with a small foamy brown head (3+). Alcoholic malty aroma, muted fruit, cocoa and chocolate (7+) Sweet rich malt flavour, moderate roast notes, mild chocolate notes, moderate alcohol is surprisingly mild. On a whim I try the old wine trick of breathing some air into your mouth, which quickly marshals the alcohol vapours off the tongue to make themselves known. Intriguing. Smooth medium to full palate. Dangerously drinkable considering the high alcohol content. Very very good, but there are comparable beers for less money.

500 ml bottle

Rating #700 - Thanks to the fine staff of Steve’s Wine in Madison for procuring a bottle of this for my cellar. I have been saving it for a special occasion; this seemed as good as any. The other bottle is going to sit in the cellar for a few years now to settle. At 16% I can’t imagine it diminishing until six years or more have passed. If you find yourself face to face with this monster pull the trigger. It was worth every penny of the $24.95 you might have to pay.

Aroma / Appearance - A deep stained head rested above the murky black body which was a virtual black hole. Viscous lines of lacing stuck to the sides of my tulip glass throughout the pour. Cherries, expresso and dark chocolate were the most obvious things but all of the smells you would associate with any Top 50 caliber Imperial Stout were there. The smokiness cut through everything clearly. My only complaint was the slightly medicinal nature of the nose which I attribute to the 16% ABV.

Flavor / Palate - Chocolate, plum and smoke hit the senses after a slight delay. The thick mouthfeel coats everything. It clings to even the gums to give a longer experience. The total experience is everything you would expect. I would compare it to the Chouffe coffee liquer or even something in the chocolate vein. This is not something to slam or take lightly. I look forward to the other bottle once it has had a few years to settle down.

Yowzah! Thanks for sharing this treat Sprinkle! Impenetrable blackness with a healthy light brown head. Big sweet nose. Small chocolate. Sticky sticky smoke. Roast. Some dark fruit. Subtle? No. Complex? YES! Big full creamy mouth. Viscous low carbonation, oily. Wonderful! Fucking nice! Great smoked impy stout. Like their Impy combined with Alaskan Smoked Porter, perhaps. Alcohol! Raisins, dates. Fruity alcoholi finish. I’m also getting a good dose of floral hops hidden in there. quite lovely!

Thanks Mike for sharing this. Bottle #2712. The beer pours to a black body with a thin creamy light tan head. The aroma is rich deep chocolate, interesting dark fruits, coffee, and dark cane sugars. The flavor is richly complex chocolates, dark fruits, coffee, molasses (and/or cane sugar). The palate is creamy, smooth, and dominated by sweet sugars.

dark, smooth and sweet. strong Offensive-Lineman holding it down The immovable object. The unstopable force

Batch number 1, 16 oz. brown, longneck bottle. Bottle #01097. Paid $17.35 for this at Astor Liquors. It better be worth every cent too. Small pfftt when opened. Poured out a dark chocolate brown, with a sticky mocha colored head. It left a slick coating down the sides of my Duvel tulip glass. Aromas are of roasted espresso, dark chocolate truffles, slight oak barrel. Molasses & licorice round out the aromas. Flavors are of licorice, treacle syrup, molasses, dark baking chocolate, roasted malts, burnt sugars. Thick mouthfeel, rich and chewy. Alcohol is well hidden in the flavor, but it does sneak up on you later on. Finished somewhat sweet & roasty. Really good example of a RIS, but not worth the money overall.

My 800th!!: Pours a hazy brown color with a dark brown head. Aroma is molasses, plum, brown sugar, caramel, and alcohol. Flavor is malty, caramel, molasses, brown sugar, and some alcohol burn.