Nøgne Ø Dark Horizon First Edition

Sampled from a 16.9 oz brown bottle this beer poured a dark black color with a medium sized dark brown head. The aroma was very intense and complex mixing port wine, sherry, sweet ripe fruits and chocolate. The flavor was a wonderfully rich and complex mis of bitter, then sweet malts with sherry, ripe fruits, roastiness, sweet chocolate syrup and tangy ripe fruits. The finish was full of port, roasty malts and bitter coffee. There was a lingering tangy sweetness. The alcohol was rather well hidden given the strength. The mouthfeel was silky smooth. I looked long and hard for flaws but could not find any. Usually these highly hyped beers tend to disappoint me but this one far exceeded my expectations. One of the most interestingly deep beers I have ever had. Perfection in a glass.

Bottle # 1994 pours black and I mean black. A nice medium sized froth rises and slowly reduces to a fine, silky canopy and a fluffy spattered ring. Aromas of butcher roasted sweet malts, dark chocolate, and brandy. Nice! A viscous nectar goes down w/ ample effers that create a creamy sensation. Awsome! Huge, intense, profound! This brew is extreme. A gigantic malty backbone w/ a spine tingling roast component come alive on this big screen adventure, and I do mean adventure. The alcohol component pierces my palate like a knife yet is not apperant in flavor, just sensation. It cuts through the blubber blancing it all out. Cocoa, molases, roasted coffee bean, vanilla, hot cinnamon sticks. Drinks good cold or warm w/ no off flavors or aromas anywhere. The finish, well, it really doesn’t. It’s bittered, if you will,with a strict alcohol burn that clears the palate of the debre and keeps me ready but only after a breath or two. You have to take deep breaths between sipps. Overall: This is the strongest flavored yet balanced beer i’ve had to date. The high alcohol content stings like a good Cognac on the palate then lets in the heavy roasted coffee and chocolate to do their fancy stepwork. I totally agree with the hype and I will buy more, even at the $20 price tag. I highly recommend this to all of you who appreciate strong beers. If GD has the Yeti, Avery Mephistopheles, and Three Floyds Dark Lord, Nogne O has has summoned Satan himself.

Pours pitch black with a foamy coffee colored head. Aroma of roasted malt, chocolate, sweet alcohol and dark fruit. Very complex beer with amazing flavor. Smooth maltiness up front with dark chcoloate, roasted coffee, and dark fruits like raisin, plum and blackberry. Bitter roasted coffee finish that is balanced by a nice bitter coffee flavor. Very drinkable considering its strength, but also posesses a pleasant alcohol warmth. Excellent!

500ml Bottle. I’ve been one of the few lucky to follow the development of this marvelous creation from the start to the release. From a wonderful, strong brew with a bit raw alcohol character this has matured to a perfect, well balanced world-class beer. The biggest surprise is how the alcohol manages to be this well hidden. This is actually the most balanced beer above 10% abv I have ever tasted considering the high alcohol level, impressive. The body is clear, black but not possible to see trough. The head has a delicious small rust-brown color. This is just the definition of a perfect appearance for an imperial stout. The aroma is very powerful; you need some time to adjust before taking the fist sip. Espresso coffee, bitter chocolate, dry fruit, roasted malt, vanilla and port. The flavor has the same elements as aroma, but in addition some kind of elements from really fine well matured vine. All these elements of flavor are experienced so incredible well balanced together. It’s a rather sweet beer, but not in a sticky way. It’s powerful but not more than you easily manage to empty a whole bottle by yourself. It so close to perfect I can imagine, and the only reason to not go all the way to the top of the scale is the usually ratebeer reason: You never know what to expect from the future, so you have to leave room for something possibly better. God knows what that would be?

Bottle: Black colour,big brown head! Aroma of liquir,dark Chocolate,raisins,saltlakris,coffee,Viny. Flavor has the same elemnts,fantatic well done ,to hide det alc, who´s well integrated between the raisns and Chocolate. Full body, and a long finish. This is hand work in high class. Fantastic beer! My highest raiting so far.