Beer # 121 Nøgne Ø Saison

Saison


Nøgne Ø

Grimstad, Norway
Independent
Saison 6.5% ABV Brown Glass Bottle 500 ml
$5.90 (Canadian) At LCBO
Twitter: @NogneO

Another trip over to Norway and the "Naked Island" (Translation of Nøgne O) I have had this one in the fridge for a while so I am trying to clear up a backlog of tastings. I have done two other beers from this brewery... They can be found here and here. Definitely worth a read if you have the time.

Anyway onto clearing out the fridge...

Light gold in colour and slightly cloudy. Small off white head made of small bubbles and not very long lasting. Aroma is cloves, citrus, and some banana. Taste is wheaty and fresh with a little coriander. Bready notes with some citrus on the finish. Aeration enhances the cloves coriander and banana with a touch of bitterness on the finish.

Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 

Cost: 5/6 PASS
Colour: 5/6 PASS
Beer Style: 5/6 PASS
Re-Order:  3/6 SO-SO
Experience:  4/6 PASS


Final Thoughts:

An average beer with not a lot going on. Both the wheat and barley are evident, yet do not do a lot to excite the palate. Strictly worth buying for the novelty of drinking Norwegian beer, but not much else.


Cheers

CJT


Follow me on Twitter: @pintjockey

Like me on Facebook: Pint Jockey Online

And don't forget to "Friend" me on Untappd.

Beer # 110 Nøgne Ø Sunturnbrew Ale

Sunturnbrew Ale


Nøgne Ø

Grimstad, Norway
Independent
Strong Ale 11.0% ABV Brown Glass Bottle 500 ml
$7.70 (Canadian) At LCBO
Twitter: @NogneO

Back again to the land of Henrick Ibsen who's poems gave us the term Nøgne Ø, "Naked Island." and the name of tonight's brewery. We have been to Nøgne Ø, before when I did their Imperial Stout HERE. Sunturn refers to the ancient Norwegian belief that on the shortest day of the year (December 21) the sun "turns" and reverses direction in the sky. Here is where I got confused. The website says the beer is brewed on the sunturn, the aforementioned December 21. However, the brew date on my bottle says June 20, 2013. best before June 20 2018. Well I guess the summer solstice counts, as well. I am honestly very impressed with this beer tonight so instead of trying to do the thinking, I will let the beer do the talking.

Onto the Naked Island:

Very dark chestnut in colour with an enormous, long lasting light tan head, very frothy but made of small bubbles, with some larger ones on top. Aroma is very smoky, with some wood and coffee. First sip is an explosion of flavour which could probably be summed up as molasses, candy, and leather. Super rich and deep dark tones, lingering tastes of high alcohol. Balance is surprisingly clean for the amount of flavours going on. There is anise, molasses, turbinado sugar, vanilla, smoke, wood, leather, coffee, chocolate, and a little bitterness from deeply roasted malt. Bitterness is countered by a sweetness that creeps up on the backside of the taste. Aeration give bursts of alcohol, sandalwood, smoke and incense.

Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional

Cost: 4/6 PASS

Colour: 5/6 PASS

Beer Style: 5/6 PASS

Re-Order:  6/6 EXCEPTIONAL

Experience:  6/6 EXCEPTIONAL 

Final Thoughts

Wow. Wow. Wow. There is nothing small about this beer. It grabs you and says hello, and doesn't let you go until it's done with you. Every time I sip it I get another facet of it's personality. It is like a fine old wine freshly decanted and slowly giving up it's secrets to you. This is hands down the best beer I have had from Nøgne Ø. I look forward to when the sun turns again next year (whenever that is...).

Cheers

CJT

Follow me on Twitter: @pintjockey

Like me on Facebook: Pint Jockey Online

And don't forget to "Friend" me on Untappd.