Dark Horizon 1st Edition - Nøgne Ø - Det Kompromissløse Bryggeri A/S

joepais

Maine

4.97/5  rDev +15%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I stopped by the Loins Pride on the way through for vacation and I happen to have my bottle in my cooler to drink this week. I showed my teen-agers the price on the bottle list they were charging for this bottle $85.00 and then later I showed them my bottle. They thought Dad was living large LOL

I poured my numbered bottle into my snifter and it produced a wonderful two-finger tan colored head that went to a thick lace. The body color was a nice typical black colored stout with tan colored highlights

I must say that this brew smelled fantastic the fresh coffee and chocolate aroma was over the top. All of the big ass boozyness that I had gotten from a sample some years ago was gone. This brew surely has come into it's own. When the teens saw me crack this one they asked for a sip. They wanted to live life large too. My youngest summed up the flavor profile by saying it reminded her of a mocha frapachino. It really had some nice sweet chocolate notes with the coffee coming up in the finish. Again it had no alcohol hotness at all as I sipped away at this. It had a full feel to in my mouth with some great carbonation for such a big brew with some age on it.

Let me now to sum up the drikability on this fantastic brew. I poured the rest of the bomber into an insulated coffee mug and proceeded to make my way to the beach (there was a no glass rule) I sat in my lounge chair and kept sipping away at this till it was gone. It was one of the best beer drinking experiences I have ever had. Would I pay $85 to do it again? I don't think so, but I did gab another second edition while they were fresh. Here's to hoping for the best.
Oh yea I did have one hell of a buzz as the night went on, after finishing the bomber myself. Don't plan on doing much but chilling if you are going to tackle one of these alone.

Serving type: bottle

08-11-2009 00:53:10 | More by joepais

StoutHearted

Pennsylvania

4.9/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Dark is apt, as the beer poured a thick, dark, black color with a frothy tan head. I discerned a fig or prune scent at first. It was gentle on the tongue, and there was a coffee flavor with a winelike mouthfeel. A few sips later, there were some changes, like it started to get more of a bite. Strong tastes of chocolate and coffee grounds without the bitterness associate with both. It started feeling like sparkling cider on the tongue. Later, I noted grape tones and the booziness warmed up my tummy. A surprising beer that provided many changes with each sip.

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2007 23:51:46 | More by StoutHearted

jimbomill

New Jersey

4.9/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Had a "stout night" a couple of Friday's back. 2006 Dark Lord was one of the stable of stouts.
The Dark Horizon was simply the best beer I ever had, so far.
The appearance was typically stout, almost a blue black. The smell was a wave of rich complexity, enough malt in the aroma to notice without much effort. I like that. The taste was the offspring you get when rich marries silky. Mouthfeel was a-plenty. neither thin nor burdonsome, what was it that Goldilocks said when she got to that third bowl?

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2008 22:30:45 | More by jimbomill

Sigmund

Norway

4.88/5  rDev +13%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle conditioned, at Ølkulinarisk Aften, Kristiansand. This beer nearly left me speechless - I’d never have expected a 16% ABV beer to be this wonderful and well balanced. I think yngwie’s description nails it pretty well. LOVELY aroma and flavour, where notes of oak, fortified wine, coffee and chocolate come in front. A great match with chocolate dessert, could probably also have been a great match with the very mature stilton cheese we had as the previous course (NØ Amber was a bit light-weight for the stilton IMO).

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2007 20:55:05 | More by Sigmund

mynie

Indiana

4.88/5  rDev +13%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Bit of a soapy pour, for an RIS. Big oilslick head, dies quickly. Very dark, but still a tiny bit translucent.

Smells like oh my goodness gracious. Vinous roasted malt, like a Cabernet made out of barley instead of grapes. Big coffee nodes, too.

Tastes even better than it smells. This is superbly brewed, right here. Crisp barely and distinct hops--American tasting, strange enough--moving into the winedark middle of roasted chocolate, floral malt (?), light burny alcohol, and bloodred wine. Notice the two "wines" in there. That's intentional.

This packs quite a wallop but it's aged spectacularly so there's no harshness whatsoever. A dangerously delicious beer. Gotta try an track down the newer vintage.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2009 00:51:04 | More by mynie

DarkerTheBetter

Pennsylvania

4.85/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Found at Capone’s. Bottle # 02200.

This beer pours a solid black with a few floaties on the bottom. Just a bit of light creeps around the edges when held to the light that reveals a dark brown. The head is a lasting creamy tan film with more bubbles concentrated towards the edges. The persistence here really sets the tone.

Smells of fig newtons, green grapes, milk chocolate, ginger bread cookies and an astringent alcohol that fades as it warms.

Tastes initially very creamy with whole milk, a touch of soft chocolate and truffles. This creamy nature is really off the charts. It then picks up a very smooth coffee as it turns towards a more smokey roasted malt with hints of chicory and espresso. The charred, woody finish is a wonderful end to this ride.

Feels rather light and easy, all things considered, with a delicately light and fluffy carbonation and a dry, clean finish.

Damn. This one’s one for the record books.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2007 00:48:38 | More by DarkerTheBetter

Phatz

Pennsylvania

4.83/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Wow! HUGE thanks to Mac300 for sharing this very pricey beer with me.

I really put this beer in a league with only two other *Super imperial* Stouts when it comes to abv, World Wide Stout & Mephistopheles' Stout. I have not had a vintage Mephistopheles' but WWS is one of my favorites. Mephistopheles' on the other hand actually gets a bit hot, at least in the fresh version. Nøgne Ø Dark Horizon is amazingly approachable and surprisingly drinkable for a 16% beer. Don't be fooled by my 5.0 drinkability. This is a sipping but in this league is creme-de-la-creme. It lack the super heavy maltyness of Dark Lord, the glass lining heaviness and sticky body, but this is one I would drink for a nightcap every night, where Dark Lord is a special occasion beer. Now, on to the break down.

Appearance: Pours a gorgeous black. Pure pitch black as nigh black into my snifter with a small brown head that fades to a cap.

Smell: Chocolate figs grapes prune rum fudge roasted malts dark dark purple grapes coffee and splash of vanilla and milk.

Taste: Everything in the nose and more. It is hot and boozy and yet not too much so. The big alcoholic nature of the beer is balanced by the rich creamy cocoa and the dark fruits. Chocolate liquor, mmm. It is just sweet enough and the espresso and bitter chocolate just sends my taste-buds into a frenzy. Magnificent!

Mouthfeel: It is certainly hot. The high alcohol shows through at a very enjoyable degree. It is not as thick as I would have suspected but rather light for all the rich syrup flavors. The cinnamon ginger and oak along with the alcohol leave may palate coated with lively flavors and surprising crispness.

Drinkability: Down right LEATHAL! The biggest obstacle I have with this beer is that I am not independently wealthy yet. If I were, I may commit suicide by Nøgne Ø Dark Horizon, not on purpose but this is a very nice nightcap, just remember, be careful!

Hope this is helpful.
Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2007 18:14:14 | More by Phatz

rye726

Colorado

4.83/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Pours near black with shades of mahogany. Silky mocha head has very good lacing and retention for a stout of this size.

Nose has big roasted malts, chocolate fudge, coffee, molasses, ripe pitted fruits and complex alcohols.

Taste has rich malts, cocoa, espresso, licorice, molasses, dark fruits, toffee, caramel and peppery alcohol.

Creamy body is well carbonated and hides the booze quite well.

Not sure if it's the age of just a superior batch, but this is yards above the 2nd edition.

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2009 02:31:17 | More by rye726

roadhouse

Florida

4.8/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

My 400th review, this one seems totally fitting on this cold night.

Poured from a 16.9 oz. bottle into a snifter.

Appearance of this one is impressive even before the bottle is in sight. Sleek cardboard cylinder houses the bottle, that becomes even cooler after pouring to reveal that the label is actually clear, not black, a sign of the darkness of the brew itself. It's pitch black, you could hold this one up to the sun and no light would penetrate it. The head is only about a half inch thick, a dark tan color, and disappears rather quickly. It doesn't leave any lacing, but who cares.

The aroma is enticing to say the least. It's a firestorm of greatness, just the stuff I enjoy in an Imperial Stout. The first thing that strikes me is the massive molasses component combined with the sweet scents of brown sugar and rum-soaked raisins. Lots of chocolate as well as vanilla. Considering the 16% ABV, this one is not that big on the hot alcohols. Maybe a year has done it some good, I can only assume. The coffee in the beer is secondary at this point. It's certainly there, but not very strong as a fresh version would be. I can't stand only admiring the wonderful aroma of this beer anymore, I need to taste it.

The taste is every bit as exceptional as the aroma, in fact it's even better. The thick and silky nectar and first strikes me as very sweet with that brown sugar coming through strongly, but it is quickly turned around when I begin to swallow to reveal a complex character almost like it was aged in bourbon barrel. The rum-raisin character is quite strong, with chocolate right alongside it. The vanilla character in the aroma is even stronger here, which lends it to have that barrel aged character. Not to mention the hot alcohol component, it's much stronger than in the aroma, though it doesn't detract for me. Something tells me this one could be cellared for another decade or two.

The mouthfeel is certainly on the thicker side of things, but it's not quite syrupy as some tend to get. I prefer to describe it as silky, gliding across the palate and coating it with the dark potion. Its carbonation is somewhere in the middle, and could stand a slight increase. Drinkablity, all things considered, is extremely high. It might take an hour to drink, but I certainly wouldn't mind having another to last another hour afterwards.

The one thing that I am very happy about right now: I still have about 12 ounces of this left to drink (thank you for being in 500ml bottles!) and there's one thing I am very sad about right now: I only have about 12 ounces of this left to drink. This is a fantastic RIS and it blew my expectations away. This one is under-hyped if anything. Trade your kids, trade your pets, just do what you have to in order to get a bottle of this. It might not be worth that, but since it's 16% ABV, you probably won't care until the next morning.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2009 07:30:40 | More by roadhouse

KnutAlbert

Norway

4.78/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Beatufil packaging, pours an almost pitch dark.
A serious beer, not intended for the casual drinker. Perfect for sipping, and, given the strength, a bottle is fine for sharing.

Full of flavour, the added coffe lifts it even higher than the Imperial Stout from the same brewery. Complex, sweetness and dryness, warming afterglow.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2008 11:46:11 | More by KnutAlbert

CrellMoset

Virginia

4.78/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle #02535, cracked with gford217 (whose kindness and generosity really blows me away) - thanks! Poured into a Terrapin snifter.

Appearance: A deep and inviting-looking brew, borderline black but not quite all the way there. It's got a gorgeous, foamy, fine, and even coffee-colored head that sticks around for a surprisingly long time, given the fact that this Behemoth is 16% abv. Although it's thick and heavy-looking, it's not nearly as thick and heavy-looking as you would expect, which is definitely points in its favor.

Aroma: Starts with dark, roasty sweetness - bakers chocolate, full and Italian roast coffee, and a faint simple sweetness which intensifies with time. Absolutely no alcohol until it warms up considerably, which is impressive. Dark fruits also become more evident as things warm up - figs, burnt raisins, blackberries. I'm smelling the remains in the bottle now the morning after and getting an overwhelmingly vinous, port-like fruit note. Impressive.

Taste: Very sweet - easily one if not the sweetest RIS I've ever had the pleasure of partaking in - but not one-dimensionally so. Everything that was in the nose is here as well - sweet chocolate and two-sugared coffee, those dark toffee and molasses-esque raw sugar notes, the same berry and dark fruit notes - but there's also a mild wine-like tannin quality that grows stronger as it warms. The alcohol's also definitely there, but it's very smooth and slick, not hot or harsh. Truly exceptional.

Mouthfeel: Pure velvet. Masterfully crafted, it's very even, silky, and velvety, without being oily or slick. The sweetness isn't cloying or filmy, either - just very well-done.

Drinkability: How can a 16% abv beer get a 4.5 on drinkabililty? I don't know - but it does. Deviously complex and enjoyable. Likely my new favorite RIS, and it's a shame this is probably the only one of these I'll ever be able to enjoy. Many thanks again to gford217.

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2008 16:12:59 | More by CrellMoset

Gusler

Arizona

4.75/5  rDev +10%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

The beer decamps the 500ml bottle an atramentous color, with a runty chocolate creamy head, that evanescence’s slowly, leaving the lace to circumnavigate the glass. Greeting you first is a bittersweet chocolate espresso aroma that is bushwhacked quickly by the fusel alcohol, lost in the shuffle is a bit of caramel, dark roasted grain, and molasses. Front is ambrosial, grain profile exceptional, with an amalgamate of hops and alcohol at the stern, top is full and rich. Finish has a pedestrian acidity, the hops, burnt grain, coffee, bittersweet chocolate commingle with the alcohol to beget a bleached desert bone-dry aftertaste that welds itself to the palate. The term “tummy warmer” is an understatement, it is a “Hoot”, ranks up there with “Three Floyd’s Dark Lord”, and the “Original monster from the dark side, Dogfish Head World Wide Stout (23%).

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2007 22:44:54 | More by Gusler

yemenmocha

Arizona

4.72/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours like motor oil into glass and leaves residual liquid on the sides with a gental swirl - it's almost as if this pours like a spirit. Head is thin to nonexistent.

On the nose the roasty coffee character is captivating and suggests that it will be like a very sweet chocolate on the palate. There's also a dark chocolate component in there too.

On the palate this full bodied elixir delivers a whollop of roasted coffee flavours that comes across in a very "creamy" way. It's very syrupy and somewhat medicinal, with dark roasted malt, coffee, and chocolates in the mix. Very complex and hard to pin down.

Finish has a fizzy butterscotch with chocolate theme at the beginning but fades to a (pleasant) soapy like feel on the palate. It doesn't taste anything like soap - it's just that it has that lingering oily like texture on the palate that doesn't go away until you slowly feel your mouth salivating it away.

Worth every penny to try this beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2007 04:36:20 | More by yemenmocha

Wasatch

Utah

4.72/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a very nice dark brown/black color, nice carbonation, nice little creamy tannish head, with some nice sticky lacing left behind. The nose is malty, with some nice vanilla notes. Nice chocolate/toffe notes. The taste is slightly sweet, malty, with some chocolate/toffee/vanilla notes. Medium body. Very drinkable, this is an awesome brew.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2008 07:00:12 | More by Wasatch

tavernjef

Minnesota

4.7/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Comes in its own cylinder container: bottle 02157 - Very dark brown pour to settle inky, impenetrable black. A huge cinnamon brown colored cupcake of a foam sits on top with immense density. Slowly and evenly settles down to a thickly compacted skim. Bits and spots of lace are thown about in a minimal display of intensity.

Aroma is monsterously rich and tangy with darker then dark malts of thick molasses, chewy chocolate, dark fruityness thats mostly pruney and raisiny. Rummy heat adds lots of depth to its sweet, dark side.

Taste has immeasurable amounts of lushly thick flavors. Enormously tangy at first, but as it sits chocolate takes a bit more richness, but doesn't quite take the tang away. Very, very, dark and tangy with molassas, vanilla paste, chocolate cream pie, caramel, lots of buzzing warmth, and lipsticked with raisiny goodness and a bit of cream steamed espresso. Its not quite as complex as their regular Imperial Stout, but just as damn big if not bigger on the palate. The most difference I find is the spice and the heat. This has way more warmth, alot more, it penetrates immediately upon the first sip and lasts the whole bottle through. Making for a much longer session of sipping. The finish melds into a stuntingly high ended dryness of hops and a whirlwind of chocolate cream leftovers bittering off with a liquescensce of mild vanilla, butter cream, and pecan peppered espresso.

Wowzaa! This is some thick stuff! Luxurious warmth forms quickly around a big, creamy, rich, lush, body of tanged flavors. Its boldness and creamy richness is beyond itself and is remarkably near the scope and depth of some kind of chocolate mercury.

A damn nice Imperial stout! The bigness of body supersedes its flavors, but matches the painterly palate of creamy richness that is like drinking some kind of chocolatey tanged elixer oil. Watch out for that 16%, as its goin' nowhere. It sits with ya from first sip to last.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2007 02:09:14 | More by tavernjef

Gueuzedude

Arizona

4.65/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle 02186, Sampled December 2007
A vigorous pour produces a beer that is topped by a fat, two-finger thick, light brown colored head. The beer is simply opaque and black in color. As I pour it concentrated notes of burnt raisins reach my nostrils. A deeper smell of the aroma yields a huge, concentrated fruitiness with notes of raisins, prunes, figs, cherries, tamarind and lots of other smoky, slightly burnt, dried fruit notes. Of course this is a stout, so there is a lot or roast character, but, especially for a beer of this size, it shows a surprising restraint in the burnt malt department. This is definitely not an American version of a huge stout, it actually shows quite a bit of restraint in the nose. Instead of an astringent, overly burnt character the dark malt accentuates and accents the dried fruit notes as well as a serious dark chocolate aroma and a richly concentrated, smooth espresso character. The alcohol is present in the nose and, in combination with the other aromatics, provides notes of brandy, coffee liquor and chocolate liquors; each is fairly distinct, but still sort of a mish mash of a mixed drink all in one glass. The aroma is incredibly rich, but it is also incredibly complex, something I wish more American versions of the style were.

Sweet, concentrated malt flavors an alcoholic warming, moving to a rich, concentrated dark fruit middle and finishing with a rich cocoa flavor. The alcohol, while present is surprisingly tame. This is thick and chewy, but not so much that it is a struggle to drink; don't get me wrong though, this is most definitely a sipping brew. Flavors of prunes, figs, raisins and a rich earthy note meld so well with the velvety texture of this brew; inviting and softly palate coating, yet there is a sharp, roast grain & hop bitterness that does a good job of balancing things out and cleaning the palate to ready one for the next sip. In addition to providing a lightly broiled character to the fruit flavors in this beer, the restrained (at least for an American type Stout) dark malt character contributes flavors of espresso flavored crème anglaise, dark-chocolate mousse and a richly chocolate covered, candied cherry truffle.

I wonder how much coffee was added to this brew, it seems as though my cheeks are a-buzz with caffeine right now, but it could just be the alcohol. This beer is quite interesting, quite flavorful and quite engaging; despite that fact that it is so thick and rich, I find myself almost rushing to my next sip at times so that I can try and peel away another layering of flavor and texture from this beer. Despite the previous statement, this is one of those beers that you take small sips of and just get lost in, time seems to pass quite quickly when enjoying this brew. Much better than I had anticipated, especially since I have been getting a little tired of huge alcohol beers for quite a while now.

Purchased: Plaza Liquors, Tucson, AZ

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2007 03:18:46 | More by Gueuzedude

Damian

Massachusetts

4.65/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Drank from a 1 pt .9 fl oz bottle
# 01375
Served in a snifter
Acquired in a trade with mikesgroove

I really dug the impressive looking tube in which this beer was packaged. As for the beer, it poured an opaque brown/black color with yellowish-brown edges. Super thick like motor oil with absolutely no head and no lacing.

The aroma was deep, dark and oaky with mild oxidation notes. Boozy, fruity and somewhat red wine-like. As the beer warmed, the nose turned sweeter, smoother and boozier.

The taste was really complex and intense. Sweet up front. Brown sugar was quite noticeable. Super malty rich. Somewhat caramel-like and far less roasty than expected. Bourbon, oak and dark chocolate notes were rather apparent. Some vanilla came through as well. Quite boozy overall, with a pleasant warming in my mouth, throat and belly. I could even detect the alcohol as I exhaled. A touch of piney hops came through on the sweet/dry, oaky and boozy finish. Some roast was noticeable as well. Notes of caramel lingered in the aftertaste. As the beer warmed, the alcohol presence became even more apparent. Overall, the flavor profile was outstanding. My only disappointment with it was that I could hardly taste any of the coffee that this beer was supposedly brewed with.

The mouthfeel was ultra rich, thick and creamy with a very fine and mild carbonation. Supple. The chewy goodness canvased my tongue like a blanket.

Drinakbility was quite impressive for 16% ABV. Even though this beer was rather tongue (and mind) numbing, the alcohol presence was never overwhelming.

Despite this being one of the most intense beers of any type I have ever tried, I found Dark Horizon to be an incredibly well balanced and outrageously smooth imperial stout. If I did not know any better, I would have guessed that this beer was aged for far longer than a year.

Like many of their Norwegian counterparts, the folks at Nogne O are really pushing the limits of brewing. I simply cannot wait until Fall 2009 to crack open my bottle of Dark Horizon 2nd Edition.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2009 04:13:41 | More by Damian

Lupe

New York

4.63/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a black as night, with no light peeking through. No highlights, just black. Very thin brown head lingers for a few minutes before fading away.

Aroma of dark chocolate, roasted coffee, candy sugar, dark fruit and citrus, and alcohol. A hint of vanilla is also present.

Starts off with citrus - orange and tangerine - paving the way for lots of roasted malty goodness. Bittersweet and dark chocolate with vanilla notes, dark roast coffee, caramel, and dark fruit - figs & dried cherries. Candy sugar and a healthy dose of alcohol adds some spice and rounds things out. Finishes dry with lingering roasted flavors.

Full bodied with low carbonation. Smooth, thick, and creamy. Alcohol adds prickling spiciness on the tongue. Very warming.

Incredible drinkability for something so big, bold, rich, and high in alcohol. This is definitely a sipping beer, but something must be said for how easy it goes down. So well balanced - the roasted malt is balanced by the alcohol, and the alcohol is balanced by the malt. Excellent

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2007 14:10:12 | More by Lupe

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.63/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Finally getting a chance to try this wonderful beer. I have had it sitting in the cellar for a few months and just decided to grab it out of their last night as I was in the mood to really knock back a little something heavy for a change, well I figure this one will fit the bill for sure! Pulled the 16.9oz bottle out of its cardboard tube and poured it into my Terrapin Chalice at cellar temp, looking to polish it off over the course of the night. The look was exceptional, with a deep, dark, brwon liquid coming forth, pretty much opaque with no light shining through on this one whatsoever. A nice two finger hight head of dark chocolate colored foam then rose up out of the depths and stayed around for a good five minutes before finally settling down to a thin film across the top that lasted thoughout the session. Deep side glass lace then persisted all the way down the glass. Really a big, full looking beer.

The aroma was heavenly, with deep, dark chcolate and rum soaked molasses coming through almost immediatly. This was big and the alcohol notes were well noted in it. Hints of coffee, some licorice perhaps and a touch of vanilla were then added into the mix. Quite complex and really just a dark, bourbon filled smell. The flavor followed through on the aroma's promise, really coating the mouth and warming the belly with each passing sip. There was the initial rush of cocoa and coffee beans, before the alcohol came kicking in behind it. A rush of bourbon hit the palate and knocked you back for a moment before easing down and giving way to some oaky flavors with a touch of molasses and vanilla. Some dark fruits buried in there, but pretty well hidden, maybe rum soaked raisin flavor. The finish had a touch of hops, just enough to give the slightest bit of a bitter touch to it and left that longlasting alcohol flavor on your tongue.

The Mouthfeel was very good, it was a full bodied beer, not a s thick as you big RIS's but still very nice indded. Velvet like carbonation kept everything moving along nicely and let the flavors slide over the tongue and filll you nicely. As for drinkability, we may have to discuss this. At 16% ABV, many people will not find this to be exceptionally drinkable, however I have to disagree. This was a monster strong beer, but the alcohol was well blended in and used to enhance the overall expierence. I did not find this harsh, hot, or out of balance, and I had no issues sipping on this and finishing off the bottle throughout the night. For something so strong, it could not have drank any better.

Overall I would have to say this one more then lived up to my expectations. It was really a very well done beer and a huge stout that is well deserved of its reputations. I have not had much expierence with the brewer, but this for sure will be enough to get me to look toward them much more. Definitly a high quality beer for sure and something I would not only drink again, I will still be actively looking for.

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2008 15:01:34 | More by mikesgroove

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

4.6/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Bottle 03077

Pours opaque with a very thin tan head. Nose is like thick sweet malts. Mild roasted texture there as well. Flavor is supremely smooth. Superb! I can't tell at all that this is a 16% abv beer. I can’t say there is a mass of character coming off this brew. But it is just damn nice to drink. Smooth liquid feel and a slightly lower carbonation. Certainly is easy to drink. Nothing showy here at all. Just a bloody smooth RIS. If this were available all the time (and a lot cheaper), I’d be a devoted customer. A well made RIS.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2008 06:57:23 | More by RblWthACoz

jenitivecase

Kansas

4.6/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Inky black, with a dark brown head. Slight lacing.

S: Coffee, malty, roasted goodness. Caramel, candy sugar overtones. Imperious. Slight whiff of alcohol, but not much.

T: Intense. Lots of sweetness up front, with the caramel flavors very pronounced. Fades into coffee and roasted malts, with a decent amount of bitterness. I am giving this a 5 because it fulfills my archetype for what an imperial stout should be. Very well constructed.

M: Full-bodied and rich, with a very textured taste. Chewy. Leaves a bit of an aftertaste, but not much.

D: Pretty intense; I don't know if I could ever drink more than one of these. That said, for a 16% beer, the alcohol is concealed disturbingly well, making it dangerous.

Very nice. As I said before, archetypal.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2008 04:05:45 | More by jenitivecase

yngvar

Norway

4.58/5  rDev +6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Bottled. Finally this beer got its release. I’ve been so lucky that I have followed it from the birth and seen it’s development. At a dinner with beer-pairings in Kristiansand, Norway, it was served with a heavy, dark chocolate dessert and single-bean coffee. It was a perfect match. It’s first impression is an almost over-whealming aroma with chocolate, coffee, alcohol, vanilla and notes of a wet wood in the summer-time. It’s body is as black as the original sin, yet it’s clear, but not see-through. The head is quite small and brown-colored. Almost like milk-chocolate. When sipped, (as you know, you don’t drink beers like this, you sip them), there’s a good dash of alcohol, but not in a bothersome way, ’cause it’s supplemented by chocolate, coffee, mocha, vanilla and some vague hints of wooden barrels. The mouthfeel is full and warming, and the beer ends in a long finish with alcohol, chocolate, cocoa-notes and coffee. It almost feels stinging, but that’s probably due to the alcohol. It feels good to finally get to enter the rating of this beer, it is (until so far) only equalled by Mikkeller’s X Imperial Stout. The name indicates other editions of this beer, but can they match this one? (070317)

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2007 15:02:57 | More by yngvar

Asher1982

Maryland

4.58/5  rDev +6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I picked this beer up on the reccomendation of Jamie at Max's. You could really pick up on the alcohol smell when opening the bottle, but the taste was different. Dark black, with hues of red when held in the light. The head was brown and miniscual. The tast had many different flavors that I could pick up on. There was wine fruits, coffee, vanilla, and a nice little alcohol burn in the throat when swallowing. This is a good "sit back with a snifter and relax" kind of beer. Don't like the price tag scare you, it's worth it.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2008 04:39:30 | More by Asher1982

Floydster

California

4.58/5  rDev +6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

16.9 ounce bottle acquired in a trade with MuenchenerKindl about five months ago, thanks for giving me the chance to try this rare brew fromn Norway, bottle #01098, poured entire bottle in my Dogfish Head snifter

A-Dark black with no light shing through at all, about a two inch creamy light tan head that made the body look five different colors at one point, stuck around for over five minutes, gret retention, fantastic lacing

S-Very complex with coffee, milk and dark chocolate, roasted malt and barley, red wine, port, cherries, some hoppiness, burned toffee and caramel, dark fruit, grapes, oak, vanilla, booze, herbal accents, and various spices

T-Chewy and roasty at the beginning with different chocolate tastes, some strong caramel in the middle, dryness and some sweetness in the finish, next few sips were a little spicier and some hops were present, later on the fruit started to come out but the alcohol was still not overpowering, could not figure out how something this strong could taste so good, some vanilla and sweet malt became part of the finish, by the end the aftertaste had a hint of booze in it with roasted dark cocoa and a wine flavor, unique and each sip is different, lots of ingredients went into this one

M-Thin to medium body, spicy, malty, dry, sweet, and boozy mouthfeel, hot and stingy on the tongue, taste lingered for a couple minutes, wamring going down, alcohol was definitely there but I could barely taste it

D-Could not taste the alcohol much at all, very hidden for sixteen percent, incredibly smooth, not as heavy on the stomach as you would expect, could have drank even more of this, has some serious aging potential too, booze were hidden as well as any other beer I have tasted to date

After I struck out with getting one through Liquid Solutions I was happy to get one via a trade, originally cost about twenty dollars, one of the strongest beers I have ever had but certainly the most drinkable of those, would love to drink again, highly recommended

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2008 00:05:17 | More by Floydster

Goliath

Illinois

4.58/5  rDev +6%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours black and opaque through it's center. Suprisingly, there are light brown edges on this beer. A quarter inch of brown head forms on top and lingers with nice retention. No real lacing to speak of.

The arom ais gorgeous. Some coffee notes, chocolate, vanilla, and as EmperorStan put it - Cookie Dough. Really just delicious!

The taste is awesome. Some coffe and chocolate for sure. But chocolate certainly takes the lead. Notes of vanilla are also present as well as an overaqll sweetness with a bit of roasted maltiness. Really tasty and balanced.

The mouthfeel is medium to full bodied and lightly carbonated.

The drinkability is high with awesome flavors, and undetected levels of alcohol. So smooth and easy drinking for a High abv beer. A true feat of beer brewing.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2008 06:43:20 | More by Goliath