Nøgne Ø Saison

Brewed by Nøgne Ø
Style: Saison
Grimstad, Norway

Serve in Tulip

Glowing, dusky, gold, lemon liquid with a pretty good head. A bit refined/constrained for my tastes in a saison. Lemony citrus, earthy Belgian yeast, summer barley. The funk could be amped up, but it’s still there. It isn’t quite focused enough on Saison funk. Nøgne Ø has brewed a very good Belgian-style ale, but judging it strictly as a saison, it doesn’t have quite the kick of a Dupont or Fantôme. There is a complexity of spice blended into Belgian earthiness that reminds me of an excellent Tripel more than anything. The hopping is moderate but noticeable and pleasant. The funk is mild and reminiscent of an extremely clean, fancy barn, rather than a rustic country farm (if that comment means anything to anyone). Smooth, mild feel. Pleasant aftertaste.

Pours a hazy light orange with a foamy, big white top. Looks fresh and sparkling like some sort of beer fountain. Smell is sweet and fruity. Taste is fruity hops, strawberries and hints of cucumber, for some reason. Some yeasty barnyard notes linger in the background. Moderate bitter hop finish. Sweet, but not too much. For reasons I can’t put my finger on, Nøgne Ø Saison is actually not as drinkable as I’d expected from a beer within this genre, which is a major drawback. This is not a bad beer, but something doesn’t quite stick. Maybe I’m simply not so fond of the entire saison genre - and this beer is very true to the style - but I think Nøgne Ø can do much better than this.

Batch # 399. Murky golden with creamy tanned head. Excellent lacing. Aromas of belgian ale yeast, clove. Flavors are sweet and bitter with a hint at acidity. Medium bodied and dry.

Bottle. Dark amber pour. Murky. Short rocky white head. Aroma is very floral with big yeast and fruit notes and soft spice. Candi sugar hints as well. Taste starts slightly bitter with big yeast notes and floral hops but brings more fruit and candi sugar towards the back end. Spices are present throughout but not dominant. Some grassiness as well. Body is medium with a soft, bubbly carbonation. Ends with more big yeast, spice, ripe fruit, floral hops, grassy notes, toasted malt and candi sugar.

Tasted from bottle. Pours cloudy tan with a fluffy white head that recedes to lace. Yeasty nose with light malt, orange, and lemon pith. Palate is much lighter than expected with a nice light hoppiness, light malt, and just generally very light overall. The palate is medium bodied with lively carbonation. Overall, this beer represents a lot of what I love in a Saison. A little lighter in flavor, but overall very good to pair with different foods.

UPDATED: MAY 14, 2010 hazy gold, thin white head, high co2, med-body.

aroma: funky, earthy, malty sweet.

taste:
T1= co2, buttery malt.
T2= slightly bitter but not hoppy, good funk, creamy buttery sweetness.
T3= clean, slight sweet funk.

Aroma- floral, citrus, earthy; Appearance- pale, orange, hazy, minimal head; Taste- light sweetness, lightly bitter; Palate- medium body, creamy, soft carbonation. In comparison to other Nogne-O brews, this is not at the top of my list... I can say the same for the style. It is pleasant enough to drink, but lacks the complexity and depth of some of more favorable saisons.

Bottle from Vinmonopolet. Batch 399 brewed 2008-12-03. Pours, or rather, escapes from the bottle (why?) and when I convince it to get into the glass it reveals itself as a dark golden, hazy brew. My bottle hasn’t been allowed to rest for very long (about 24 hours only), so there are a bit of sediments floating around. The smell is citrus-ish. This brew feels soft, fresh and well-balanced. Reminds me of Tiger Tripel, only much lighter. Quite citrus-ish. I can sense a wide open field somewhere in the distance. Drinking this beer is like sitting in the shadow of a tree on the edge of a forest close to that field. Slightly bitter, as if the girl you were supposed to maybe meet there didn’t show up. But it’s still a fine early summer’s day. After having a bite of a shrimp sandwhich, the beer freshens up even more, making me think of sushi. Definitely good with seafood! And finally, a small explosion of raspberries! I suspect I tasted it slightly warmer than the recommended 8°C.