Nøgne Ø Dark Horizon First Edition

Pours very dark brown with almost no head. The aroma has roasted malt, some chocolate and highly alcoholic. Very thick velvety both with very little carbonation. The flavor starts with roasted malt, dark berries, heavy cram and lots of alcohole ~ very liquor-like. The finish has smooth body with harsh taste with the high alcohol. A good beer now, but age should help this one a lot.

Bottle 02186, Sampled December 2007
A vigorous pour produces a beer that is topped by a fat, two-finger thick, light brown colored head. The beer is simply opaque and black in color. As I pour it concentrated notes of burnt raisins reach my nostrils. A deeper smell of the aroma yields a huge, concentrated fruitiness with notes of raisins, prunes, figs, cherries, tamarind and lots of other smoky, slightly burnt, dried fruit notes. Of course this is a stout, so there is a lot or roast character, but, especially for a beer of this size, it shows a surprising restraint in the burnt malt department. This is definitely not an American version of a huge stout, it actually shows quite a bit of restraint in the nose. Instead of an astringent, overly burnt character the dark malt accentuates and accents the dried fruit notes as well as a serious dark chocolate aroma and a richly concentrated, smooth espresso character. The alcohol is present in the nose and, in combination with the other aromatics, provides notes of brandy, coffee liquor and chocolate liquors; each is fairly distinct, but still sort of a mish mash of a mixed drink all in one glass. The aroma is incredibly rich, but it is also incredibly complex, something I wish more American versions of the style were.

Sweet, concentrated malt flavors an alcoholic warming, moving to a rich, concentrated dark fruit middle and finishing with a rich cocoa flavor. The alcohol, while present is surprisingly tame. This is thick and chewy, but not so much that it is a struggle to drink; don’t get me wrong though, this is most definitely a sipping brew. Flavors of prunes, figs, raisins and a rich earthy note meld so well with the velvety texture of this brew; inviting and softly palate coating, yet there is a sharp, roast grain & hop bitterness that does a good job of balancing things out and cleaning the palate to ready one for the next sip. In addition to providing a lightly broiled character to the fruit flavors in this beer, the restrained (at least for an American type Stout) dark malt character contributes flavors of espresso flavored crème anglaise, dark-chocolate mousse and a richly chocolate covered, candied cherry truffle.

I wonder how much coffee was added to this brew, it seems as though my cheeks are a-buzz with caffeine right now, but it could just be the alcohol. This beer is quite interesting, quite flavorful and quite engaging; despite that fact that it is so thick and rich, I find myself almost rushing to my next sip at times so that I can try and peel away another layering of flavor and texture from this beer. Despite the previous statement, this is one of those beers that you take small sips of and just get lost in, time seems to pass quite quickly when enjoying this brew. Much better than I had anticipated, especially since I have been getting a little tired of huge alcohol beers for quite a while now.

Purchased: <a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/Places/ShowPlace.asp?PlaceID=698>Plaza Liquors, Tucson, AZ

This imperial stout pours a eclipse black color from a 22oz bottle. Small sized white foamy head. Aroma is chocolate and coffee. A medium to full bodied Imperial Stout. The malts are chocolate and coffee. The hops are earthy. Very complex flavors in this one; chocolate, coffee, tobacco, touch of pepper and a little smoke. Very smooth taste, yet there is a pronounced alcohol bite. Mouthfeel is full. Finish is clean and smooth. Aftertaste is slightly sweet.

Thank you to my overseas trading partner oh6gdx for sending me the incredibly tasty beer. The beer boggles the mind and treats your tastebuds to an awesome beer from beginning to end. This beer really is something to behold. Luckily, I shared it with some really good peeps in aspidites, BeerDaveC007 and my brother. The beer pours out a rich, black color, sort of glooping out of the bottle like motor oil, and forms this chocolatey, dark tan head. You really don’t need to have the glass too close to your nose, as the aroma just leaps out like a wild animal in a cage. Chocolate, toffee, smoke, vanilla, port, wet dirt, a touch soy sauce, and wood. Mouthfeel is the equivelent of wearing a rabbit fur gloves. Soft, warm, supple...simply magnificent. Flavors were pretty much on the same course as the nose. It’s just an awesome beer. It’s unfair that this beer is 16% because the alcohol is so well hidden. A true testament to the professional brewer(s) who made this beer really showed the world what a beer that’s part impy stout and part barleywine can be. Thank you.

Pours pitch black with a foamy coffee colored head. Aroma of roasted malt, chocolate, sweet alcohol and dark fruit. Very complex beer with amazing flavor. Smooth maltiness up front with dark chcoloate, roasted coffee, and dark fruits like raisin, plum and blackberry. Bitter roasted coffee finish that is balanced by a nice bitter coffee flavor. Very drinkable considering its strength, but also posesses a pleasant alcohol warmth. Excellent!

Bottle shared with PAdrefan98, thanks. Pours opaque black with a frothy tan head. Aroma of sweet malt, chocolate, coffee, and dark fruit. Flavor is nice, starts out with a creamy mouthfeel and then the sweet malt comes through, followed by hints of caramel and coffee. A very nice stout.

Bottle # 02035. Aroma was sweet and alcoholic at first. Molasas and tabacco aromas followed. Blck beauty with dark tan head that fizzed out like a sparkler on the fouth of July. Flavor sweet, tobacco, roasted, coffee dry and an alcohol effect. Swwet dry tobacco leaf aftertaste. Leaves the eyes little weary. Turbo would say too sweet but what does he or I know.

Bottle thanks to Secret Santa. Awesome dark pour with lots of roasted malt and sweet dark chocolate. Loved it.