Nøgne Ø Dark Horizon Second Edition

Formerly brewed at Nøgne Ø
Style: Imperial Stout
Grimstad, Norway

Date: May 17, 2009
Mode: Bottle
Source: Roadtrip
Appearance: black, fine brown head, sudsy lace is so thick and viscous that it slides back down the glass
Aroma: sweet chocolate aroma, licorice sweetness, rich dark chocolate, light peppery alcohol grows as it warms
Flavor: rich roasted and chocolate flavor, plenty of dark caramel sweetness brings in a touch of fruityness, alcohol adds additional sweetness and thins it out a bit, bitter dark chocolate becomes the dominant character
Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 5/10; Overall: 14/20
Rating: 3.5/5.0
Drinkability: 6/10
Score: **4

Sample at CPH beerfestival. Small head with short duration. Color is near black. Aroma and taste are vinous, fruits, roast malt, caramel and hops.

Man, this is one huge beer to be sure. Maybe I should get another bottle to let sit for a while and hope it rounds out some of the flavors, but for right now, there’s just way too much booziness up front and an alcohol burn that’s just too much to be considered pleasant.

Pours black as black is. Minute tan head. Strong coffee notes dominate the nose but continued sniffing reveals some candied fruits, vanilla, lotsa alcohol and chocolate. The flavor is boozy as hell but not in a bad way to me. Lots of dark roast and lots of chocolate. Molasses and dark fruit in there as well. Bold as hell and crazy buzz inducing. I wish I had a second bottle.

Nogne Dark Horizon 5/20/09 (shared a bomber with Alex and some friends. Pours chalkly dark brown with a wispy brown colored head. Aroma has a ton of coffee and dark chocolate upfront, mixed with a sort of boozy, sugary (fruit?) thrust. Interesting, though menacingly hot. Palate is smooth and gently carbonated, achieving a fullness of mouthfeel that is pleasurable. Flavor is undoubtedly big, starting with dark chocolate and coffee, then moving towards some interesting “cabernet”-like dark fruit. The latter is really interesting. My buddy and I simultaneously noticed this flavor component, both skeptical to admit it at first. Finish is very warming, a bit too hot for my taste, though this mellowed as the beer continued to warm. Overall, by the last sip of Dark Horizon the flavors had melded nicely, and all of us at the tasting had concluded the experience was both novel and positive.

Bottle. Pours opaque with a small, fizzy, dark brown head, somewhat diminishing with spare head. Aroma is heavy malt (toffee, coffee, chocolate, nutty), average hop (perfume), average yeast (leather) with notes of alcohol, prune, fig, charcoal, vanilla, and oak. Full bodied, alcoholic texture, lively carbonation, and a bitter-dry finish. Long duration, moderate sweetness, acidity, and bitterness. Too much alcohol, in my opinion.

Bottle from iowaherkeye. Thanks! Had a bottle of the first edition that we sampled at the same time. Poured an opaque black color with a brown head. Perfumy aroma with fig, molasses, and raisin notes. The body was a bit lighter than the first edition thought. Slightly sweet with moderate carbonation. There was a rum-like flavor accompanied by roasty malt, burnt toffee, and a bit of citrus fruit. Good stuff.

Bottle. Coffee, smoke, alcohol, and chocolate dominate the nose which is sugary sweet. Black with an inky, thin head. Flavorful, very hot but good tones of smoke and coffee with a chocolate background Huge alcohol is a bit overpowering. Lots of depth but needs time. Nice thickness. Becomes much more drinkable as it warms.