I’ve been on the look out for any product from Nøgne Ø for as long as I can remember. It was always one of those “pipe dream” breweries that I didn’t think I’d ever be able to try out — that is, until a spur-of-the-moment run to Kybecca after a day of home brews.
Just a quick aside to say that I actually enjoyed this beer back in September and am trying to get caught up on publishing some older reviews.
Appearance
This particular porter pours like most — dark, dark brown with a dark tan head that faded slowly. It sure looks good.
Aroma
After the first few wiffs of cocoa, light coffee and roasted malt, I kept getting a combined scent of something, but couldn’t place my finger on it. It finally dawned on me later in the glass that the aroma reminded me of the cereal Cocoa Krispies. I love Coca Krispies.
Taste
As much as I love the chocolaty goodness of the aforementioned cereal, I was thanking the heavens that this brew didn’t taste like it. Nøgne Ø Porter is very smooth and possibly the most full bodied porter I’ve had to date. I love the rich cocoa presence and the roasted malt together. There’s a light coffee character as well, but without any of the bitterness commonly associated with it. The finish is sweet and dry.
Overall
I’m half tempted to say that this beer might make it past Sinebrychoff Porter as my favorite porter, but not sure I can say that since the Sinebrychoff is much more accessible. I’ll take the easy way out and call it a tie. The Nøgne Ø Porter is a world class brew that I would love to get my grubby little hands on again.
Rating:4.5/5
