Nøgne Ø Winter Ale
I may have reviewed SweetWater Brewing’s Festive Ale earlier this week, but it wasn’t the first Winter or Holidy beer I’ve had this Fall season. That honor or award for “way-too-early-in-the-season-holiday-ale would go to this bottle of Nøgne Ø Winter Ale (also known as Nøgne Ø God Jul) — a dark brew weighing in at 8.5% ABV.
This one was picked up at Total Wine a couple of weeks ago even as I thought to myself that it’s still only October and much too soon for a holiday themed beer. I bought it anyways, cracked it open and was presented with a beer that tasted old, like it had already been sitting around for a while, but not in a bad way. There was no bottling date on the bottle that I could see, but this brew certainly tasted like it had been cellared for a little while.
Appearance
Winter Ale pours a dark, dark brown with a tan crown of foam.
Aroma
And this is where the cellared vibe comes in. The beer smells old as subtle spice notes, light alcohol, dark fruits and a hint of cardboard arise from the surface.
Taste
Again, this beer tastes old, but not in the way a beer goes bad. It’s just got a cellared presence about it. It’s sort of porterish in its flavor profile, as well. Light cardboard, distant coffee, fading dark fruits and subtle herbal/spice notes fill the mouth as a touch of alcohol persists throughout. The beer ends with a slightly drying finish and muted flavors that hang around a bit before fading.
Overall
Despite the feeling of age on this beer (and the wet cardboard that has crept in), I enjoyed this beer. It’s got a decent bit of caramel malt and herbal/spice notes to suit the holiday season well. I might purchase another bottle for comparison purposed to see if this was something specific to this bottle I reviewed or if the shop perhaps has a batch of older beer.
Rating: 3.5/5
