Nøgne Ø God Jul

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

Serve in Snifter, Trappist glass

Bottle.Pours dark brown with a moderate tan head. Liquorice, caramel, seasonal spices are all present here, taste is full of those ingredients as well. Hoppy as well

Darkest coloration, nearly black, with a nice, active toasted tan head. Looks really good! Aroma is slightly sweet, black, chocolate malt at work, subdued cocoa feel, whispers of spice, anise, etc, but quiet, mellow... A smooth, dusky affair once in the mouth, thick, rich, roasty. A bit smokey. Hints of caramel, but not as much as the label promises, this is a darker, richer character than that. So beefy, I’d stick it in the stout category. Very supple mouthfeel, big time flavor, huge body, quite tasty. Not sure I’d pop $5 a bottle for it too often though...but I was happy to try it out!

[07 Bottle I assume, as its been sitting on the shelf at Sam’s this entire year] Pours a thicker dark deep brown with a small tan froth. Aroma is lightly tart, green apple, juicy, some roasted coffee and a touch of oats. First taste is dry, tasty dark chocolate, black malt adds that ’oat’ like creaminess I could smell, very light hint of caramel malt, the hops are pretty faded but add just a smidgen of spice. Ingredients blend flawlessly to create a unique flavor. Not nearly as plasticy as some of their other ’malt concoctions.’ This is a great PORTER.... lovely roast and chocolate. Very clean roast finish. Medium/full body with medium sized softer carbonation, balanced mouthful. I’m glad after staring at this on the shelf for almost a year I decided to pick it up.

A good full-bodied ale. It is quite stoutish, nutty and malty. Bitter sweet finish. Alcohol is well hidden. My first delicious beer from Norway!

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.

Deep brown, thin tan head, slight red in the body. Nose is cocoa, cherries, toffee, a slight hint of dark fruit, restrained hops & alcohol. Flavor is cocoa, toffee, slight burnt fruits. Strong bitterness surfaces for a moment then fruit alcohol. Very nice body and a chocolate finish.

Deep brown with auburn hues. Delicate pour generates a voluminous and rocky cap of froth. Nose is cleanly lined with an array of malt-derived subtleties reminiscent of tobacco, charcoal, black chocolate, and toasted bread. Quite lively with airy esters fused with relaxed plum, anise, and raisin notes. Fluffy and expansive on the palate. Airy and spicily estery, initially, yet densely chocolaty and teasingly malty-sweet. Brisk flash of charcoal acidity briefly tempers the sweetness before giving way to a soft and lush bed of deep-rooted malt. Although the succulent core is bolstered by juicy hops, the hop character is entirely devoid of brashness or acidity. Chalky bitterness imparts dryness while underscoring the perceptible yet wonderfully composed citric-tinged hop bitterness. Stacks of rich complexities and pillowy textures, coaxed cleanly from the malt, link up with a tangy twinge of black licorice and plums which underscores the sophisticated malt profile. Finished deceptively sweet due to the clean attenuation and snappy malt accents, with a peppery estery bite which dovetails with a note of chocolate pudding and pine needles. The vast majority of American breweries could learn a thing or two from Nøgne Ø, as this particular beer features the classic combination of high-alpha “C” hops yet contains absolutely none of the typical dirtiness, brashness or overt acidity found in such styles like American Strong Ales with similar hop formulas. In fact, in a blind tasting you’d be hard pressed to peg any of these hops as being American. Really good beer.

Rich chocolate and coffee aroma, dark malts and roasted barley. Pour very dark brown almost black, with a tan head. Strong hop flavor which surprises me, molasses, chocolate malts, sweet, with hints of pine resin from the hops. Pretty good winter beer! Even though i’m in florida and its over 90 degrees.