# 100 - Nøgne Ø - Det Kompromissløse Bryggeri A/S

seaoflament

California

3.93/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to Joey for bringing this one last night to La Bella. This was a winter 07 vintage.

Pours pretty dark for a barley wine, porter-like color with a good inch of foam. Good retention and some lacing on the glass.

The aroma consisted of dark chocolate, cocoa, and a hoppy Chinook presence. Chocolate covered raisins and some dark fruity esters as well.

The taste was similar to the aroma, dark chocolate upfront with some cocoa, earthy and herbal hop bitterness with some alcohol in the finish. Surprised at how hoppy this beer still is after almost 2 years. Heavily roasted malt flavors, almost burnt, burnt toast and bitter coffee in the finish. Moderate carbonation with a semi-dry and lingering bitter finish. Tastes almost like a really hoppy RIS. The alcohol is very well hidden, I guess it's hiding behind those IBUs.

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2009 17:56:34 | More by seaoflament

Nickls

District of Columbia

3.93/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - Pours with a rich lightly tan soap foam head, good finger's worth and fantastic retention; dark ruby brown color; opaque

S - Light soapy hop bitterness; strong malt backing; dark fruits; hint of sweetness

T - Piney, resiny, gin-like hoppiness; minerals; dark fruit; slight touch of warming alcohol

M - Medium to thicker; quite vibrant carbonation for the style, but I don't think it detracts

D - Slow sipper; very warming and relaxing even if it is a bit of a hoppier take on the style; pretty drinkable for the style

Overall, interesting stuff and there are quite a few layers on this one. Really enjoyable, and worth a look.

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2009 00:53:56 | More by Nickls

mtnbikerpa

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 1 pint 9 ounce bottle with no freshness date. I poured it into a pilner glass, I got about 4 inches of head that stayed for about 5 minutes. Strong scents of dark dried fruits raisins, prunes, some apricots, and green grapes. More prune and malt taste. Some strong grape juice flavor. Really no hop notes. Mouthfeel is pretty heavy and booze is very heavy in the flavor. Drinkable nature is low.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2010 20:23:09 | More by mtnbikerpa

ckollias

Maryland

3.93/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Enjoyed this 22oz bomber out of a large snifter glass.

A: Mahogany colored ale with amber highlights with a thin one-finger white head that quickly dissipates into a thin wispy lace.

S: Burnt caramel and malt aromas fill the nose. You can smell the alcohol in this one.

T: General sweetness and caramel barleywine flavors. Very smooth and alcoholic

M: Very strong and boozy. Medium body and carbonation

O: Decent barleywine and enough alcohol to make it interesting.

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2011 00:28:12 | More by ckollias

akorsak

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A 500 mL bottle.

A: The barleywine is beautifully dark, midnight black with crimson red highlights. A thick white head is lacing around the sides of my glass.

S: The nose is a caramel, toffee brown ale with a blast of citrus hops. The aroma is overwhelming, grainy to a fault with a big enough hop profile to match it.

T: Nearly as big as the nose, the body is loaded with malts. Darker malts yield a caramel/toffee flavor that manages to outpace the hops. Those hops, while big, aren't as strong as you'd expect. The hops are citrusy, sweet with a grassy undertone. As big as they are, they can't overtake the imperial brown ale.

M: Full but inviting, this is a rarely big American barleywine that shows off more malts than hops. I'm enjoying this one.

D: Too big, this barleywine is too big. One bottle is more than enough for one sitting.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2009 16:22:05 | More by akorsak

peabody

Kentucky

3.9/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours out really nice dark brown with three fingers of really creamy suds. Lacing galore here on the rim of the Stone Barleywine glass.
Smell is a fruity raisin with clove and butterscotch aromas. Slight yeast burn and an alcohol hint.
Taste is caramel and burnt sugars along with a bitter blackness. The latter is mixed with the leftover sugar from the initial taste. A hint of alcohol in the back of the throat.
Mouthfeel is very clean for such a sweet concotion. Only gets sticky after the bitterness leaves the mouth.
Drinkability is pretty nice for such a high abv drink. I really admire this barley wine. Top notch!.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2009 22:12:16 | More by peabody

Jwale73

Rhode Island

3.9/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

1pt .9fl oz. bottle served in my Old Stock snifter. Poured the color of cola, perhaps a touch redder, with a creamy, one inch off-white head embedded with ringlets. Head eventually settles into a fairly consistent skim with swaths of lacing adhering to the sides of the glass during the tasting. Nose is assertively hoppy in the forefront with some sugary malt in the background and a boozy alcohol/medicinal quality at the back.. Front starts off sugary/malty with a mild dark fruit character, gradually giving way to a light bitterness that peaks and lingers at the finish. A caramel character also comes out as it warms. Mouthfeel is medium-light, subtly carbonated and slightly creamy. Solid example of the style. This one has a couple years on it, so it's evened out a little bit (it must have been quite hoppy in it's prime) - might pick up another bottle to see how it mellows in a couple more years.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2010 02:02:55 | More by Jwale73

onix1agr

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

13oz's in a tulip glass at Capone's.

A- Dark brownish with some plum red spots, very dark for a DIPA/Barleywine? Alot of activity in the glass made for a pillow of a medium dark tan fluff that had some of that sticky stuff, lines going down the sides.

S- This ale smells like a small barleywine mixed with some Belgian dark. The hops don't come off like a American Barleywine at all, some of the 3-C's but nothing exploding. Citrus and a few malt varieties and some yeast making for a semi fruity nose and a even less hoppy one.

T- Citrus up front with grapefruit and other minor tropic fruits. In the middle the hops fade off making way for a semi spicy middle with a touch of fresh wheat mixed in for a yeasty finish. There is a taste of alcohol in this 9-10%er. Does not taste like a DIPA, more like a very old (aged) American Barleywine.

M,D- More malty than hoppy, there is not enough bitterness to classify this as American B-Wine territory. Just a mention of bitterness on the tounge while the wheat and malts work the mouth. The body is above medium with a smooth mellow carbonation that is not all that crisp. I had 13oz of this and while I liked it, I was over this before those 13oz were finished. I guess this is really a mix of a DIPA/B-Wine, an odd mix, that get's the job done I guess.

Serving type: on-tap

04-13-2010 16:25:32 | More by onix1agr

grub

Ontario (Canada)

3.88/5  rDev -4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Viggo brought this one over. thanks eric!

500ml bottle.

pours deep brown, nearly opaque, with a small very dense light brown head. the head drops fairly quick but leaves spotty lace behind.

aroma is nice. caramel. light alcohol. grapefruit and pine. lots of c-hops - centennial, cascade, chinook. bread and biscuit malt. bit of orange.

taste is great. medium bitterness level. nice caramel character. bit of roast. biscuit. bit of grapefruit and orange. touch of toffee.

mouthfeel is good. medium body. medium carbonation level.

drinkability is good. mostly balanced, with a just a slight lean towards alcohol. very nice though and a solid barelywine. i've been pretty impressed by just about everything i've had from nogne. good brewery.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2007 20:51:07 | More by grub

pokesbeerdude

Colorado

3.88/5  rDev -4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

16.9oz single from Wilbur's in Ft. Collins. Around $10.

A: Cloudy dark brown, fairly murky, with a huge off white head, about three inches worth, that won't go away. Excellent head retention. Big globs of lacing all the way around. Really a nice looking beer.

S: Really interesting for a barleywine, big thick malt presence and a huge hop profile, but has a tangy weizenbock aspect to it as well, fair amount of booze too. Nice smelling beer, but not quite what I usually smell in a barleywine.

T: Lots going on here, barley malt has a big presence, also some dark chocolate, and a bit of roasted coffee going on here as well. Initially has a wheat taste that follows over from the nose, but gets lost under a fairly big malt bill with a nice hop backbone, citrus rind hops are a good balance with this one. Leans a little more towards DIPA than barleywine, but is still, nice, and quite interesting.

M: A lot thinner than I expected, I like a barleywine to have a little bit of a body to it. Fairly warm alcohol.

D: This is not a summer beer, this would be perfect in January, and now that I know that, I know when bottle 2 will be consumed. I could drink more of this than just the one bottle, because it is tasty, and has just in general a nice flavor to it. Nothing really spectacular, but I'd buy it again, a little pricey, but could be worse.

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2009 03:14:57 | More by pokesbeerdude

rfgetz

New Jersey

3.88/5  rDev -4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a dark brown with reddish highlights, minimal ring of off white head, decent lacing. Scent is of aggressive carmel, slight hints of smoke and earthy, citrus and piney hops. Taste is quite smooth for the style, solid carmel and roasted background with a good "american" hop presence. Not as sweet as i expected. Medium bodied, only slightly chewy. Good beer, more akin to a Strong Ale or "Imperial" Amber in my eyes.

Serving type: on-tap

08-23-2010 14:50:48 | More by rfgetz

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.85/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Shared pint bottle thanks to JSquires via Papsoe. Big head with soapy bubbles on brown, lacing. Very bitter, carbonation tingle the tongue. Hop oily, herbal character. Warming alcohol. Did not get the malt and the balance, rather astringent hop leaf.
Second bottle via Boutip, fresher and 8 months later, An imperial pale, quoting Old Faithful. Dark, piney, lacey. Well done and upgraded substantially.
Had it again two years later, appearance of black with lots of lace and big head. Aroma of barley and hops. Just as big and different.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2006 04:00:08 | More by northyorksammy

lackenhauser

Maryland

3.85/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Deep, deep brown color with a huge fluffy, cocoa head on top. Somewhat metallic and sharp aroma-vinuous. Deep, malty flavor. Nice blend of a caramel/raisin taste. Strong hop bitterness-they really stand out against the heavy malt. Decent enough mouthfeel-has a dry edge to it in the finish. Good barleywine. Not up to par with their RIS and porter but still a solid brew.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2007 02:01:16 | More by lackenhauser

mbrasi

Ohio

3.85/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Really a DIPA, it has more bw charecter than a DIPA. I'm reviewing this as a bw. Pours a dark brown with a deep malt presence that is mostly caramel and dark fruits. Flavor brings out the hops, there are some hops in the back that leaves a slight bitterness but definitly not of the american hop bomb caliber. Mouthfeel is thick with minimal carbonation. It's really just a big beer, not quite a bw but not quite a DIPA, but enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2009 00:53:15 | More by mbrasi

superspak

Michigan

3.85/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

500 ml bottle into snifter, no bottle date. Pours cloudy dark reddish brown color with a nice 2 finger dense light khaki head with great retention that reduces to a thick cap. Some incredible thick soapy lacing on the glass as well. Aromas of big herbal hops, smokiness, old pine, citrus, caramel, wood, dark fruit, chocolate, light coffee, and spiciness. I have a feeling this is an older bottle. Extremely interesting smelling, and not like fresh hops at all. Taste of big caramel, wood, herbal, molasses, chocolate, biscuit, pine, light citrus, and spicy hops. Fair amount of bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of herbal hops, caramel, chocolate, wood, molasses, and pine on the finish for a while. Medium carbonation and medium-full bodied; with a very creamy and slick mouthfeel that drinks easily for being 10%. Alcohol is well hidden with only a warming on the finish. Overall this is a very nice enjoyable barleywine. Aromas are a bit odd, but it had nice flavor and balance. I would like to pick up a younger bottle in the future.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2012 04:19:05 | More by superspak

mtbdonn

United Kingdom (England)

3.85/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Purchased from Beers of Europe in Kingland, England
A-Poured a thick murky bownish, light carbonation and head, with a bit of floating sediment, light lacing
S-Sweet, hints of caramel, some light hints of pine and citrus, hops
T-Heavy, a little oily, again with the light citrus and hops, pine and like the smell pleasantly sweet and hoppy combination
M-Thick and chewy with creamy carbonation.
O-Interesting version of a Barley wine I'm not accustomed to, appears dark but tastes light and at 10% the ABV is well hidden in the taste, though I can feel the effects. I do like this brew, but it is an expensive one.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2013 12:49:14 | More by mtbdonn

CAMRAhardliner

Ontario (Canada)

3.84/5  rDev -5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a hazy mahogany color with orange edges. The frothy espresso colored head lasts a short while, mustering up plenty of lace trails and patches on the glass. The aroma is equal parts roasty, chocolaty malts and citric, pithy hops. Eucalyptus, pine and lemon hop notes hit first in the taste. A wall of malts mixed with a warming, spicy alcohol kick show shortly after. Rum cake, cherries, vanilla and cocoa all show. There's a whiff of soy sauce as well. The finish is moderately bitter and boozy. The mouthfeel is full bodied with lots of dextrins. Carbonation is creamy in texture.

This is a good, hop forward Barleywine. Lots of complexity and a unique hop profile. The only drawback is the immodest alcohol taste - understandable for the ABV, but many others have done much better. Still though, this is a great winter sipper. Worth a try for sure.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2013 04:54:33 | More by CAMRAhardliner

Vancer

Illinois

3.83/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Wickedpete sends another great beer to me via trade, cool runnings!!

Wow, an easy pour of dark oak fires up a massive tan milkshake of head. Malty aroma proceeds a chocolate coffee quaff. Not your typical BW, much different with the malts. A very tasty brew, more of a porter/stout than BW – but I’m the better man for having the chance to partake of this one.

Bottom covered in yeasty slough, the velvety smoothness easily masks the high octane.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2008 20:26:08 | More by Vancer

Grabbin2nd

California

3.83/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

From Notes: 3/25/09
Nogne O
#100 Barleywine
10% abv.
500ml Bottle into NB snifter

Appearance= Fat 2 finger tan head after vigorous pour. Blackish brown with tan floaties.

Smell= Nothing stands out...Typical B-wine smell

Taste= Good flavor. A little chocolate??.Must be the malts...Not super complex or deep. Just a good straight forward b-wine flavor.

Mouthfeel= Not too thick on the finish, yet on the thicker side of b-wines. Finishes clean.

Drinkability=@ this Abv., size of bottle and mouthfeel = sipper.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2009 20:08:00 | More by Grabbin2nd

BDTyre

British Columbia (Canada)

3.83/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Dark, porter-like appearance with a decent, but not overly aggressive head. Seems a little bit too dark almost.

Slightly vinous, malty nose with raisins, plums and a bit of cherry. Brown sugar, sultana raisins, light brandy and dark chocolate in the flavour. A little more hops than expected, and this tends to lend a bit of a slightly sour, metallic bitterness. This eases a bit as it warm, but it gives way to a mild alcohol warmth.

Smooth mouthfeel, nice low carbonation. Loses drinkability points for ABV and alcohol warmth.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2010 06:47:01 | More by BDTyre

Gueuzedude

Arizona

3.8/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A reasonably vigorous pour produces a four-finger thick, darkish tinged, tan colored head in my Tripel Karmeliet tulip. The beer is a deeply concentrated, burnt amber color that just shows a deep, clear, concentrated ruby hue if held up to the light. This smells of sticky hop character even as I am pouring this beer. A closer inspection confirms this with notes of candied citrus peel, sweetened berry notes, sweet pine sap, orange blossom honey, a soft herbal reek that can lean towards garlic chive at times as well as a touch of menthol aromatics. As is typical with my experience of the new breed, hoppy northern European beers there is still a substantial malt backbone here that contributes a deep toasty grain character, and nice whole grain bread aromatics.

Hoppy from the first taste, this has a bracing bitterness that becomes more astringent and aggressive through to the lingering, bitingly hoppy finish. Lingering herbal notes, menthol, concentrated pine sap, bright bergamot, ruby-red grapefruit, tangerine, ample lychee form the biggest part of the flavor profile, but supporting hop-derived notes of light cured leather, some tobacco flavors, garlic chives and milkweed are also noticeable at a much more subtle level. The malt contributes lots of chewy, viscous body to this brew as well as some light toasted-almost-roasted touches in the finish, hop supporting caramel character, and some malty crushed cracker flavors in the middle that get drowned out by the caramelized malt sweetness by the finish. As the beer warms up in my glass it smoothes out just a bit with some of the harsher hop notes and the bitterness becoming a bit softer and a touch more integrated.

Definitely on the thick side of a double IPA, indeed more in line on this front with a Barley wine, but it certainly plays the hop card in spades as this is clearly the dominant character, even despite the interesting malt depth. This is one of those beers that really needs to warm up (even though it only started at 50°F / 10°C, it was still a bit too cool) and perhaps even breath a bit in order to lose a bit of the sharp, astringent hop edge. This really is just insanely hopped, though I find it quite enjoyable. I definitely am enjoying the depth the mares otter malt adds and even the slight roasted note from the chocolate malt is a nice addition.

Purchased: Plaza Liquors, Tucson AZ

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2008 05:26:38 | More by Gueuzedude

elgiacomo

Georgia

3.78/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

500ml bottle served in a Duvel tulip. Been saving this one for rating #100, how appropriate.

Pours brown with a two finger light tan head that holds together very nicely and leaves lots of lacing.

Big time aroma of resin hops up front, some citrus, but also plenty of sweet malts, caramel, dark fruits, some brown sugar, vanilla, a touch of chocolate. Quite complex on the nose.

Flavor starts with sweet caramel malts, brown sugar, vanilla, some chocolate, then follows with some bitter resinous hops on the finish.

Mouthfeel is very full and creamy, medium carbonation.

Is this a DIPA or a barleywine? I think it falls somewhere in between the two. An immensely enjoyable and unique brew.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2010 05:22:59 | More by elgiacomo

tobeerornottobe

Australia

3.78/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Tried on-tap at the Local Taphouse in Darlinghurst on 30/10/2010.

A: Very dark brown with some tinges of red and a bubbly head.

N: Wow, there's the hop hit. Fresh hops which are very nice but I maybe expected them to be more musty in character than this. Hops very dominant.

T: Yes, the hops are still there. Really quite prominent.

M: Spot on for the style, fairly heavy but not quite as full as an Imperial Stout. Maybe a bit too much carbonation apparent through the mid-palate.

Overall, pretty good, though I admit I wasn't expecting quite the level of hops that appear in nose and taste. I imagine that's what differentiates an American barleywine from an English barleywine.

Serving type: on-tap

10-31-2010 05:19:57 | More by tobeerornottobe

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

3.75/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pours a dark brown, near black body with a huge, foamy beige head. Copious amounts of lacing.

Smell: The aroma is a blending of freshly-peeled citrus fruits and burnt chocolate cookies.

Taste: Double Fudge cookies with a reasonable sweetness that blends into an oven-roasted fruitiness and the taste of creosote-soaked citrus hops. A mild smokiness appears midway, as does the taste of hearty nine-grain bread. Finishes dry and bitter with an extra helping of roast.

Mouthfeel: Medium-full body. Medium carbonation.

Drinkability: An interesting, unique hrbid beer for sure with plenty to offer and begs (if not requires) to be sipped.

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2007 22:34:36 | More by ChainGangGuy

cokes

Wisconsin

3.75/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pitches out of the bottle virtually black, not imperial stout black, but close, as this dark purple-brown liquid lets no light through. The head is a fairly healthy tan rise and sticks in gobs.
It's all pine needle, pine bark, and pine sap on the nose, the woody portion of it mingles with traces of cocoa. Port traits arrive only after it sits awhile. The fact is, the malts only make a cursory appearance in the aroma.
In mouth, malt is a bit more pronounced, though secondary in every way to the hops. It begins with roasted grain, bakers chocolate, figs, and coffee. Maple syrup overrides it all, and carries it into the hop breakers. Here on out, it's all metallic pine tree, full of sap, bark, and dry needles. The hopping is interesting with its equal parts resin and wood and tannins. But they are so loud as to drown almost everything else out. Malt is electrocuted out. Even alcohol hardly finds a place. Had the hops been a tad juicier rather than parching acrid, it could sidle towards the IIPA realm, but they don't so that's out of the question.

So basically, it's just a gob of malt basted in bitter hops.

The body is medium-full, with sparse carbonation. At first, it almost seems too light, then it settles into something beefier. Nevertheless, it seems to belie the richness of the malt.
It's a very drinkable barleywine,in spite of it all, though it burns a little once it hits the esophagus, but never before.
I can't help but shake the impression of a cover band playing "Bigfoot Barleywine", especially with its bitter Columbus focus. It's a respectable interpretation, but when the original costs $10/sixer to the $7/ 500mL bottle here, I'll stick with the classic, as its parts are more integrated, and is simply better and cheaper.

All told, it's a decent hoppy b'wine, but seems more than a bit rote.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2008 10:03:35 | More by cokes