Tag Archives: Norway

Christmas Beers: Brewdog There Is No Santa & Nøgne Ø Underlig Jul

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Since I haven’t reviewed a single ‘Christmas’ beer yet this year (even though I have a couple of them in my beer cabinet) and tomorrow is Christmas Eve, what better time than to try two spiced beers by Brewdog and Nøgne Ø. I’m not usually a big fan of beers that are spiced to taste as something else, e.g. gingerbread or glögg, but hopefully these will be drinkable, and at least go along with the gingerbread and ‘christmas pastries’ we baked today. Merry Christmas to all you readers!

 
 

  • Brewery: Brewdog
  • Country: Scotland
  • Style: Herbed/Spiced Beer
  • ABV: 4.7 %
  • Size: 330 ml
  • Bought from: K-Citymarket, 4.20 euro
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Brewdog’s Christmas beer, There Is No Santa, is a stout seasoned with cocoa nibs and ginger stems. Since it’s only 4.7% ABV, it is available in shops other than Alko as well. I found no information on any malts or hops used, but I assume the spices are the central flavor element of this beer. Let’s see how it tastes!

[easyreview title=”Brewdog There Is No Santa” cat1title=”Appearance” cat1detail=”The beer pours with a dark brown, almost black, color, and if held against the light, one can notice some red tones in the color. A fluffy cream-colored head is formed during pour, but it collapses really quickly, leaving minimal lacing along the glass.” cat1rating=”3.5″ cat2title=”Smell” cat2detail=”The spices dominate the aroma, and especially the ginger is prominent, which together with some tones of cinnamon, give this an aroma similar to that of gingerbread. There are also some tones of roasted malt and chocolate hidden behind the spices.” cat2rating=”3.5″ cat3title=”Taste” cat3detail=”The flavor is very similar to the aroma, and it is dominated by tones of cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. This is joined by some roasty tones from roasted malt, cocoa and dark chocolate. There is a slight sweetness in the flavor as well, making the flavor, like the aroma, very reminiscent of gingerbread. The flavor ends with a lightly dry and bitter finish. A bit too much spices for my taste, but I guess it suits the occasion.” cat3rating=”3″ cat4title=”Mouthfeel” cat4detail=”The beer has quite a light body with a medium carbonation level. It was quite easy to drink, but felt it was a little too watery, and could have used a bit more body to it.” cat4rating=”3.5″ summary=”This is definitely a Christmas beer, as it tastes very much like the gingerbread we just baked. As I mentioned earlier, I’m not a big fan of spiced beers, but still felt this was drinkable and suited the occasion. Could have used a bit more body, a little less spices, and some more flavor from the malts. Might buy again next year.”]
 
 
 
 

  • Brewery: Nøgne Ø
  • Country: Norway
  • Style: Herbed/Spiced Beer
  • ABV: 6.5 %
  • Size: 500 ml
  • Bought from: Alko, 6.33 euro
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The second beer of the evening is Nøgne Ø’s Underlig Jul. This is a beer inspired by glögg, mulled wine, and has been spiced with 5 different spices: cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, coriander and cloves. Other than the spices, the beer has been brewed with Maris Otter, Munich, caramel, and chocolate malts, and hopped with Columbus and Cascade hops to an IBU of 30. The beer was fermented with an English ale yeast. Nøgne Ø also brew another Christmas beer, called God Jul, which is more of an American Strong Ale, and not spiced at all. Seems more to my taste, but is unfortunately not available in Finland. Let’s see how Christmasy this one is!

[easyreview title=”Nøgne Ø Underlig Jul” cat1title=”Appearance” cat1detail=”The beer also pours with a dark brown color, though slightly lighter than There Is No Santa. A huge cream-colored head is formed during pour, and while it collapses (which takes a while) curtains of lacing are left along the glass.” cat1rating=”4″ cat2title=”Smell” cat2detail=”Spices also dominate the aroma of this beer, and similar tones of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves, typical of gingerbread and glögg, can be detected in the aroma of this beer. Behind the spices, tones of floral hops, as well as a slight maltiness and roastiness, can be detected.” cat2rating=”3.5″ cat3title=”Taste” cat3detail=”The flavor is also very spicy, but I think it has a slightly different focus compared to There Is No Santa (it’s more ‘harsh’). There are strong hints of cinnamon, ginger and even some licorice-like tones, and these are joined by roasted (almost ashy) tones from the roasted malts. The flavor ends with a slightly bitter finish. Again, not really my cup of tea.” cat3rating=”3″ cat4title=”Mouthfeel” cat4detail=”The beer has a medium-full body and a medium carbonation level, making easy to drink. The spices were a bit too harsh, and felt it decreased the mouthfeel a bit.” cat4rating=”4″ summary=”Of these two beers, I liked Underlig Jul slightly more, due to it having a bit more body, and a bit more complexity in the spiciness. On the other hand, it was a little harsher on the tongue. I really like when brewers are experimenting with beer and exotic ingredients, but overall I’m not really into Christmas-spiced beers. Again, it fits the occasion, but would probably not drink again, especially due to the quite high price.”]

Nøgne Ø Imperial Brown Ale

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  • Brewery: Nøgne Ø
  • Country: Norway
  • Style: Brown Ale
  • ABV: 7.5%
  • Size: 500 ml
  • Bought from: Systembolaget, ~50kr
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The second beer of the evening will be Nøgne Ø Imperial Brown Ale. This, American-style, Brown Ale was first brewed in 2006 as a collaboration with Nørrebro Bryghus. The beer has been brewed with Maris Otter, wheat, brown, amber, Munich and caramel malts, hopped with Columbus, Chinook and E K Goldings to an IBU of 40, and fermented with an English ale yeast strain. Nøgne Ø usually make good stuff, so am looking forward to this one.

[easyreview title=”Nøgne Ø Imperial Brown Ale” cat1title=”Appearance” cat1detail=”The beer pours with a dark ruby color and a fluffy cream-colored head. The beer is slightly hazy, but it is difficult to see because of the dark color. The head collapses leaving drapes of lacing along the glass.” cat1rating=”4″ cat2title=”Smell” cat2detail=”The aroma is malty, with some hints of bread, caramel, dark fruits and even some chocolate. There is a slight hoppiness hiding behind the malt character as well. There is a slightest hint of alcohol in the aroma as well.” cat2rating=”3.5″ cat3title=”Taste” cat3detail=”The flavor begins with tones of caramel and dried fruits, and is quickly joined by some slightly roasted tones, lending hints of cocoa and coffee. There is a bit of earthy and resiny hoppiness in the background as well, but it never takes the lead role. The flavor ends with a pleasant bitterness and a slight roastiness. The beer is quite well balanced, with no particular flavor taking over.” cat3rating=”4″ cat4title=”Mouthfeel” cat4detail=”The beer has a medium-full and smooth body and a moderate carbonation level. It has a slightly thick and oily feel, making it feel pleasant in the mouth.” cat4rating=”4″ summary=”Overall a great beer from Nøgne Ø, that offers a nice balance of malt, roast and hops, in a easily drinkable and tasty package. Nøgne Ø beers are usually on the expensive side, as was this beer, and since it isn’t available in Finland, I probably won’t be buying it again.”]

Nøgne Ø Dark Horizon 3rd Edition

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  • Brewery: Nøgne Ø
  • Country: Norway
  • Style: Imperial Stout
  • ABV: 15.5%
  • Size: 250 ml
  • Bought from: Alko, 9.09€
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    The Dark Horizon series, brewed by Nøgne Ø, consists of some ‘extreme’ Imperial Stouts, all brewed with a different one-off recipe. The third edition is described as an “imperial stout on steroids”, and “this dark and rich brew is sweet enough to be your dessert or accompany your richest crème caramel”. The beer was brewed with a large amount of ingredients, including Maris Otter, Munich, Amber, Wheat, Smoked Rye, Crystal, Brown, Chocolate and Black malt, Millennium, Columbus and Nelson Sauvin hops, and even coffee. The reported IBUs are 100, while the color is a massive 240 EBC. This should be very interesting!

     
    [easyreview title=”Nøgne Ø Dark Horizon 3rd Edition” cat1title=”Appearance” cat1detail=”The beer pours with a pitch-black color, and a minimal tan-colored head, that quickly collapses leaving some slight lacing along the glass.” cat1rating=”4″ cat2title=”Smell” cat2detail=”The aroma is full of dark and roasted tones, with hints of coffee, licorice, roasted malts, chocolate and smoke.” cat2rating=”4″ cat3title=”Taste” cat3detail=”The flavour begins with tones of molasses, coffee, roastiness, chocolate and smoke, but is quickly taken over by a massive sweetness. The taste ends with a very sweet finish, that probably can be off-putting to many, coupled with slight bitterness. This sweetness hides the very high alcohol level (15.5%) very well, as it isn’t really detectable. Even though this contains coffee, it isn’t very present in the flavouring.” cat3rating=”3″ cat4title=”Mouthfeel” cat4detail=”The beer has a medium-full body, with low carbonation. The beer is very much balanced towards the sweet side of the spectrum, making it a bit difficult to drink. This is definitely a slow fireplace beer.” cat4rating=”3.5″ summary=”This is a really complex and sweet beer, full of interesting flavours, and I must say I’m slightly disappointed. The sweet taste means this is probably not for everyone, but I imagine this would be a perfect winter-warmer or dessert beer. The small size (250ml) is understandable, because of the sweetness and high alcohol level, and I spent quite some time sipping on it. The price is on the high side, as with the breweries other products, so I probably won’t be drinking this one again, but will have to try out the 4th edition if it ever is released!”]

    Thanks to Pia for giving this as a gift to me!

    Nøgne Ø #100

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  • Brewery: Nøgne Ø
  • Country: Norway
  • Style: American Barleywine
  • ABV: 10%
  • Size: 500 ml
  • Bought from: Alko, 7.71€
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    #100 was first brewed by Nøgne Ø as (and to celebrate) their 100th batch. It became so popular that it was rebrewed and rereleased as a commercial product. The beer is brewed with Maris Otter, wheat and chocolate malt, hopped to 80 IBU with Columbus, Chinook, and Centennial hops, and fermented with an English Ale yeast. My bottle was from batch 568, and was brewed 30.11.2010, so its around 7.5 months old.

    [easyreview title=”Nøgne Ø #100″ cat1title=”Appearance” cat1detail=”The beer pours with a dark brown color (not much light shining through), and seems a bit hazy, with a large cream-colored head, that collapses leaving some nice lacing along the glass.” cat1rating=”4″ cat2title=”Smell” cat2detail=”The aroma is dominated by citrusy (grapefruit) hops, but it is coupled with sweet tones of caramel and roasted chocolate.” cat2rating=”4″ cat3title=”Taste” cat3detail=”The initial taste is sweet and malty, with tones of caramel, biscuits, and chocolate, while a roasted flavour quickly joins as well. The hops are hidden quite well in the dark and complex flavour combination supplied by the malt. There are though some hints of grapefruit, herbs and spices, that come through, and the beer leaves a pleasant bitterness (not at all bad for 80 IBU) on the tongue as the other flavours fade away. This is a very well balanced Barleywine, full of nice flavours, that aren’t overpowering.” cat3rating=”4″ cat4title=”Mouthfeel” cat4detail=”The beer has a full body, with moderate-low carbonation. As mentioned, the beer is well balanced, and the bitterness and alcohol is hidden well in the rich malty flavours. A very drinkable beer.” cat4rating=”4″ summary=”A very good beer, that though is (like other beers from the same brewery) a little on the expensive side. If your after a pleasant taste experience I can definitely recommend this beer.”]

    Nøgne Ø India Pale Ale

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  • Brewery: Nøgne Ø
  • Country: Norway
  • Style: American IPA
  • ABV: 7.5%
  • Size: 500 ml
  • Bought from: Alko, 6.21€
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    [easyreview title=”Nøgne Ø India Pale Ale” cat1title=”Appearance” cat1detail=”The beer has a golden-amber color, and is hazy (the beer is unfiltered and bottle conditioned), with an slight cream-colored head.” cat1rating=”3.5″ cat2title=”Smell” cat2detail=”The beer has a citrusy and resiny aroma, coupled with some sweet and caramelly maltiness. A very slight perfume-like tone as well, that feels like it shouldn’t be there.” cat2rating=”3.5″ cat3title=”Taste” cat3detail=”The initial taste is malty, with tones of caramel and biscuits, which is quickly overtaken by some hop flavours with tones of grapefruit, pine and grass. The taste ends in a pleasant bitterness on the tongue. The flavours are very well balanced.” cat3rating=”4″ cat4title=”Mouthfeel” cat4detail=”The beer has a medium body, with moderate carbonation, which make the beer easily drinkable. Well balanced, with a slightly dry finish.” cat4rating=”4″ summary=”A good beer, that is (like other beers from the same brewery) a little on the expensive side. Compared to the #500, this beer is less sweet and a little milder in taste. Overall a tasty brew that I definitely would drink again.”]

    Nøgne Ø Imperial IPA (#500)

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  • Brewery: Nøgne Ø
  • Country: Norway
  • Style: Imperial India Pale Ale
  • ABV: 10%
  • Size: 500 ml
  • Bought from: Alko, 8.29€
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    [easyreview title=”Nøgne Ø Imperial IPA (#500)” cat1title=”Appearance” cat1detail=”The beer has a darkish red-brown color, and is hazy (the beer is unfiltered and bottle conditioned), with an slight tan head (leaving some lacing along the glass).” cat1rating=”4″ cat2title=”Smell” cat2detail=”The beer has a sweet malty smell, with slight citrusy and piney hop aroma. (Note: I currently have a cold, so my olfaction isn’t at its best)” cat2rating=”4″ cat3title=”Taste” cat3detail=”The initial taste is sweet and malty (caramel?), with the bitterness and hoppiness slowly building up. The sweetness and hoppiness disguise the high alcohol content well.” cat3rating=”3.5″ cat4title=”Mouthfeel” cat4detail=”The body is quite thick, sweet, and oily, with moderate carbonation.” cat4rating=”3″ summary=”It is a good beer, but I don’t feel it is worth the high price payed for it. The beer is a little too sweet for my taste, but the hop level is nice.”]

    Edit: After drinking a 1.5 month old #500 I can just say that the flavor is a 4.5 (alot of citrusy and resiny hop tones) and that the overall grade is 4. A fantastic DIPA that unfortunately is on the expensive side.