Nøgne Ø Andhrímnir Barley Wine

Brewed by Nøgne Ø
Style: Barley Wine
Grimstad, Norway

500mL bottle poured into a snifter. This one pours a murky brown that shows some amber when held up to the light. There is a small creamy off-white head that recedes to a small cap which is fed by a stream of bubbles from the bottom. The aroma is very sweet with caramel malts and toffee. There are dark fruits as well as a lightly toasted nut character with some spices. The taste actually has a definite hop kick up front, a fairly earthy one, before the wave of sweet caramel malts, dark fruits and brown sugar take over. The finish is slightly dry with the oak coming out. The mouthfeel is fairly full and slick with a low soft carbonation. I enjoyed this one quite a bit. It’s definitely a bit raw and could benefit with age but it’s a very good beer as it is.

500 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. Batch #435, ABV 10%. Deep brown colour, slightly hazy, big beige head. Pleasant aroma of brown malts, notes of rum-raisin and fortified wine, hints of spices and oak. The flavour has loads of malty sweetness and alcohol, notes of dark dried fruits and oak, hints of spices (esp. anise) and liquorice. There is a firm hoppy bitterness in the finish. Powerful beer, a bit "raw in the edges", will probably benefit from a year or two (perhaps more) in the cellar.

Bottle. Red brown colour with a beige head. Aroma is hop. caramel, dried fruits. Flavour is hop, caramel, alcohol, apple, raisin, malt, dried fruits. Full bodied nice beer.

Bottle at home. Cloudy red/brown - offwhite head. high malty, light sweetness, roasted, berries, dark fruity, nice hoppy, ryebread, licorice, chocolate, caramel, toffee, prunes, raisins, fat/sticky body. OK.

Bottle at Olympen Fungus-like head with coarse bubbles. Sweet berries, caramel. chocolate, prunes. Heavy , a bit oily. For late night drinking with a good book.

Small offwhite head. Deep brownish red body. Nutty earthy strawberry aroma with roasted almonds and toffee notes. Sweet-dry alcoholic dusty roasty strawberry taste with fruity nutty caramel notes. Fullish body. Rounded, warm mouthfeel. Dry roasty dusty nutty malty aftertaste with earthy syrupy roasted almonds notes. Complex and harmonic, even though it’s still strictly speaking quite green. Will rerate, because this is bound to improve with age. (0.35l draft, Olympen, Oslo.)

Tested@NøgneØ’s stand @Ølmessen 2009,Nærbø. Hazy golden liquid with a creamy, light brown head that lasts. Aromas are all surprisingly mild, Caramel, Alcohol, Prune/Plum and Apple. In the mouth it starts off heavily sweet and lightly acidic. The heavy sweetness lingers into a long finish with a metallic hint. Obviously full bodied, the sweetness is a bit too dominant for my taste. Nice to have tried though.

Bottle @ Olbutikken, Copenhagen. After a few boring beers from the brewery this beer made me remember why I use to love Nogne O so much a few years back. Pours unclear brown with a creamy head and lacing. Nose and taste is sweet and vinous. Dark fruits, a bit of alcohol and chewy malts. Full bodied. A bit of warmth. Good drinkability. Nice