Nøgne Ø God Jul

Brewed by Nøgne Ø
Style: American Strong Ale
Grimstad, Norway

Bottle from River’s Bend. Poured dark brown color with an average fizzy brown head that lasted and produced good lacing. Heavy complex toasted nutty malt and alcohol aroma. Medium to full body with a sticky texture. Heavy balanced nutty bittersweet flavor with a medium bittersweet finish of long duration. This is a standout beer.

Bottle. Pours a dark brown/black colour with a tan head. Malty spicy aroma, hints of licorice. Also some hoppy hints. Sweet malty flavor with some spicy hints. Hints of caramel and licorice too. Malty finish with spicy hints. Bitter aftertaste.

Dark brown to black, with a small, but lasting creamy off-white head. A good porter nose with caramel, wood, leather, chocolate and dark malt. Dry, bitter flavour with licorice, coffee and a hint of mint. Lasting aftertaste. A great, great porter.

Bottle from Capone’s. Onyx pour with 2-finger, creamy tan head and floaties. Marvelous appearance. Aroma of Roasty dark malt, chocoff, nutmeg, molasses. Tastes roasty chocolate malty, with a big chocoff and molasses hit coupled with cinnamon, nutmeg, and sprucy finishing hops. Thich, rich, complex mouthfeel. This one is one of the better Christmas beers I have quaffed, and I recommend it to anyone.

Bottle (2008 "Winter Ale" edition). Head is initially large, frothy, light brown, fully lasting. Body is dark brown, bottle conditioned. Aroma is moderately malty (caramel, nuts, cookie, chocolate), lightly to moderately hoppy (apricot, flowers, grapefruit, resin), with notes of raisin, anise, toffee, leather, brown sugar. Flavor is moderately to heavily sweet, lightly acidic, lightly bitter. Finish is lightly to moderately sweet, lightly acidic, moderately bitter. Medium to full body, velvety texture, lively carbonation, lightly to moderately alcoholic. Quite delightful. Rich and complex aroma, sweet and warming without being cloying, and the use of hops is quite unlike the typical American treatment (not abrasive or overdone at all). Fruity and spicy with no apparent adjuncts; still offers the essence of a winter brew without beating you about the head with spices. Very well done. I’d buy it again.

500 ml bottle from Cellars Wine and Spirits on Larpenteur, Roseville MN (June 2007), drunk at cellar temperature from a Chouffe tulip. A huge, lasting caramel-crème head tops the darkly translucent molasses body, lacing thickly as it gently drops….spicy-bready aroma, wonderfully “Christmasy” with caramel, molasses and hints of nutmeg, dark bready yeast….the body is very full, moderately sweet, rather yeasty, very Belgian dubbel-esque with bready, caramelly malt characteristics, little in the way of hops, a hint of orangepeel….lightly tart towards the finish, low to moderate carbonation; this is excellent.

gahl06, bottled. browny black with a lingering head. porter aroma of dark chocolate with hints of plum and licorice. some curious pear schnapps flavour but otherwise pleasant with a minty finish

Bottle. Fantastic beer. Creamy lightbrown excellent fully lasting head. Brown colour. Moderate malty and hoppy aroma, but really intense. Powerfull bitter flavor and long complex finish. I could still taste this beer hours after drinking it. Oily palate. Thank you Yngwie.