Nøgne Ø # 100 (Batch 100)

Brewed by Nøgne Ø
Style: Imperial/Double IPA
Grimstad, Norway

This is an interesting bottle to drink: it survived a bad car crash with me. Well, about half of it did; presumably, the rest seeped through a small space under the otherwise still-secured cap. So, perhaps not a fair rating, but if any beer is going to hold up to the strain, it’d be a Barley Wine. Still has an absolutely delicious hoppy nose, one FFF would enjoy, huge fruity and citric C hops [turns out to be Columbus, Chinook, and Centennial] with big meaty caramel and a touch of cereal grain. A bit more exotic than, but in the same class as a Dreadnaught. Dark mahogany pour is near-opaque, with a rocky, tiny-bubbled light brown head. Medium body, strongly bitter but not overpowering, drenched in hops and leaving a smooth, dry and very hoppy aftertaste. Very natural, organic, sticky hop flavor. Has some of the tones of a Big Burly Resin Monster [which I should copyright], but none of the grit or depression. Alcohol is well-integrated until the end, when things get a bit fumy. Much smoother and classier than is usual with the style, especially moreso than a lot of big double IPAs, but may have needed a few days of inadvertent exposure to air to get to this point. As it is, fantastic Barleywine!

Thin tan head on a dark reddish body. This beer gives an impression of warmth and is very well suited for enjoying in long Winter nights.

Dark reddish-brown body with a very thin tan head around the sides of the snifter. Pleasantly bitter, hoppy aroma with a slightly malty essence. The hoppiness abounds in the flavor. Bitterness galore. The alcohol is quite a punch. I wonder if it will mellow with age, but now its a little much for me. Promises lots of goodness.

Dark ruby red beer, with a dense tan head - aroma of fig, caramel, brown sugar, raisins, and spices, all with a constant undercurrent of earthy hops - the same could be said of the flavor - it’s got a constant hop presence which is rather strong, but still remains subordinate to the other flavors (raisins, rolled oats, molasses, caramel, faint wheaty tanginess) - the bitter and tangy qualities linger in the finish - quite a nice brew.

an IPA? Somce confusion abounds here, as the bottle says barleywine. Smells like raisins and alcohol. A tasty beer, with many characters, including a good dose fo caramel. Sweet and strong and excellent.

Darker brown color with a nice looking head. Aroma is dominated by some honey and chocolate along with some citra-piney hops. Flavor is a pretty good citra-pine hop dominated ball of mediocrity that gets a bit better with warmth. Some subtle chocolate and sugary-bready sweetness in there too. Decent mouthfeel. Not bad, just didn’t meet my expectations. I guess this one is closest to Stone 11th or Avery 14th anniv. without the hop forwardeyness.

Poured a dark amber, almost cloudy brown color into the tulip with a head of tan that stuck around. A sticky lacing clung to the sides of the glass. Immediatate scents of hops and chocolate rushed the nose with hints of malt and sugar. Tastes of some piney hops and and brown sugar are balanced well by the malt flavors. This beer seemed a little to harsh to me for some reason. I would like to cellar it for a while to see if it can smooth out. The alcohol was very apparent in the finish.

The aroma is very hoppy with caramel. The appearance is dark with a nice head. The flavor is like the aroma with some citrus. The palate is smooth. Overall it’s quality but not all that enjoyable.