Nøgne Ø Dark Horizon First Edition

Formerly brewed at Nøgne Ø
Style: Imperial Stout
Grimstad, Norway

Anything this strong shouldn’t form such a creamy, well-retained, all-around outstanding tan head, right? Wrong. Seeing the liquid glub-glub from the bottle was no surprise, yet still fascinating to watch. The body is dark enough to extinguish the sun, dense, totally opaque and coated with a thick oily film. Lacing is minimal due to extreme viscosity and weight. The aroma breathes an outward gasp of anise as the glass rises to my nose. Lightly bitter but mostly sweet chocolate follows suit. Also noted are huckleberries, blackberries, freshly dried wood, sweet Moscato grappa, vanilla vodka notes and a lactic base that is reminiscent of creamer...and then there’s the hedonistic coffee component: mild but extra full bodied, releasing waves of roast that resemble an unfinished process. The introduction of coffee propels the nose to achieve the same nuances you’d find if you walked by a pot brewing your finest hand-ground blend shortly after rising from a most refreshing slumber. Alcohol is leviathan in scope, warming the air around it with each inhalation. The first sip is a shocking experience. No matter the preparation undergone for such a high alcohol monster, no matter the expectancy of hot ethanol spice, sometimes you inevitably shock the palate into submission. Chocolate is now gargantuan and really delicious, caramel is shy and reclusive. Coffee and more coffee follow closely behind. The taste is highly sweet, never cloying, lovely. Light astringency disperses chocolate notes across the breadth of the entire palate. The finish has the tantamount effect of the very same warming feeling that burns on its way down after a shot of unfiltered vodka, massively warming and lingering. Chocolate notes linger. Sip after sip I’m a little surprised that any recognizable fruit vanished after the first swallow commenced, never to return. Roast, coffee and chocolate rule here. Hints of coffee, caramel, soy sauce and anise linger long after the glass empties. The mouthfeel is exhuberantly full-bodied, with odd, patchy carbonation. Very gooey and clinging but doesn’t feel sticky after each sip, or on the lips, almost like it was cut prior to bottling with a nice chocolate vodka. Were it not for the consistently overwhelming heat, this would be an absolute knockout. As it is, it’s still very good. I bet it’ll be even better in four or five years. It will take at least that long to start to mellow out, I suppose. This stuff is going to legendary, but it’s going to be a long while.

#4085. Thanks to tjthresh for this bottle. Pours very dark with a khaki head. Aroma is dark roast, tons of dark fruit, soy sauce, hints of oak and milk chocolate. Mouthfeel is big and slick with plenty of roast, bitterness, and alcohol at the end to keep it from being cloying. Taste is dates, prunes, dark fruits galore along with dark rum, light roast, espresso, omni-present, but not harsh, alcohol, and Pauillac bordeaux. A very interesting addition to the high alcohol, nearly over the top, imperial stout category. This more than holds it own with the WWS’s of the world.

Pours a oily black with a small brown head. Aroma is moderately sweet, roast coffee, whisky, grapefruit, dark chocolate, raisin and plum. Flavor is sweet, dark chocolate, vinous, earthy, coffee, scotch, molasses and slightly alcoholic. Creamy full body, low carbonation. Slight burn on the way down.

Wow, this is a solid beer. Pours black with a tan head. Aroma of coffee, chocolate, and roasted malt. It has a little bit of vanilla flavor in there as well. Tastes sweet and it is very good. You can tell it is 16% ABV, it has a little bit of a boozy kick to it.

Pours a thick viscous deep black with a small brown head. Aroma is chocolate, caramel, roasted barley, and hops. Flavor is roast, chocolate, malt, cocoa, coffee, hops, roasted barley. Has a creamy thick mouthfeel and a bit of alcohol burn in the finish, which is expected considering the alcohol content. Really nice for how strong it is.

Bottle, RBESG Grand Tasting 07. Wow. Bottle #841. Pitch black, tan head. Nose is roasted maltiness. winter fruity, only a touch of alcohol. Some berries and spices to compliment. Mouth is malty, fruity, wonderful complex coffees, dried fruit, liquorice. No obvious alcohol here, amazingly, but a bit of a spirit burn on the way down. This beer is absolutely superb.

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.

Thick black color with reddish hues. Tan head. Aroma of roasted malts, coffee, licorice and alcohol. Well-balanced taste with roasted malts, coffee, chocolate and alcohol. Very impressive!