Dark Horizon 2nd Edition - Nøgne Ø - Det Kompromissløse Bryggeri A/S

cwps48

Maryland

3.9/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2

A: Pours jet black. Completely transparent with absolutely no head. No lacing (obviously). Virtually no carbonation. Leaves a very faint brown color on the glass after I've swirled it a bit...

S: It's hard to smell without any carbonation, but I'll do my best. Boozy. Roasty and chocolaty. Vanilla. Almost has a bourbon smell to it actually.

T: The chocolate and roasty flavors come through. Vanilla. Has a slight woody flavor. Some coffee present on the back end. And of course... boozy.

M: Smooth. No carbonation. Not dry, but not wet. Just, as if I hadn't had anything. Except for the slight burning sensation going on on my cheeks.

D: Not too drinkable, as it's very high in abv. Flavor is fantastic. I think, though, because of the high abv, I'll be sipping on this for a while, and it'll stretch out the drinking experience nicely.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2009 04:10:25 | More by cwps48

mdfb79

New York

4.04/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

From 05/24/13 notes. A 50CL bottle, which says created 11/05/07, let mature until Fall '09, and consume by end of 2020. Really like the 1st Edition when I had it several years ago, and have been holding onto multiple bottles of 2.0 and 3.0 since, after hearing they were crazy boozy. Poured into a tulip.

a - Pours a pitch black color with one inch of very dark tan head and low carbonation evident. Looks like a great big thick RIS.

s - Smells of alcohol, roasted malts, coffee, bitter dark chocolate, burnt malts, and toasted malts. Nice roasty nose; I like it, though the alcohol is definitely prevelant.

t - Tastes of roasted malts, bitter chocolate, dark chocolate, bourbon, oak, toasted malts, coffee, burnt malts, alcohol, and light vanilla. taste has more chocolate than the nose and a little bourbon; a slight step up from the nose.

m - Full body and low carbonation. Body is thick and chewy; great mouthfeel.

o - Overall a good, but very strong, RIS. Looks and feels great, but I think there is just too much alcohol in the nose and taste keeping this from being as great a beer as the 1st Edition. Very roasty and strong, a 17.50% ABV beer that feels that strong. I like it and would like a 4 oz. pour of it, but would be weary to buy more bottles of it at this point due to the price, size, and what you get.

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2013 15:15:07 | More by mdfb79

joefuzz

New York

4.28/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Reviewed from notes
Tasted 3/24/12

P-4.5
S-5
T-4
M-4.5
D-4

P - dark motor oil consistency pitch black smal dark brown head

S - smells like toffe and brown sugar some hints of coffee sligt alcohol afterburn 

T- tastes is coffe sugar and alcohol big malt 

M - super thick appropriate for the style

D - super sipper cannot drink alot of this

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2013 01:07:00 | More by joefuzz

SpdKilz

Illinois

4/5  rDev +0.3%

02-14-2013 01:39:29 | More by SpdKilz

bark

Sweden

2.5/5  rDev -37.3%

02-03-2013 17:23:41 | More by bark

Beer-A-Lot

Virginia

4.23/5  rDev +6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

2011 on tap at Birch. Served in flute.

This beer had a delicious sweet raspberry smell and taste. Also an excellent, smooth mouth. Very tasty and very drinkable for the huge percentage. Works great as a sipper, apertif, or dessert beer. Very, very tasty.

Serving type: on-tap

01-23-2013 03:58:40 | More by Beer-A-Lot

westcoastbeerlvr

California

3/5  rDev -24.8%

01-08-2013 23:57:55 | More by westcoastbeerlvr

Holland

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +0.3%

12-12-2012 12:26:30 | More by Holland

t0rin0

California

4/5  rDev +0.3%

11-28-2012 05:38:38 | More by t0rin0

TK5150

Maine

3.95/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A- Pours black with a small, big-bubbled brown head that recedes quickly to a ring around the glass. Alcohol legs on the sides of the glass as I swirl.

S- Dough, soy sauce, molasses, coffee, and light alcohol. Has the trademark sweet "Dark Horizon" smell I remember from other vintages and variations I've had in the past.

T- Soy sauce, molasses, coffee, dark cherry and fruit notes, and just a bit of heat. Considerably less firey burn when compared to fresh. As for the 17.5% alcohol content....if I didn't know, I would never have guessed (as compared to before when I would have guessed 25%). This feels more like a a 9% or 10% beer.

M- Heavier side of medium bodied. Quite lively carbonation (even after all these years) at first, but it then becomes just about flat after having a few sips. The age has smoothed this beer out considerably though.

O- MUCH better than the first time I had this beer nearly 4 years ago. I told myself after having it fresh that I would not open my other bottle for another 15 years (because it was so dang hot), but I decided on a whim to open it tonight. Fairly glad I did. I'm not so sure this beer will get any better, but I can certainly see the alcohol calming down just a LITTLE bit more in the next year or two.

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2012 23:40:09 | More by TK5150

irishkyle21

Ontario (Canada)

4.25/5  rDev +6.5%

09-02-2012 04:22:46 | More by irishkyle21

enelson

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -12.3%

06-25-2012 01:37:32 | More by enelson

imperialking

Illinois

4/5  rDev +0.3%

05-11-2012 01:51:59 | More by imperialking

djrn2

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +0.3%

04-23-2012 20:21:19 | More by djrn2

JAHMUR

Connecticut

4.25/5  rDev +6.5%

04-22-2012 18:43:22 | More by JAHMUR

sludgegnome

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +12.8%

03-10-2012 21:33:33 | More by sludgegnome

Arbitrator

California

2.23/5  rDev -44.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Chilled bottle into a glass, generously shared by mfielden. Thanks, Mark! From notes.

A: Pours a pitch black body with a surprisingly large (1 finger) tan head that retains fairly well.

S: Like Kahlua steeped in coffee. Very boozy. A mild presence of dark fruits and/or sherry oxidation.

T: It's very simple in flavor, with some loss of complexity due to oxidation. It's sweet, with an element of booze in the flavor. Mild roast and baker's chocolate.

M: One of the better aspects of the beer, owing to its full, rich body. The booze detracts from this characteristic, though.

O: Not particularly complex; this is a prime example of a boozy-when-fresh beer that doesn't stand up to age. Not worth the price.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2012 08:11:35 | More by Arbitrator

tripledbrew

Kentucky

3.53/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thick, black, boozy. This beer has x-treme roasted malt flavor along with pit fruit and a port like aroma. Also typical coffee,chocolate flavors one would expect from an RIS.
This beer is hot and should be laid up for another year,maybe two? With 5 years in the bottle, this beer is still a little too boozy , even for me. Luckily, I had help from three friends, there is no way I could have drink this by myself. Glad I had the chance to try it, but should have put it back for additional aging.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2012 03:39:59 | More by tripledbrew

avaldivia

California

4/5  rDev +0.3%

02-01-2012 16:46:28 | More by avaldivia

Sean9689

Illinois

3.68/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thanks, Alex! Bottle into Darkness tulip.

A - Pours black, tan-colored head, thin collar.

S - Booze, dark fruits, char, maybe some light roast, some creamy chocolate/burnt sugars. The booze is still pretty upfront, but seems to have settled down a bit from it being fresh.

T - Booze mixed with baker's chocolate and some dark fruits thrown in there. There's also some char in there and a touch of roast, almost none. Finish is light burnt caramel, char, and booze.

M - Full, rich and smooth, good carbonation, creamy char finish.

O - Not as good as the 1st Edition, but still decent. A little too much booze for me in this still, and I would say it would be beneficial to age this one a bit longer. Give it a whirl.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2012 16:21:44 | More by Sean9689

KAF

Iowa

4/5  rDev +0.3%

01-26-2012 21:11:30 | More by KAF

ChrisPro

Illinois

4/5  rDev +0.3%

01-25-2012 04:11:29 | More by ChrisPro

largadeer

Kentucky

3/5  rDev -24.8%

01-24-2012 07:17:04 | More by largadeer

MasterSki

Illinois

4.22/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle purchased at West Lakeview Liquors. Served in a Cigar City snifter.

A - Looks nearly identical to the other Dark Horizons. Perhaps a tiny bit more lace on this one.

S - I had this beer in December 2008, and all I remember is that it was 99% alcohol and anise. Age has been kind, mellowing out most of the booze, and revealing red and dark fruits, dark chocolate, coffee, and perhaps some faint spicy alcohol esters.

T - The tastes has some of the quintessential fruity Scandinavian yeast character. Heavy doses of chocolate, dark fruits, roasted malts, and light char and espresso flavors. It's a bit boozy, but more feels more like it's in the 12-13% range than the listed 17.5%. As it warms it develops a mild port wine character, likely from the oxidation.

M - Body is a tad lighter than the other Dark Horizons - more of a medium-full. Somewhat dry and roasty in texture, and with only moderate warming alcohol. Carbonation is quite low.

D - I didn't like this quite as much as the 1st edition, but it's definitely become competitive. It's come a long way in three-plus years, and shouldage gracefully for another three. If this is still on stray shelves in your area, feel confident picking up a bottle.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2012 06:16:51 | More by MasterSki

AgentZero

Illinois

4/5  rDev +0.3%

01-22-2012 23:28:05 | More by AgentZero