Two Captains - Nøgne Ø - Det Kompromissløse Bryggeri A/S

hopsolutely

Ontario (Canada)

3.83/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottle pours a hazy but almost luminescent orange colour, with the floating sediment giving the glass an almost gelatinous look. Silky mouthfeel is decent and low carbonation level does not feel flat.

Malt-forward aroma has a copper tang that I typically associate with age. Although recently purchased, it's batch 831 from 03.07.12? Assume that means early July rather than March, but not certain. Either way, aroma does not hint much at the hops found in the flavour.

The taste is more robust and offers “American west-coast” style tropical fruits, with some grapefruit and tangerine citrus elements. DIPA ends with a pleasantly bracing bitter finish, and a far more subtle alcohol warmth than 8.5% ABV typically produces.

As most Norwegian offerings I’ve enjoyed have been a form of “Euro lager”, this beer is a very pleasant surprise and one I would recommend that any hop lover try.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2013 20:26:12 | More by hopsolutely

nosavingsaccount

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +4.7%

05-20-2013 03:06:54 | More by nosavingsaccount

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

3.59/5  rDev -11.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Nogne-O Two Captains Double IPA. Ale 8.5% Alc/vol.
"Jan Halvorfjeld, winner of Norwegian homebrewing championship 2010 brewed his champion double IPAat Nogne-O. We at Nogne O are of course proud to be with him making this happen. Ingredients: Grimstad water, malted barley, hops and yeast. 100 IBU, brewed and bottle by Nogne O, Grimstad, Norway."

Completely opaque, thoroughly hazy peach and apricot appearance, creamy white heady froth atop.

Aroma: pungent and powerful, a massive mix of the usual piney/citrus notes, but a bit of a muddle, rather indistinct. Not quite what I'm looking for in an IPA. I'd like some clearly struck tones. This nose is more cacophonous.

Taste: In the mouth, it's a brash splash of hops, with malt firmly included in the mix. Booze rises up quickly, invades the braincase with alarming ease. It's a murky mess that's high on hops and alcohol, but has very little in the way of delicacy or finesse. It's what I'd expect from a homebrew double IPA, but not from a professional brewing concern. Oh, well, there's room for all kinds of beer. This is fine, it's just not refined. I do like yeasty, cloudy, unfiltered beers, and rustic ones, as well, but this one just seems, in light of what really succeeds as a double IPA, unsophisticated.

Although I do have a sneaking suspicion that if this came from Belgium rather than Norway, I'd be more pleased. It's contradictory, I know. If I could fix that I would. Or, …would I?

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2013 03:24:16 | More by feloniousmonk

NightINgale

Quebec (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev -7.6%

05-13-2013 00:32:26 | More by NightINgale

beerhunter13

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev -1.5%

04-29-2013 10:45:11 | More by beerhunter13

metter98

New York

4.05/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

A: The beer is hazy amber orange in color and has a light amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a half finger high beige head that quickly died down, leaving lacing on the surface and a collar of large bubbles around the edge of the glass. The beer turns rather cloudy once the yeast is poured out from the bottom of the bottle.
S: Moderately strong aromas of citrusy hops and caramel malts are present in the nose along with hints of pine resin.
T: The taste is similar to the smell and has initial flavors of caramel malts and citrusy hops that are followed by a light to moderate amount of bitterness that lingers through the finish.
M: It feels medium-bodied and a little crisp on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This beer has a great balance between the malts and hops. It's also quite drinkable because any traces of alcohol are very well hidden.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2013 02:56:08 | More by metter98

timeo

Ontario (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev -7.6%

03-28-2013 18:43:49 | More by timeo

Jamison85

Indiana

4/5  rDev -1.5%

03-27-2013 16:40:07 | More by Jamison85

mtbdonn

United Kingdom (England)

4.25/5  rDev +4.7%

03-26-2013 16:48:10 | More by mtbdonn

rderedin

Maine

3/5  rDev -26.1%

03-17-2013 22:33:16 | More by rderedin

katan

Colorado

4.06/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

500ml into a pint

A - Pours a dark orange color, with a huge white head. Fairly opaque.

S - Strong hop nose, lots of resin and pine. Very american hop like.

T - Starts off smooth and somewhat sweet, but that turns into the citrus flavors from all the hopping. More hops of the resin type nature, brings balance. Very smooth finish, a little bit nutty.

M - A creamy body - a little sticky and sweet at times. No alcohol warmth, quite a bit of hot oils.

O/D - A very good and easy drinking DIPA. This level fo ABV compared to the general market takes it to almost a single+ style. Not at all filling, just a great hop whammy.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2013 23:34:57 | More by katan

jenray

Texas

3/5  rDev -26.1%

03-12-2013 14:14:15 | More by jenray

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

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

Bottle: Poured a hazy bright amber color ale with a nice large foamy head with good retention and some lacing. Aroma consists of citrus and resinous hops with pretty dominant with some dry caramel malt notes also perceptible. Taste is a mix between some citrus hops with nice floral touch and some resinous and slightly earthy hops with some dry caramel malt wand light residuals sugar notes. Body is slightly fuller then average with good carbonation and no apparent alcohol. Very well brewed and a beer I would seek again.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2013 18:31:34 | More by Phyl21ca

Ilovebeer1549

California

4.5/5  rDev +10.8%

03-08-2013 06:44:07 | More by Ilovebeer1549

MoFro

Norway

4.5/5  rDev +10.8%

02-16-2013 13:51:49 | More by MoFro

sneaks2210

New York

4.25/5  rDev +4.7%

02-13-2013 03:32:06 | More by sneaks2210

spinrsx

Ontario (Canada)

3.83/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

500ml Bottle from the Ottawa LCBO for 6.50$

Appearance - Slightly hazy copper colour with a small size fizzy beige coloured head. There is an average amount of carbonation showing and there is some faint lacing. The head lasted for around 1-2 minutes.

Smell - Hops, malts, caramel, grapefruit, plastic?

Taste & Mouth - There is an above average amount of carbonation and I can taste malts, caramel and hops. There is also some grapefruit and oranges and a bit of pine. It ends with a pretty hoppy aftertaste.

Overall – A little bit odd in the smell department, but the flavours are nice and there is a good dose of hops. It's a little west coast taste wise but with a different spin on it. Well worth trying once for fans of the style.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2013 01:31:35 | More by spinrsx

calcnerd

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +4.7%

02-02-2013 01:43:22 | More by calcnerd

mintjellie

Ontario (Canada)

4.21/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Burnt orange body. Turbid with haze and little floaties. Finger-thick eggshell coloured head, fair retention and patchy lace. Grapefruit and tangerine aromatics with complementary pine, cannabis flower, and light brown sugar notes. And a hint of it's 8.5% ABV as well. Big citrus flavour to match the aroma, gently sweet malts are run roughshod by grapefruit pith, turning woody in the long bitter finish. Simple flavour profile, but big enough to be brutishly effective. Medium-full bodied with low carbonation. Feels smooth and a little bit resinous in the mouth. Very good.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2013 00:55:48 | More by mintjellie

mungus

Australia

4.5/5  rDev +10.8%

01-23-2013 14:15:45 | More by mungus

andrenaline

Ontario (Canada)

4.1/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Props to peensteen for passing on the last bottle in the store my way! Super stoked to have an opportunity to try this brew.

A - Pours a slightly hazy golden colour with a copper hue, finger of soapy hea with decent retention and some nice sporadic lacing.

S - Nice sweet citrus hop notes, slight resin notes, sugar maple, bitter rinds and buttery caramel.

T - A bitter hop profile dominates, citrus notes and cane sugar, hints of cotton candy and a sour citrus rind bitterness lingers. The bitterness is strong on the finish, but is complemented by the slightest ABV heat.

M - Medium bodied, smooth and dry.

O - A solid DIPA that boasted an intense hop profile with a sour bitterness that would be appreciated by any hop head. Well worth a try and super glad I was able to snag the last bottle in the shop!

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2013 04:18:47 | More by andrenaline

peensteen

Ontario (Canada)

4.1/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Hazy deep orange, about a finger of white head, good amount of lace as well. Smell is full on citrusy and piney hops, subtle malt sweetness, lots of orange and grapefruit as well as a faint bit of alcohol. Taste is all bitter hops up front, lots of dry citrus and orange flavours, bit of pine, lightly sweet malt at points with a long dry hoppy finish. Medium carbonation, oily texture, medium full body. Solid DIPA, rather tasty and quite drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2013 12:48:51 | More by peensteen

thehyperduck

Ontario (Canada)

4.1/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

500 mL bottle from the LCBO; bottled July 3 2012. As a hophead that rarely has access to true DIPAs, I have been looking forward to cracking this one open - moreso than the other Nøgne Ø brews I picked up last month, at least. Hopefully I've saved the best for last. Poured into a snifter.

Pours a muddy orange-amber colour, topped at first with one finger of soapy, frothy white head that seeps away over a period of minutes. A thin film at the surface and narrow collar remain, with modest lacing generated. Visible sediment 'floaties' in the top-off pour. The aroma is appealing and intense, with pink grapefruit and pine being the most prominent features, with underlying brown sugar maltiness somewhat lost behind these hoppy notes. As much as I like the aroma, it's not complex and nothing special for the style.

The flavour is similarly straightforward, but in such a finely-tuned, delicious manner that I am not terribly inclined to judge it harshly for that reason. Mild caramel malt sweetness and a slight biscuity nuttiness quickly give way to notes of grapefruit pulp, peaches and pineapple. The hops remain dominant into the finish, which is piney and pithy, with an enjoyable bitter aftertaste that lingers. The subsequent top-off, which included the sediment, softened the pine/grapefruit notes and leaned more toward the peach/tropical fruit side, so if you have a preference between the two you should pour accordingly. On the heftier side of medium-bodied, with very mild carbonation that gives it a smooth, creamy mouthfeel. The alcohol is hidden well and doesn't really enter into the flavour profile. Better suited to sipping than sessioning, but I certainly can understand why someone might want seconds.

Final Grade: 4.1, a memorable A-. Nøgne Ø's Two Captains is a reliable, no-nonsense imperial IPA that might actually be one of my new favourites within the style. Obviously it's not very well balanced, with the hoppy tropical/citrus fruit notes overpowering the comparatively meek malt profile - but there are plenty of people who want exactly that from their DIPAs. I happen to be one of them, and frankly it's nice to have a DIPA that doesn't remind me of barleywine. All hopheads should consider this one well worth a try, and while I wouldn't exactly call it a mindblowing experience, it's still a fine example of the style that I'd happily seek out again.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2013 02:26:32 | More by thehyperduck

BGDrock

Ontario (Canada)

4.03/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: unfiltered and very hazy, full of yeast, and combined with the pale brown colour it has the look of plum sauce; pours good head and leaves a thin layer with sticky lace

Aroma: fresh, grassy hops dominate; floral and citrus, lemon peel; hard candy sweetness and some other fruit - orange

Taste & Mouthfeel: big fruity flavours and a fresh pine bitterness compete; very dry finish; oranges; hops really start to build up and there's a slight alcohol burn in the finish, but a flurry of other elements make it interesting - grass, pine, pollen, orange, spice (coriander), and maybe even some pineapple; but to be clear, it's predominantly cutting pine/resin throughout; medium body and appropriate carbonation

Overall: after reading the label all those crazy flavours are making sense - it mentions "it's not double anything, it's just got more of everything"; love the variety, but would like it even more if it wasn't at the end of the day dominated by one

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2013 03:36:11 | More by BGDrock

JonIrabagon

New York

4.25/5  rDev +4.7%

01-05-2013 02:18:40 | More by JonIrabagon