Nøgne Ø God Jul Islay Edition

Brewed by Nøgne Ø
Style: American Strong Ale
Grimstad, Norway

Bottled. A hazy deep red beer with a thin lazing tan head. The aroma has strong notes of wood, islay whiskey, roasted malt, and alcohol. The flavor is sweet with strong notes of iodine, islay whiskey, wood, and roasted malt, leading to a dry roasted woody and iodine finish.

50 cL bottle, courtesy of Ungstrup. Pours dark brown with a small tan head. Aroma is chemical, paint and smoked. Chemical and dark plastic smoked flavoured. Dark plastic. Iod and dark malty. Not my thing.

Bottle 50 cl. Courtesy of Ungstrup. Pours a reddish brown with a slight haze and a small, rough beige head. Burned rubbery nose with some iodine. Medium body, peat, burned malt, rubber and iodine with an edge of ashes. Some malt bitterness. All the iodine accents really is a turn off. 080210

Dark brown with a lasting tan head. Medicine and peat aromas dominate the licorice, molasses and ink notes. Sweet roasted flavour with lots of peat smoke character

Bottle. Pours completely black with a short creamy tan head that doesn’t last very long. Aroma is mainly of whisky, peat and oak, with some subtler hints of malt. Flavour is just about identical although there are some slight hints of salt and licorice as well. Rather light, almost thin mouthfeel with low carbonation and a smokey, whisky-like finish. As I am a fan of Islay whiskys, this did kind of appeal to me, but if you are not don’t bother.

Bottle @ Odense Tasting. Thanks to Scheffel. Pours pitch black with a small creamy head and lacings. Heavy peat, oak and coffee roast. Some ashy notes as well. Chewy, smooth and full bodied. Nice.

Maybe shouldve had the regular god jul first, regardless I could safely say this would bear little resemblance. Just a heap of overvearing islay characters. You can generally see what the base beer is like from the general body etc but nothing more than peat & smoke. Apparently spent 3 months in cask, maybe 1 wouldve been sufficient? Still can’t fault nogne o, very well made as always just shouldve toned it down a touch. That said, they make no apologies on the label so what else would you expect.

Black with a medium beige head. Aroma hed had plenty of peated malt, smoke and roasted malt. Flavour had peated/smoked malt, roasted malt and cigars and woody hints. It’s a pity when the barrel over powers the base beer.