Jul 23, 2010

Nøgne Ø Imperial Stout

Well, that’s just not right.

It’s been 14 reviews since my last stout. That’s gotta be some sort of personal record. Sure there was a lone porter in the mix, but that doesn’t really count, no matter how tasty it was.

At any rate, this Nøgne Ø Imperial Stout was one of several beers that I purchased at Kybecca in Fredericksburg last month. I’ve only ever had one other product from this Norwegian brewer and I loved it, so expectations for this Russian Imperial Stout were high.

Appearance

This Imperial Stout pours black as night with a one finger, rich brown head.

Aroma

The nose is filled with heaps of chocolate and roasted coffee with light vanilla and licorice notes. There isn’t much of a hint of the 9% ABV this beer carries. Smells smooth.

Taste

Ooooh. This is tasty. Nøgne Ø have themselves a rich, full flavored stout with a thick and viscous mouthfeel that finishes dry and chewy. The earthy, roasted malt delivers more coffee character than it does chocolate. There’s a nice bit of roasted malt bitterness in the dry finish. Still not much of an alcohol presence in a beer this big.

Overall

I love the roast and chocolate nature to this brew. It’s got a great balance and smoothness that makes it dangerously drinkable. This is definitely what I needed after all the IPAs and Pale Ales I’ve been drinking this Summer. I’ll need to set up another run to the store to get more for the colder months later this year.

Rating: 4/5

More: , ,