Nøgne Ø Dark Horizon First Edition

[Bottle] Pours black with a very small dark tan head. A lot going on with the aroma--chocolate, raisins, red wine, brown sugar, roasted malt, and alcohol. Taste is very sweet up front. This is followed by chocolate, alcohol and a very nice blend of roasted malt and chocolate for the finish. I almost gave a 5 on palate, I really debated whether or not to, but the finish was just a little too short to do it. It was, however, nice and thick and very smooth. This was a very complex and exceptional beer. It reminded me a lot of an ’04 Speedway that I had earlier this year...only a tiny bit better.

Bottle. Aroma dark roasted malts,anise,chocolate and coffee. Poured a delicious black with a thin dark chocolate head. Flavor was coffee,anise and sugary. Palate is full and oily slick and the bitterness is ever so nice. The alcohol is just slightly noticed but well masked in the slickness of this brew. Overall, a truely tasty bottle.

Bottle #02173 shared with Drewbeerme, xnoxhatex and Johnycorkscrew for Devon’s birthday. Pours a dark black with a tan head that faded to a ring quickly. The nose is just phenomenal. So many layers of burnt malts, chocolate, coffee, dark fruit, anise, toffee, dough, and alcohol. The flavors have all of those complexities sugars, burnt bitterness and too much alcohol for me. Granted its 16% abv, and it could have more burn, but what it has is too much. If this would mellow out after two years, this could be one amazing beer, but at its current state, it is overbearing.

Bottle. Aroma of roasted malt, chocolate, coffee and a pleasant honey sweetness. Just a hint of alcohol. Pours jet black. Oily. Think khaki head with amber highlights. Flavor was dominated by malt and coffee. Some licorice, and chocolate. Very pleasant alcohol warmth, but hides the 16% very well. Amazing texture! Full bodied, creamy and smooth as silk!

May 09... this one has definitely peaked and is going down hill. The mouth feel isn’t nearly as viscous and smooth as it was fresh. Still a great impy, but drink now...

Odense Tasting at Christian Scheffel ’s palace: Pitch black with creamy brown head. The aroma is fabolous. Dark roasted malts & fruits. Chocolate, cofeee, toffee & alcohol. Alcohol is very well hidden. Only light warmth. This reminds me of Avery’s Mephiopheles stout. Sticky & oily palate. Smooth & thick. Long finish!! Extremely good & breathtaking!

Black with a disappearing light brown head. Intense and complex aroma with caramel, toffee, chocolate, licorice and some alcohol. It’s sweet, but it’s well balanced by both roast malt and hops bitterness and alcohol.

Bottle shared with the rest of the line at the Alesmith BA release party. Thanks to kmweaver for providing said bottle. Dark dark pour with a decent head. Lots of dark fruit, anise, alcohol aromas. Chocolate and bitter roasted aromas in there too. Flavors were more of the same with a nice alcohol burn, but not really the flavor I expected from 16%. Very very good. Thanks again Ken for letting me use up some of my Beer Karma on this one. I will have to re-fill that soon.

500mL bottle, shared at pre-BA Alesmith Release Wait and Taste. Pours a very dark cola brown color; medium tan head with patchy lacing. Dense, roasted / charred malts and baker’s chocolate in the aroma; pleasant citrus / grassy hops rounding things out perfectly. Exceptionally dense, generous mouthfeel: strong piney and mineral hop bite upfront, followed by dense dried fruits and nougat and roasted coffee; the coffee note isn’t over-the-top, but appears well-integrated as a warm espresso note; dense, almost vinous and tannic character; well-hopped but not over-hopped; one of the best imperial stouts I’ve had; beautifully done. Lengthy, dense dark chocolate and dried dark fruit finish. Looking forward to rating an entire bottle of this.