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

facundoCNB

New Jersey

3.23/5  rDev -18%
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

beerdrifter

Germany

4.54/5  rDev +15.2%
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 +7.6%
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

BEERMILER12

Maine

4.45/5  rDev +12.9%
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

RollBounce

New York

3.78/5  rDev -4.1%
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

rand

California

3.43/5  rDev -12.9%
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

LiquidAmber

Washington

4.6/5  rDev +16.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Review from 12/2010 notes. Poured into a Nostradamus flute glass. Pours a dark red amber. Nice medium head and lacing. Looks viscous and nicely made. Malty, spicy aroma. Mmm. Mellow malts, light and dark fruit, spices. Peppery hop finish. Nice presence of sage and juniper berry. One year old bottle. Wish I had saved more. Did not review this fresh, but this is superb. I will buy again if at all possible.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2012 03:52:42 | More by LiquidAmber

AgentMunky

California

4.18/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Poured from a half-litre bottle into a Koningshoeven chalice. Batch number is blank, but the label reads "This is the second Nøgne Ø release of Special Holiday Ale, which was first brewed in San Diego in 2008."

A: Pours a viscous, mahogany brown with tan head and plentiful bubbles. Mellow, inviting, and opaque. Good lacing.

S: Strong spices, but quite medicinal (sage?). Syrupy, tinged with fruit. Fennel? Oh, apparently caraway seeds.

T: Mmm, very nice. Sharp juniper near the front is excellent, but I think the chestnut really seals the deal. Deep, powerful flavours, dominated by spice and pleasant malt. Touch of fruit. The finish is lightly dry and full of sage. The ingredient list goes a long way towards describe the taste of the beer.

M: Smooth and velvety-thick. Good, and it works really well with the style. Firm, with the smoothness offset by spice.

O: Excellent! It's mellowed very well. An ideal winter warmer...rich, spicy, nutty, and warm. Inviting and enchanting. Highly recommended.

Notes
Ingredients: "Grimstad water, malted barley, malted rye, malted oats, hops, white sage, carraway [sic], juniper berries, chestnuts, yeast."
"Each brew is following the same recipe, including Michigan chestnuts, white sage from southern California, and Norwegian juniper berries, but the differences in brewing and again practices produce different beers."

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2012 05:37:55 | More by AgentMunky

Brenden

Ohio

4.43/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This beer is a medium brown that lets some orange-red highlights shine through. A compact creamy white head with a yellowish tint is between one and two fingers tall and stable, dropping lacing thinly at first, but thickening in patches as it falls.
This beer may have the most unique aroma I've smelled; it's certainly one of the most unique. It's difficult to pick things out without effort; this is a thinking beer. There's some nuttiness to it under a very unusual blanket of grains and spices. Malt makes a strong foundation, and it seems there's an earthy spiciness much like rye. There's a breadiness along with sweetness and a smidge of cooking spices. The spiciness is at a great level and complementary to the malt it supports, adding plenty of depth while mingling so things come out indivivually. Sage comes out strongly too, even more than the pie spice note, and something like pine but more like the needles than the cone.
This is one complex beer. As winter warmers go, it's got what it should: a strong malty base and a spiciness that isn't overdone. What it adds is a spruce needle note, rye (I'm assuming; it's pretty discenrable), and something like sesame seeds. Adding in a nice nutty note makes it even better in my opinion.
The body is medium and this one is lightly carbonated. It's pretty creamy and has a bit of richness to it along with a little crispness. It goes semi-dry in about the middle.
As far as Winter Warmers go, being a catch-all style and made for cold weather, it can only get a little better. This is one of the best I've ever had.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2012 16:36:16 | More by Brenden

pigc

Nebraska

3.63/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

From notes yesterday evening. Internet was down.

A - Pours a very dark red, nearly black with two finger head. Nice lacing.

S - Very interesting. I'm picking up some bublegum right up front along with a bunch of spices. Some sage, pine, maybe juniper in there.

T - Moderate hoppy pine, spice, juniper, medicinal type of berry. Some clove and black licorice in there as well. Seems like they threw in whatever spice they could get their hands on. A bit much.

M - Medium bodied with light to moderate carbonation. Spices linger after each sip.

O - This was a very spiced up winter warmer. I have had nothing quite like this. Tasted like eating a bunch of random spicy berries out of the forest. Maybe give this a shot if you see in on the shelf but not really worth seeking out in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2012 17:20:10 | More by pigc

PatrickSwayze

California

2.93/5  rDev -25.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Bottled from Nogne Ø

A: Pours deep dark brown with a medium brown head. Damn bottle though was a gusher. I managed to salvage more then half. 

S: Crazy amount of spices knock the nose. I can't distinguish anything. Really muddled together.

T: Crap load of spices including cinnamon, nutmeg and a gentle roast the graces the tongue at the finish.

M: A medium bodied brew that tingles the taste buds with really no heavy sweetness.

O: It's a decent drink, and in my opinion has to many flavors that dont seem to really complement each other.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2012 04:39:37 | More by PatrickSwayze

CuriousMonk

Virginia

3.7/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from bomber into tulip glass. Hazy brown body with a disappearing beige head. Nice aroma of caramel malt, dry fruit, spices like sage and juniper, some oak and relatively mild funkiness. Flavor has some pleasant cellar notes, sweet malt, caramel and Christmas spices. Fine body, balanced bitterness and a long and sweet aftertaste where the bitterness becomes more evident. Overall, an interesting beer but will not seek for this again.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2012 22:36:56 | More by CuriousMonk

dirtylou

Washington

4.33/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

500ml bottle, split in Madison

appearance: biblical label...served in a new belgium chalice - garnet-mahogany body, creamy tan lace

smell: wild stuff - spruce, juniper, spice, nutmeg, malt

taste: really enoyed this norwegian offering - heavy doses of holiday spice (cinnamon, nutmeg) and spruce really liven up this winter warmer. a nice roasty malt body, xmas cookies, sage, molasses and rye.

mouthfeel: medium body, interest array of flavor and texture

overall: really enjoyed

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2011 06:00:30 | More by dirtylou

GilGarp

Colorado

4.13/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2009 bottling served cool into a goblet.

A deep dark brown color with a slightly hazy appearance. The head is thick and creamy and slow to settle.

Aroma is sweet and fruity with spice notes.

Flavor is complex but balanced. Almost fruitcake-like with mixed fruit, nuts, and spices. Caramel and honey sweetness mixed with a fairly strong hop bitterness.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied, strong in flavor with great depth. The alcohol is noticible but not overpowering.

Overall a really great winter warmer, once of the best I've had.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2011 03:31:03 | More by GilGarp

keanex

New Jersey

3.98/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 650ml bottle into a pint glass.

A: Resembles a soft drink actually, opaque deep chestnut in the middle with a deep red/brown on the edges. Carbonation is stuck to the sides of the glass and there's a thin, but resilient creamy tan head. Very appealing looking beer, as if it'll quench my thirst.

S: Odd smell, it actually reminds me of a Coke or a Pepsi on the nose with the allspice and cinnamon. Some herbs come through, maybe sage? As the beer warms up theres a smell of a brown nut.

T: Very interesting flavor here, some rye hints with a brown nut profile. Some earthy flavors from herbs of some sort. At the very end I get a tinge of a roasted flavor.

M: Creamy yet syrupy, this is quite thick and there's not much carbonation if any at all.

O: This is an interesting beer, it has a brown nut ale semblance to it, but it's rather complex. I wouldn't buy this again, but it's definitely good for the season.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2011 04:23:43 | More by keanex

BigMike

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Poured a dark chestnutt brown color. A nice off white head thats fluffy and delicious looking tops it off.

S: Lot's of stuff going on here. I'm getting some herbal scents. Thyme and sage maybe? Some dark roasted malts and rye or pumpernickle aromas. Different to say the least.

T: Lot's of herbs and spice. Lot's of rye/pumpernickle bread. No sign of alcohol in the flavor profile.

M: Big soft mouthfeel on this beer. I would call it overall medium bodied. Feels good on the finish.

Overall: A real interesting beer thats different and very enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2011 22:42:21 | More by BigMike

andrewinski1

Maine

3.95/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I've had this one for a while, not sure what I was waiting for so we'll see how it is. Poured into a tulip. This one gushes a bit when opening. There is a full off-white head atop a very dark amberish brown body.

The aroma is very nutty, with some malt sweetness and fruitiness mixed in. I'm pretty sure I get some of the juniper here as well.

The taste is mildly sweet, with some minty hops thrown in. There is, like the aroma, a heavy dose of nut flavor. This has an insterestingly twangy aftertaste, I kind of dig it.

This is medium bodied with smooth carbonation.

This surprised me, I thought it might be past its prime, but I really enjoyed it.

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2011 05:56:15 | More by andrewinski1

dorianmarley

Ohio

4.05/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Appearance is dark brown, brown head, nice lacing.

Nose has a lot of spice, almost seems mentholated. Some malt smell, but hard to smell anything past the minty spice.

Taste is a mix of chocolate and spice, with a hoppy finish. Some dark malt flavor is present as well. Surprisingly mild after the smell.

Mouthfeel is very smooth with mild carbonation. Very drinkable for a holiday ale.

Overall, it is a very drinkable holiday ale with decent flavor and almost humorous smell.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2011 22:23:48 | More by dorianmarley

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

3.23/5  rDev -18%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Bottle shared by Thorpe429 at the Christmas in July party. Thanks Mike!

The beer is brown, with a small head that fades rapidly, leaving minimal lacing. The aroma is grandiose, with pine, Christmas spices, and alcohol. The flavor brings a huge pine needle flavor, like drinking Christmas tree juice with cinnamon and nutmeg sprinkled on top. The body is thin, and the flavor, while decent, is overbearing. I would prefer more balance and subtlety. A small portion was more than enough for me.

Serving type: bottle

07-20-2011 21:32:07 | More by Huhzubendah

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.7/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottle picked up a ways back, I believe at Capone's. Served in a SAVOR snifter at our Christmas in July party last weekend.

Pours a moderate brown-copper color with a slight off-white head and a bit of lacing. The nose brings loads of pine needs and a bit of nutmeg and cinnamon. The flavor takes it down a notch and everything is quite palatable; the pine and spices blend quite well. Smooth feel and a medium body. Pretty good.

Serving type: bottle

07-19-2011 00:57:02 | More by Thorpe429

brystmar

Texas

3.55/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Finally opened this bottle after months on our shelf, and I'm thinking this extra age was its downfall. Really spicy in the nose, plenty of winter herbs floating around but they're hard to pick out. Feels a touch confused, but what's here is good.

Malts ride the wave of a big, thick body. Spices charge forward from all directions, seemingly at random with no rhyme or reason. A touch musty. Cinnamon, cloves, ginger, winter herbs/spices, hints of baker's chocolate at the end. All the parts are solid, but others of the style do it better.

Serving type: bottle

07-01-2011 07:08:03 | More by brystmar

superspak

Michigan

4.22/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

500 ml bottle into tulip, almost a gusher upon opening. Pours dark brown color with a nice 2 finger dense light tan head with good retention. Some decent lacing on the glass as well. Aromas of ginger, cinnamon, all spice, roasted malt, molasses, and nuttiness. Taste of tons of cinnamon, clove, all spice, ginger, and nuttiness in the front; that leads to strong notes of toffee, caramel, and molasses on the back. Big lingering notes of roasted malt, caramel, and molasses with spices after the finish. Great balance of flavors as well. Nice smooth medium-full body with fairly high carbonation. Drinkability is great for the level of alcohol. No alcohol noticed in the taste and a slight warming after the finish. Overall an excellent winter warmer, probably the best one I have had yet.

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2011 03:44:42 | More by superspak

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

4.47/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

This beer poured out as a deep brownish red color that had a yellowish white head on it. This beer looks super thick, it looks like the bubbles forming the head are actually struggling to get to the top for air. In the light this beer look fantastic, beautiful looking color with a nice creamy looking head. The aroma is very impressive as well, it's loaded with pine, spices, and some Christmas berry aromas. There is a slight hop aroma in there too. The taste of this beer has a healthy amount of spices, pumpkin, berries, and even a touch of mint in the late aftertaste. The mouthfeel is thick and heavy, it's got the a really great feel to it for the winter months. Overall, this is probably the best Winter Warmer I've had to date. I enjoyed just about everything this beer had to offer. Look forward to having this time and time again during the winter months.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2011 18:53:59 | More by Knapp85

portia99

Massachusetts

3.85/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

500ml bottle with a place for a batch # on the label that remains empty, but it does say it is the second release. Got this as an extra in a trade a little way back (sorry, can't recall who the kind BA was that sent this to me). Poured into a Duvel tulip.

A - Dark, somewhat muddy and opaque brown color. Dense finger of cream colored foam with good staying power. Thick, dense and foamy lacing covers the glass.

S - Is this beer? Smells like an amaro I had recently! Extremely herbal on the nose...more than anything tho, I'm getting peppermint. Cool, pepperminty, spearminty, herbal...very interesting. It smells good, but I really have no idea what to expect for a flavor on this one. I'm staring at the full glass and thinking this is more of a shot sized drink.

T - Sweet, heavily caramelized malt sits underneath a largely indeterminate lot of herbs. The minty aromas don't really carry thru to the flavor - this is truly herbal - amaro/Jaegermeister type flavors is what I'm really getting out of this. This is over the top spices! I do get some dark roasted malt approaching the finish with some black coffee in there too. Getting the sage and carraway listed on the bottle...I'm supposing that the cool flavors in here are from the juniper berries, but I honestly can't identify this as juniper despite the note on the bottle. This is weird for a beer. I do actually like it (and not just a little) - not sure its a bottle that I can finish by myself though. The flavors are good, but in smaller volumes - I'm used to getting these flavors in an after dinner digestif, not in a ful glass pour of beer.

M - Not typical...medium bodied with a lowish creamy carbonation. Gives a distinct coolness in the mouth, especially on the exhale. Roasty on the finish (along with the cool York Peppermint Patty sensation). No trace of alcohol, even at 8.5% - all herbs.

O - I went into this one with absolutely zero expectations or knowledge of what to expect. In the right context I think this is actually a very good beer. A somewhat warm late April night might not be the best timing for this. Late night, after a good meal, snow outside, in front of the fire, sharing this bottle with a friend or two...this would be great. Hopefully I can remember to pick up another one of these for the next such occasion - although, after the winter we had here in MA, not looking forward to that occasion especially.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2011 01:30:37 | More by portia99

SolomonGrundy

California

4.33/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Man am I tired...another 65+ hour work week...This ale better be frickin' good, 's'all I have to say...

the basics: $10.49/500ml bottle (YIKES!!) and 8.5% ABV (nice)...

Pours a beautiful, slightly hazy reddish brown. More red at the edges. Head rises slowly like the waves at the beach and threathens to spill over the edge of the glass...Super creamy, dark tan, leaves velveteen sheets of lacing...Gorgeous, one of the best I've seen...

These aromas are fabulous...I get some all spice, cinnamon, maybe cardamon...A hint of hops perhaps, but fleeting, and a nice roasted malt backbone...So far, this ale is elite...

Flavor is creamy smooth...It's luscious in your mouth...The flavors are more subtle than expected, but they evolve and mesh very well...The ale itself tastes like it wants to be a porter, but they backed off the roasted malt component to let the lighter malts take command. The spices used never seem to overpower the drink at all...They seem to be melded in harmony, which is rare for a winter ale, particularly one at this ABV...This beer is unbelievably delicious...I could drink this all day it's so easy going and flavorful and creamy...It's freaking awesome...If I had to compare it to someone that is both foreign and American, I'm not sure where I'd go....Let's think...I'd call it the Czech girl that Shannon Elizabeth played in "American Pie"...She's like the newer generation's Phoebe Cates....

What I like most: The wonderful, nuanced and smooth flavor profile...

What I like least: The outrageous pricetag, but not really anything else..

Verdict: World class Holiday Ale...Absolutely worth tracking down even at this outrageous price point...

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2011 03:33:03 | More by SolomonGrundy