Nøgne Ø God Jul

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

Serve in Snifter, Trappist glass

Full roast coffee nose, deep brown, tiny toffee head. Flavour is a big hit of coffee and a dark chocolate influence. Full bodied, balanced, very bitter. Really quite good!

500 ml bottle. Batch #448. Finland.
Dark reddish brown colour with small to average sand head. Dark fruits, roasted malt, bitter hops, dark chocolate, cola bottle gummies and some sweet caramel in aroma full of character. Dark chocolate, salty liquorice, sweet liquorice, roasted malt, bitter hops, indoor plants and hints of coffee in dry flavour. Every sip brings something new. Complex and interesting brew. Excellent! Heia Norge! Makes me wanna buy another bottle and wait until it’s 2014 (BB).

Tap at Falling Rock. Deep black appearance with a sizable cream black head. Appearance is quite similar to an Imperial Stout. Sweet dark malts, a piney, and even a bit minty nose. Bushy, piney, minty, creamy dark chocolate malty flavor. Spicy like many Holiday beers but more natural and not overally spicy.

Sampled May 2007
Pours with an ample, initially three-finger thick, creamy, lace inducing, brownish tan colored head that sits atop a deeply, blackened, amber colored brew that shows a brilliantly clear, rich, sparkling ruby color when held up to the light. The aroma is quite fruity, with notes of raisins and figs being quite noticeable. A hint of spicy alcohol is just perceptible in the finish. Touches of toasted malt, browned-rustic bread and a hint of coffee like roast aromatics round out some more of the malt notes.

The taste is somewhat sweet, but a spicy, roast grain bitterness dries things out in the finish. The sweetness brings out a certain fruitiness, though it is not as prominent as it was in the nose; I get flavors of sweet plums and raisin. The roast grain character is actually quite a bit more noticeable than it was in the aroma; a burnt bitterness as well as a certain roast-derived acidity are quite noticeable and it mixes with a blackened barley flavor. It is interesting how the roasted malt notes really dry out the finish. At times the body and palate do not seem to have enough heft to stand up to the harsh burnt notes & hints of hot alcohol, but at other times they are in balance.

This is a pretty tasty brew, at times it can seem a bit out of balance, but it is still an enjoyable tipple.

1 year old bottle. Strong winter spice, lightly lactic aroma. Big malts, very chewy and rich. Super-thick, perfect body, carbonation is dead on. Flavor has less spice than the flavor but is really balanced, and has combined well over the past year. Slight hints of booze. Beautifully aged.

I liked the creativity of the brewing here--three "C" hops, English yeast, etc. It showed. For my part, although the hops were notable for their sharpness, the biggest feature was the deep roasted quality. It lasted long into the finish and was nicely balanced by the sweetness and richness. I thought this could have easily passed as a porter, even an imperial porter. The alcohol was actually moderately present, even through as many other flavors as were going on here, which suggests it may not have been in perfect balance. Even so, good stuff. I’d take a few more bottles of this.

Bottle. Sweet chocolate aroma, lots of roast and a hint of mocha, with some nice porterish dark chocolate and spritely, somewhat spicy hoppish hints. Black pour with a lovely, creamy, rocky light brown head. Dry, lightly bitter taste, roast and chocolate with just a touch of sweetish citric hops darting about. Not quite nutty, but there does seem to bit just a bit of (juniper? spruce?). Lightish body seems a bit watery at times but does not want for potency; dark and musky, almost smoky finish. Smooth feel with slight too-ripe fruit. Soft and gentle with a not-exactly complimentary spice, a little rubber with well-hidden alcohol. A winner.

UPDATED: JUN 11, 2010 50cl, Norwegian brewery, from De Hopduvel Gent, complex brew, balanced, hazy, small head, good X-Mas brew, yet expensive