Nøgne Ø Porter

Sampled April 2007
Pours with a three-finger thick, frothy, light brown colored head that dissipates fairly quickly, but ultimately retains a thin layer of foam on top of the beer. The body is simply black in color. The aroma has notes of dusty chocolate, roast coffee beans, a touch of burnt grain huskiness and lots of pronounced, dark-malt derived character.

The taste is sweet, yet still the body is fairly light. It has a medium heft to it as it rests on the palate; it does not have the heft or rich feeling that I might have been expecting from the aroma. Dusty chocolate flavors are noticeable up front and the finish has a distinct espresso character of burnt acidity, and a suite of roast coffee bean flavors. The beer dries out considerably after the first few sips and it is not quite as rich as I was hoping. Still this is a fairly tasty tipple; one which I am quite content to finish.

Bottle drunk on 4/27/07
Gushing bottle eventually settles out to a medium clarity and a very deep, bakers chocolate brown. Some burgundy highlights and a large, well-retained medium-tan head that laces well.
Brown sugar and maple start things off sweet, but it only lasts a moment before dry chocolate and a plethora of prunes, raisins and figs add a delightful vinousness. Some minimal coffee notes are found in a moderately strong roastiness, coupled with soft vanilla and other pale malt notes, sitting on the finish. Very clean, but also very fresh and easily discernible as unpasteurized/unfiltered. You gotta love the yeast these guys use. It has a delicious earthiness and seems wonderfully English. More berry-like vinousness/tartness emerges as it warms, but balancing this is a chewy, light fudge-like note. Love the relative lack of "hardness" or breadiness in this one. Aroma strength is medium-high to high, with no alcohol or flaws perceived.
Soft and velvety, with ample malt body, the beer nonetheless remains much lighter in feel than the abv would suggest. Sweet chocolate layered atop gooey toffee and caramel, with some dry roasted barley adding a bit of tannin. Chocolate malt adds some light coffee hardness, which keeps the sweetness level balanced. The main force is a deliciously fruity, vinous berry-and-prune flavor that brightens the beer considerably. Natural carbonation is in moderate quantity, and though there is some chewiness from the malt, the beer remains very drinkable with no sign of its abv. Hop bitterness is moderately apparent on the finish, with only a bit of floral-like flavors seen throughout. Black malt flavors sit on the end: anise, very dry cocoa and some scorched maltiness.

black body with small brown head..a nice roasted, smoke-filled chocolate aroma leading to a creamy chocolate, roasted malt backbone with touches of grain and other earthy characteristics

Damn good stuff, nothing over the top here, just right.Hugh coffee aromawith hints of sweet fruit.Pours a nice murky color with a small, thin , lacing head.Roasted malts and coffee with a small coffee, bitter end.

Dark brown pour with nice lacing. Light coffee nose and a similarly light coffee taste and hints of chocolate.

Bottle from biggcb. Deep chocolate-brown body, thick light tan head. Strong roasty aroma with subtle, light chocolate. Creamy, light body, chalky, with roasted malt, milk chocolate, and bitter hops. Light alcohol notes. Average complexity. Basic but well-made.

Nøgne Ø has made the best porter I have tried in a long time. Black in color. Aroma is full of roasted malt. Flavor is full with light chocolate and coffee and more malt. Many breweries would call this their stout.

Bottle 500 ml, batch # ??? (no dates or batchnumber on this bottle). Deep brown, almost black, with redtones in strong light. Coffe, roasted/burnt malt, liqourice, lovely fruity sweetness and vanilla - all balanced with nice hops. Dry, bitter finish. Another winner from Nøgne Ø!