Nøgne Ø Porter

Brewed by Nøgne Ø
Style: Porter
Grimstad, Norway

Serve in English pint, Stem glass

Bouteille de 500ml. Batch 502. Ce Porter est brun très foncé presque noir. La structure mousseuse est important, épaisse et de couleur brune. Le nez est fruité avec des arômes de fruits secs et des notes rôties. La bouche a une drôle de texture à la fois ronde à l’attaque et mince à la finale. Elle est sèche. Les goûts sont de fruits secs, de chocolat et de café.

Pours tawny brown with fluffy khaki head. Aroma is of licorice, leather, coffee, green hops. On the palate it is full bodied and rich, tastes like chocolate and coffee, the hops only come through in the lasting bitterness. This beer has the full flavor of malted barley that only European beers seem to express in it’s entirety. It’s like a meal. This is a screamingly good porter--although at $8 per bottle, I would much rather have a 6 pack of Edmund Fitzgerald. A rare and exotic treat from Norway!

On tap at Biero. Masterpiece. Aromas of chocolate, vanilla, and caramel. Taste is sweet, with light bitterness, and very long length. Palate is creamy, and full bodied. Black, with a frothy white head.

Big roasty nose, coffee, soy, and some licorice. Quite hoppy, pine notes, and a very dry bitter espresso finish. A little too hoppy for a porter in my opinion, but its pretty good.

UPDATED: JUL 16, 2011 Original rating, 2011-04-20, 7-4-7-5-14=3.7
A newly poured porter must be one of the most beautiful sights on this planet, and the Nøgne Ø porter is no exception: a black body with a coca cola brownness at the edges, crowned by a large, dense light brown head. The head isn’t as persistent as I would have wished for, it reduces to a thin layer with additional build-up at along the rim in a few minutes. The remains of the head nevertheless laces the glass until the brew is gone. The aroma is roasted with coffee, a hint of smoke and some liquorice. The taste is a fine mix of sweetness and a good bitter finish. The coffee is evident also in the flavours, along with raisins and alcohol. Medium body, smooth and creamy texture, soft to medium carbonation. Once again a very nice and good balanced beer from Nøgne Ø, but as is the case with all NØ beers I’ve rated so far, everything is done by the book and there are no surprises.
[50 cl bottle from Vinmonopolet, Grønland, Oslo]

Re-rating, 2011-07-16, 7-4-8-5-15=3.9
The aroma is actually quite hoppy, with a very nice touch of grapefruit. Also dark roasted coffee and chocolate. I don’t get any smoke this time. Extremely smooth palate! Soft carbonation. Taste up from 7 to 8, Overall from 14 to 15.
[50 cl bottle, batch 603, courtesy of my Dad]

500ml bottle from IPB. Batch 502. Consumed about 3 months after receiving.
Appearance : Black with medium brown creamy head. Some lacing. Green hops.
Aroma : Roasted malt with piny hops. Light chocolate. Dried fruits.
Taste : Soft carbonation. Roasted malt with some coffee. Piny hops. Borderline watery. Light bitterness on finish. Nice coffee and chocolate. Rather dry.
Overall : Very drinkable but a bit simple. Interesting coffee and chocolate on the finish. Enjoyable hops. A bit too faint on the nose and a bit too watery on taste. Not bad at all but a bit weak.

On tap at Sail and Anchor. Pours black with some heavy brown tinges coming through. Big tan head produced. Dark fruits and spices with some wood and chocolate on the nose. Taste brings out a smooth coffee and some citrus hops which are overshadowed by roasted malts. Pretty good

(Today, for my one year anniversary on RB, a 500 ml Nogne O Porter from batch 502. Rating # 548) Almost black in color with a large solid head and some lacing. Nose is dark, nice chocolate and good coffee, small pieces of dates and caramel malts. Taste is on the spot, mainly sweet with a black malt character, molasses, coffee beans and some fantomatic fruitiness. Mouthfeel is medium to full body with decent carbonation and a smooth texture. Nice sweet finish with a bitter roasty side. Delicious.