Saison - Nøgne Ø - Det Kompromissløse Bryggeri A/S

yourefragile

District of Columbia

3.35/5  rDev -11.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

1 Pt .9 oz bottle poured into a snifter.

Pours a cloudy, pale orange golden color with a frothy cream color head that has nice retention and average lacing. Aroma is earthy, grainy with mild fruitiness and malt. Also an occasional unpleasant cat pee pinch in the nose. Taste has a strong pale malt and grain body with soft full body and fine, sharp carbonation. Pleasant balance of pepper spice, lemon zest and sweeter fruits and sugars. Finish isn't quite as dry or crisp as hoped for. I don't know, it seems like all the right pieces are in place for what I look for from a saison but they don't quite add up a smooth, enjoyable sum.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2010 02:00:44 | More by yourefragile

rbhockeyfan

Nevada

3.35/5  rDev -11.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pour: A beautiful light orange honey color with a nice head and touch of lacing on the glass after the head dies

Smell: Fairly typical of a farm house ale, sweet, strong, and touch of funk with a light alcohol note and a bit of stone fruits

Taste: A little week compared to the smell, but not bad. Nothing that makes it stand out to me. A touch of the stone fruit that comes through in the nose with a mild flavor that lingers for a short time

Mouthfeel: Again is pretty average for the style of beer.

Overall: An average to slightly above average beer, nothing to write home about but certainly one I would drink again.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2011 01:21:45 | More by rbhockeyfan

Tone

Missouri

3.33/5  rDev -11.9%
look: 2 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours a cloudy, maize color. 1/4 inch head of an off-white color. Slight retention and poor lacing. Smells of tart malt, hint of yeast, pale malt, hint of wheat, slight alcohol, and a hint of spice (spruce?). Fits the style of a Saison / Farmhouse Ale. Mouth feel is sharp and crisp, with an average carbonation level. Tastes of pale malt, slight yeast, tart malt, slight spice, and a hint of wheat. Overall, weak appearance and body, but good blend.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2011 14:44:06 | More by Tone

callmescraps

Massachusetts

3.28/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Had this one with friends so didn't have a chance to jot down my thoughts. However, I tried to make some mental notes to help with the review.

This one looked like a saison. It had a nice cloudiness, but almost no head, which should have been my first sign that something was amiss. It smelled ok, with some spice and hoppiness, but not terribly strong.

It tasted, well, like not a whole lot. It certainly had more spice, and more depth than your average High Life, but not nearly as much as some of my favorite saisons. It also had a strange aftertaste that seemed a little off.

It felt appropriate in the mouth, and it was fine in terms of drinkability. I might have another, if I was thirsty and there was one sitting around. If someone brought over a bunch of these, and that's what we were drinking, I could polish them off, but I would definitely check the fridge to gauge my options. Overall, disappointing, but not a bad beer or anything.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2008 21:28:38 | More by callmescraps

chasebrownyeah1

Florida

3.28/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Det Kompromisslose Bryggeri A/S saison ABV: 6.5%

A: Very hazy appearance... has a orange, yellow, and brown hint to the beer. No head that has a very minimal lacing on the glass. Can see some sediments in the fluid that makes that liquid very uneasy to see through.

S: Has a sweet smell that just lingers in the nose. Also, can smell sort of a bitter smell that kind of resembles a earthy texture. My opinion, it smells very maltly.

T-M: The first taste that I get from drinking this beer is a very citrus taste and a strong kick of malts. The citrus taste like lime and goes together with the maltly taste. the aftertaste is very earthy... hard to explain. If was to explain earthy, it would be a grassy and hoppy taste.

D: This beer does go down smoothly. However, The distinctive taste and mouthful kind of makes it a rough drink. Could I drink more of it?? Of course I can... this beer doesn't have to much affect on me. So, I would drink this beer, but this beer is a beer I would enjoy with a friend or brother.

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2010 01:11:48 | More by chasebrownyeah1

jampics2

Ohio

3.25/5  rDev -14%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A bottle shared at Arp's. Madness seems to have occurred when this bottle was opened towards the end of the tasting. There was screaming, beer being spit and spilled, and general chaos.

Appears a cloudy straw color. Decent head retention. Nice lacing.

Yeasty esters in the nose. A bit of basement musk, not farmhouse per say. Perhaps a bit of spice - just a Belgian earthy aroma. Touch of earthy hops.

Too much dryness VS sweetness. A bit of hay taste to the wheat, pepper, Belgian candy sugar, and cardamon. Very light hoppiness makes an appearance before the moisture is sucked out of my mouth. I found this just too dry after the initial sweetness. I know the finish should count for mouthfeel more than taste, but it really distracted from what I though could have been a better flavor progression. No brett or horseblanket, and the funk from the nose doesn't really come out in the taste.

Mouthfeel was average. Carb was too low and too dry.

Drinkability was slightly above average just because it seemed to disappear quickly. Madness around me, but none in my glass.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2010 20:27:19 | More by jampics2

aforbes10

Iowa

3.23/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

bottle from city wide in south bend. Pours a grapefruit-juice yellow-orange with a short white head. A cloudy beer, laces slowly and unevenly. Smells surprisingly funky (i admit to having read some of the reviews in advance and noticing a complaint about lack of funk - not a requirement for saison, by the way). Citrusy hops with a soured malt backbone on the nose too. Yeah, definitely some monkey-funk smell. Taste is a bit unblanced, with part of the beer wanting to go with a hop forward lighter saison direction, and the other half wanting to be a funky malty or wheaty explosion. It almost achieves a sort of orange zest and horse shed medium but it doesnt quite pull it off. Still, it has some good qualities. I like the citrus flavor and the mild tang. I just think it could have a bit more of a spiciness or something to bring everything together.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2008 23:00:46 | More by aforbes10

robbyc1

Illinois

3.18/5  rDev -15.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Full cloudy yellow/orange look with little head, just a nice looking saison.

Nose of lemon, some funk, esthers of yeast, somewhat sour smelling - just right for the type.

Taste does not carry the nose, a bit of a disappointment, needs more depth and doesn't carry the promise of the nose. Nice balance, but that's the best thing about it. Oh well. Has some fruit and a nice dry aftertaste, a bit of hops bitterness, not sweet.

Nice and heavy, good body, but doesn't make up for the taste.

Very drinkable, easy to have, but needs more flavor. Had expected more on the recommendation from my Arminetti's dude, nice try.

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2008 22:46:02 | More by robbyc1

Blakaeris

Iowa

3.18/5  rDev -15.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Appearance is hazy golden yellow with a creamy white head and plenty of lacing.

Aroma is sweet candy sugar with generous lemon and banana. Spices come on strong with a good bit of coriander.

Taste is surprisingly mild compared to the nose. Where did all the flavor go? Some sweet malt, lemon zest, and vague yeasty spice.

Mouthfeel is soft and creamy.

I don't get it. It looks and smells really good, but the flavor is so mild. I won't bother with this one again.

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2010 22:07:06 | More by Blakaeris

JDV

Texas

3.15/5  rDev -16.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Thanks to Erin for lugging this one back from Atlanta for me!
Pours a glowing, cloudy, bright, light orange color. Just a sudsy sparse head remains after a few seconds. Smell is coriander, spices, along with bright and wheaty and lightly citrusy leanings. Taste is lightly spiced with similar flavors as in the smell, along with an interesting and unexpected, but welcomed light hop presence and a lightly wheaty flavor as well. Thin to medium bodied with average carbonation. Not too familiar with the style, but I enjoyed this one.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2008 19:26:48 | More by JDV

Murchmac

California

3.13/5  rDev -17.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I was pinched on the bus today for not wearing green and then the woman began to argue with me. I'd like to pinch this beer for not overwhelming me.

Everything you'd expect from a saison with color and smell. It was a little too cloudy for me.

Taste could have been good, what you would expect from a saison, a little too metallic and sour for me.

To top the day off, I went to McDonalds and they were out of shamrock shakes. Like my day, everything you would expect, but just not that good.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2009 04:05:16 | More by Murchmac

dgallina

Georgia

3.1/5  rDev -18%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

1 pint, .9 fluid ounce slim brown bottle. The usual bold Nøgne labeling and no freshness dating.

Looks a bit dull and sickly on the pour. Cloudy pale yellow, nearly flat body, with a film of white head on top. Smells nice enough, however. Dusty lime notes with a light funky yeast and mellow grain backdrop. The aroma mostly follows through in flavor. Lemon and lime ride atop slightly earthy yeast. Builds to a hoppy bitter finish with an unfortunate metallic aftertaste. The body is thin, rather limp, and barely carbonated. An thoroughly unimpressive beer. Significantly below average for this brewery.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2008 23:53:22 | More by dgallina

soupyman10

District of Columbia

3.08/5  rDev -18.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

This one's either not that good, or slightly skunked. Or both (for $9, I'm not pleased). Medium white head over a yellow-orange colored beer that's slightly opaque. Bubbles dissolve down quickly leaving a very fine film on top. No lacing. Nose is citrus and skunk. Flavor is some mild citrus, malt, wheat, yeast, and skunkiness. This one is really disappointing. I don't get it either...brown bottle, no apparent issues. I'm pissed.

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2008 19:18:55 | More by soupyman10

charlzm

California

3.08/5  rDev -18.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Consumed 08/30/08.

From the bottle to the tulip glass, the beer looks a lot like a mimosa: fairly clear golden/orange with plenty of tiny bubbles though only a fleeting head. Then, because I didn't catch it in time, the cloudy yeast from the bottle bottom slipped out. Drats!

The beer is quite aromatic, with sweet honeysuckle complimented by a tart citrus character (mostly oranges). This literally made my mouth water!

The mouthfeel is a bit on the watery side, and the lack of carbonation imparts a heavy, almost syrupy feel.

Flavor is muted: similar to but sadly less intense than the aroma. Not particularly sour or tart, the most notable (and surprising) flavor is a marked bitterness. There's also a hint of dryness on the finish.

Disappointing, after the overall high caliber of this brewery's other beers and the awesome aroma. I poured most of it down the drain.

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2008 23:13:36 | More by charlzm

alysmith4

District of Columbia

3/5  rDev -20.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This was my first beer from this brewery, and I was pretty impressed. It seems they brew just about every style of beer, and with this one - they nailed the saison right on the head. It was flavorful, crisp, slightly sour, bready, and spicy. I could definitely have this beer again and again, if it weren't so pricey.

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2012 19:06:16 | More by alysmith4

MammothTarantula

Oklahoma

2.88/5  rDev -23.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

My apologies for not reviewing this more thoroughly, but I felt like I needed to say something about this even though I did not take the time to review each individual aspect of this beer.

This does not taste like a saison at all. It's basically an East Coast IPA with a slight hint of Belgian yeast. It's not a bad beer by any means, but as a lover of saisons, I was thoroughly disappointed. Don't write this beer of completely, but just beware. That is all.

Serving type: bottle

07-19-2012 23:19:07 | More by MammothTarantula

sweemzander

Illinois

2.85/5  rDev -24.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

500mL bottle poured into a tulip.

(A)- Pours a clear orange color. Produced a great fluffy white head with solid retention. Very consistent lacing all around the inside rim.

(S)- Very very dry. Has a unique floral-like almost medicinal band-aid brett character to it. Earthy yeast and lemon/wheat characters as well. A different aroma, but an intriguing one.

(T)- Very different from the smell. Very dry and very earthy with bitter clay in front of a band-aid-like tartness.

(M)- A good carbonation level. Very dry and bitter with tons of clay. A bit disjointed and surprisingly thin even for the style. The bitterness is almost overwhelming actually.

(D)- Definitely a bit odd and funky for a traditional Saison. Very bitter and earthy with little else going on aside from that weird medicinal aspect.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2011 01:01:21 | More by sweemzander

bashiba

Iowa

2.83/5  rDev -25.1%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Poured a cloudy yellow with a thick sticky off white head.

It smelled funky like saison should, but maybe a little to funky, almost feet like.

Considering the huge nose the flavor is very mild and crisp with a bit of light fruit and a touch of lemony bitterness, very mild and not nearly as spicy as most Saisons.

The mouthfeel is spot on with a crisp and dry finish.

Drinkable, but a bit on the bland side for me.

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2010 21:57:38 | More by bashiba

ccrida

Oregon

1.63/5  rDev -56.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 1

Bottle poured into my large Gulden Draak tulip, the Saison is a cloudy burnt gold with a small white head that leaves light lace.

Smell is very spicy, before I even had a taste, I thought "uh oh". Orange juice beer, maybe passable for an heavy-handed Wit.

Taste is heavy on the orange peel, like a fruit beer. Curarcao I assume, it has bit of Gran Mariner syrupiness. This is just not what I look for in a Saison at all (or really any beer). Sorry, this is just too overspiced. This beer doesn't necessarily taste awful, I'm sure it's popular with teenagers in countries where it's affordable.

Mouthfeel is thicker and kind of soapy.

Drinkability is very low. This is mis-labed, it's a bad wit, not a saison. If you like orange juice and don't like beer, it's worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

06-30-2008 05:28:13 | More by ccrida