Nøgne Ø God Jul

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

Serve in Snifter, Trappist glass

Dark brown color with a creamy tan head. Aroma of cocoa, caramel, and hops. Superb lacing. Caramel flavor with chocolate, yeast and a touch of hops. Creamy mouth feel. Exceptional beer!

Bottle at Hamiton Creek. Pours black with a brown head. Aroma of roasted malt and piney hops. Full bodied with a nice robust mouthfeel. Flavor of dark roasted malts and chocolate, countered by a heavy spruce like hoppinenss. Some people at the tasting felt that they spruce / pine flavors were too much, but I liked it.

16 oz. bottle. This could be a stout by appearance. Nose is all smoke but with sweet undertones. Feel is rich and creamy. Flavor has that smoke again but with chocolate. Further in the background is peat and peppermint spice hop. I found this to be a sweet and easy beer to drink. However, it lacked complexity

Bottle: Batch 366: Nice brown foamy head on top of an almost black beer. Smell liquorice, strawberry, hint of roasted malts, hint of yeast, light chocolate, rubber, spices, some dried dark fruits, raisin and a hint of alcohol. Taste liquorice, spices, little warmth of alcohol, light roasted malts, hint of caramel, light bitter and hint of some dark sweets, mostly liquorice.  Light grassy lighter liquorice smooth bitter aftertaste.  Low carbo and almost silky mouthfeel. Interesting brew.

Tap at Sunswick: Murky brown with a tan head. Nice malty aroma. Good balance and depth. Has a toasted cocoa and nutty note. Creamy nice body. Nice malt depth in the flavor. Toasted and rich, yet dry. Smooth almost coffeeish roast, cocoa notes (crystal malt). Chocolaty, raisiny and toasted. Nice.

On tap. Chocolate and caramel with some hop bitterness to balance the bready sweetness. Black malt dryness comes through with a hint of smoke and ginger. Excellent balance. Wonderful chocolate and roast aroma with a long rich finish. Wonderful.

Bottle 500ml brewed 2010 batch#532
Pours deep brown almost opaque with solid tan head. Served too cold. Lots of molasses in both aroma and taste. Full oily texture. Need to rerate at proper temp later.

Pours deep black colour with a brown head. Floral aroma. Round malty taste, medium sweetness, lightly bitter, caramel notes, some sublime chocolate note too and well balanced. Full body, creamy, soft carbonation and a very good after taste resembling bitter black coffee. Good juleøl.