Nøgne Ø Porter

Brewed by Nøgne Ø
Style: Porter
Grimstad, Norway

500 ml bottle from Blue Max in Burnsville, MN (June 2007, consumed a bit below cellar temperature from a Unibroue glass. The fluffy medium-tan head dies slowly, leaving thick and chunky lacing atop the opaque ebon-hued nectar....strongly roasty nose offers bitter dark chocolate and espresso beans, a hint of old port, a faint whisper of vanilla and caramel, perhaps a breeze of dates, in short just what I’m wanting in a fine porter....the flavor picks up nicely, with a bit of nutty (walnuts or pecans) character joining the roasty cold chocolaty cowboy coffee....it’s quite smooth and easy to drink, and therein lies the only small flaw to me, as a bit too much sweetness emerges and there is a faint cloying aspect from the middle through the finish, enhanced by the low carbonation....still quite pleasant, if not spectacular.

Bottle courtesy Yngwie.Creamy lightbrown good mostly lasting head. Dark amber colour. Moderate malty and hoppy aroma. SLightly roasted and burnt. Moderate bitter flavor. Roasted notes. Average moderate bitter finisg. Oily palate.

rbesg06gt, bottled. jet black with a modest brown head. chocolate cake aroma, mellow texture, very chocolatey, would have liked a touch more bitterness but it was still very drinkable

Bottle from Marcus - Thanks! Interesting aromas of toasted malt, chocolate, reddish fruits, and perhaps a bit of coffee. Opaque brown/black color with a beige/tan head that’s respectable. Medium body with smooth frothy carbonation. Flavors are sharp burnt malt, coffee, chocolate, hop bitter and more. The finish is dry, and a bit muddy as the flavors intermingle. Decent amount of burnt toast and bitter. Really good to drink.

I have a winner for rating #2800. From a bottle, new arrival at John’s Grocery. The body is very dark brown, near black with traces or garnet at the edges when held to light. The head is long lasting and medium khaki colored. The aroma is rich roasted coffee with some good hot chocolate. There is also a hint of fresh peas. The taste is lightly roasted almonds with some espresso in the finish. There is a little bit of bread crust and even some tangerines in the finish. The body is relatively thin and smooth. Everything I look for in a porter. This is a great beer, not just an amazing porter.

Ashy charcoal, bittersweet chocolate, a berry-like fruitiness and salt in the nose. Opaque, dark brown body with a low, off white head that recedes to ring with some lacing. Charred roastiness interplays nicely with bittersweet chocolate and fruity characteristics. Medium body is very dry with moderate carbonation. Bottle (GBBF, Aug-05) sampled with MartinT, Rastacouere and Siroy.

Bottle from Santa: Boy this poured like a stout, nearly opaque and a large frothy tan head that produced very good lacing. The aroma has notes of burnt and carmelized malting, light mocha and licorice, aromatic and floral hops, dusty yeast esters and a touch of coffee. The taste starts with a twangy dark fruit and smoky character before given way to chocolate and malty sweetness. The finish displays some dryness and very sublime bitters. The feel is quite lively and has a bit more heft that most porters. While this is not a baltic which I figured it would be a first, it is also not like most of the porters we get here in the states. I liked it for what it was.

Bottle at home ... Deep black with tiny red tinge ... rich slighly smokey roast malt ... rich complex roast malt ... little sweet ... little fruit ... bitter chocolate coffee roast in linger.