Special Holiday Ale - Nøgne Ø/Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales/Stone Brewing Co. - Nøgne Ø - Det Kompromissløse Bryggeri A/S

BEERMILER12

Maine

4.45/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

2nd Release (2012) from 0.5L bottle

A: Pours a lightly hazy deep ruby color with 1/2 a fingers worth of head that doesn't last for long

S: Malts, light rye spiciness, spices (caraway, sage), juniper berries, nuttiness, and dark fruits all fill the nose with great complexity. Very aromatic and awesome

T: Follows the nose with immense complexity. Get all the above mentioned, starting with the malts and spices and moving its way into the nuttiness and dark fruits. Finishes with a touch of alcohol sweetness and light leafy hop bitterness

M: Medium-full bodied with low-moderate carbonation. Very smooth and slightly chewy (attributed by the oats)

O: This is far and away the best winter warmer I've ever had the pleasure of drinking. Very complex and so easy to drink. I'm extremely glad that Nøgne decided to put out another release of this (maybe Stone and JP did as well, but I'm not sure), as this would be a regular winter beer in my fridge, even at the price of $9 for the 0.5L bottle. This gets the highest of recommendations from me for the style

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2012 04:22:09 | More by BEERMILER12

facundoCNB

New Jersey

3.23/5  rDev -18.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

a brown/black pour with 2 fingers of tan head. the scent is of zesty orange peels, caramel, almost a liquer like scent, molasses, brown sugar. yeesh, this is not a great tasting beer up front.. lots of alcohol falvor, orange peel, ginger, cinnamon, a slight spicyness towards the finish.medium body with low carbonation. i could see how this would've been great during winter months, but honestly, not so much right now, and not so much with some age on it. really not digging this one all that much.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2013 02:18:43 | More by facundoCNB

bonSreeB

Alabama

4/5  rDev +1.3%

04-26-2013 14:01:24 | More by bonSreeB

Rick760Sd

California

3.75/5  rDev -5.1%

04-16-2013 16:39:39 | More by Rick760Sd

onix1agr

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -5.1%

03-24-2013 05:14:41 | More by onix1agr

bigred89

Maryland

4.25/5  rDev +7.6%

03-15-2013 00:52:29 | More by bigred89

spycow

Illinois

4/5  rDev +1.3%

03-10-2013 19:40:16 | More by spycow

beerdrifter

Germany

4.54/5  rDev +14.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Picked this up at La Capsule Cave à Bière in Nancy, France. Deep mahogany pour with a creamy one finger off white head with decent retention and nice lacing. The nose is spicy, complex and absolutely amazing. Hints of cinnamon, nutmeg, coffee, dark fruit, molasses, maple, sage, and rye. The taste is just as amazing and just as complex. Strong malty and spicy base with hints of toffee, cinnamon, nutmeg, pine, maple syrup, black cherries, sage, rye, and chestnuts. I had a beer this past summer in the South of France made with chestnuts and I'm really liking what they add in flavor. Hopefully it catches on. I'm also getting some subtle dark chocolate emerging as it warms. The mouthfeel is thick and syrupy with a subtle tanginess on the finish. Overall, this is a home run Winter Warmer! It's amazingly complex but totally drinkable. A top notch beer from three awesome breweries!

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2013 17:55:13 | More by beerdrifter

ThePorterSorter

New York

4.24/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Tried this beer a month ago and remember enjoying it immensely...

The beer pours a deep black-brown with an inch of creamy tan head that laces - slightly reminiscent of Guinness. Honestly, it looks like it could have poured from a nitro tap. The nose is potently herbal with notes of white sage cutting through the surface. It reminds me of the holidays poured into a glass with an initial rye bread sweetness perfectly blended with chestnuts and piney sage. The beer was more aromatic and flavorful when I had it a month ago, but it still packs a distinct punch of flavor. The taste carries a lot of bready sweetness which transitions into a slightly bitter, herbal finish. The mouthfeel is incredibly smooth and modestly sweet with a fresh herbal finish. There is definitely a touch of roasted chestnuts/malt which compliments the beer's herbal aftertaste. This beer is very well done and definitely worth trying. It encapsulates everything I want in a winter warmer with a unique twist on the traditional winter warmer spice profile. It's an excellent collaboration beer with easy availability, wide distribution, and reasonable price point.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2013 01:35:03 | More by ThePorterSorter

GreatBloomer

Texas

4/5  rDev +1.3%

01-27-2013 20:28:48 | More by GreatBloomer

clayrock81

Virginia

3.84/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Poured a dark brownish hue with good head and lace. A peppery, hoppy spiced beer is my first aroma, but I pick up some good sweet malts like caramel or figs as well. Beer is well-balanced as both minor citric hops and sweetness (I seem to pick up figs and toffee which is odd) are both evident, and the beer passes easy and fullish as there is a breadiness to the beer that makes it an easy passing, dessert sipper. A quality brew that is easy to drink and enjoyable which is all one can ask for a winter style beer.

Serving type: on-tap

01-22-2013 20:10:51 | More by clayrock81

LambicKing

Virginia

3.25/5  rDev -17.7%

01-17-2013 03:09:16 | More by LambicKing

Hanzo

Virginia

3.5/5  rDev -11.4%

01-17-2013 02:53:07 | More by Hanzo

bradfordjohnson

Kentucky

3.5/5  rDev -11.4%

01-17-2013 01:50:29 | More by bradfordjohnson

mendvicdog

Maryland

4.5/5  rDev +13.9%

01-16-2013 00:48:46 | More by mendvicdog

Envelopes

Ohio

3.5/5  rDev -11.4%

01-05-2013 02:44:18 | More by Envelopes

pjs234

Connecticut

4.25/5  rDev +7.6%

01-05-2013 00:53:05 | More by pjs234

YobroitsJoe

Maryland

4.5/5  rDev +13.9%

12-27-2012 09:27:54 | More by YobroitsJoe

JohneHoodlum

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +13.9%

12-26-2012 00:57:03 | More by JohneHoodlum

thebouch01

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +1.3%

12-25-2012 03:46:12 | More by thebouch01

Magery

Kentucky

3.75/5  rDev -5.1%

12-22-2012 02:28:18 | More by Magery

RollBounce

New York

3.78/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Dark in color almost brown ale likeness, with nose of chocolate roasted nuts and a similarity to Chinato( a desert red wine that is more like vermouth). Flavor is chocolaty to with roasted malt notes and a kick similar to cayenne which must be the sage.

Overall; It was an enjoyable beer and look forward to seeing how this beer does over time.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2012 19:30:07 | More by RollBounce

kell50

North Carolina

3.75/5  rDev -5.1%

11-19-2012 21:05:45 | More by kell50

sneaks2210

New York

4/5  rDev +1.3%

11-17-2012 16:54:03 | More by sneaks2210

rand

California

3.43/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 650 mL bottle to a Mikasa pint glass

Aged one year from this review

The brew pours with a viscous complexion, slow and syrupy like a thick imperial stout. A marshmallow-y head forms, which quickly dissipates and leaves little lacing

The nose is crisp, unripe berries with a sharp vinous quality. Sweet malts counter. There are lots of phenols bouncing around with a touch of booze, giving the bouquet a medicinal edge.

The flavors are a lot more malt-forward than expected, which really forms the base of the flavor profile. The medicinal aspects hit mid-sip and kinda take over. Hints of unripe berries, holiday spice round the flavors, but they kinda get trounced by the phenols.

The brew is medium-bodied, which was really unexpected from the pour. Though this would permanently coat the palate from the looks of things.

Well, it's not bad, but as I'm finishing the bottle I feel it's on the dull side. Could use a little hop twang or some funk to liven things up. Doesn't quaff all that hard, but I doubt I'll go chasing this one down either.

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2012 05:05:41 | More by rand