Sweet Horizon - Nøgne Ø - Det Kompromissløse Bryggeri A/S

MCImes

Minnesota

4.65/5  rDev +30.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A- Black, relatively low carb, pours thick. sticks to the side of the glass

S- Dark malt, coffee, chochlate, slight hint of booze

T- I normally do not like sweet beers, but this one was done just right IMO. To everyone who says its 'too sweet'; This is a sweet beer! its in the name! what were you expecting? Anyways, Ive had this twice and have enjoyed it greatly each time. Its a really thick, syrupy, stout. The coffee helps make it almost mocha-y. A little booze comes through, but surprisingly little for being 14%.

M- Thick, sweet, syrupy

O- This is a weird beer. Think of a desert wine thats black and tastes like coffee. Thats what this is. I happen to like it a lot. I dislike most overly sweet beer, but this was done just right. If you're expecting something other than a sweet coffee imperial stout, look elsewhere.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2013 17:33:47 | More by MCImes

Thorpe429

Illinois

2.93/5  rDev -17.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Bottle courtesy of ygtbsm94. Served in a sampler glass. Pours near black with a short head that recedes quickly into a thin collar. Nose carries nice chocolate and coffee notes. Some booze. Flavor is a bit too sweet and boozy. Chocolate notes in the background. Quite a bit of sweetness. Medium-full body. Interesting and worth a try, though not something that I’d seek out again.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2012 18:55:38 | More by Thorpe429

MasterSki

Illinois

3.73/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle given to me by my wife - thanks Bryna! Served in a Bourbon County snifter.

A - Pours like motor oil, with a late-forming sheen of bubbles that almost as quickly dissipates to thin, incomplete ring of bubbles. The body is actually a dark brown color, rather than the black I was expecting.

S - Massive amounts of milk chocolate, fudge, caramel, maple, hint of coffee of anise, some booze that could be described as nostril-tingling but isn't overly harsh. It's definitely a bit cloying, and it's not an aroma that I to which I find myself wanting to return.

T - Tastes like a melted chocolate bar; verging on Hershey's syrup here. There's a bit of coffee and biscuit too, so I guess one of my favorite Canadian chocolate bars, Coffee Crisp, may be a more apt description. There's a mildly fruity note that's characteristic of Scandinavian stouts. I like the flavor significantly more than the aroma, as it's less cloying and the alcohol is better-hidden by the copious amounts of chocolate, caramel, maple and vanilla. Arbitrator says Vanilla Coke, which is probably why I enjoyed this as much as I did.

M - Slick and oily full body, with minimal carbonation. Some definite warming alcohol, but nothing excessively harsh for the listed ABV. Finish is surprisingly crisp considering the sugar content and heft; there's a bit of lingering stickiness after a few ounces but less than I expected.

D - It's probably going to take me a couple hours to work through 8.5oz, but I thought this beer tasted pretty good; guess I just have a sweet tooth. The serving size is very much appropriate for the flavor profile and ABV but in retrospect I should have shared this with a friend or two. This beer really pushes the envelope and teeters on the edge of cloying, with the aroma tumbling over the precipice. This is already two and half years old, and I imagine it will age gracefully for years to come - thinking another year or two might reward the patient drinker.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2012 08:34:19 | More by MasterSki

deltatauhobbit

Maine

3.2/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

8.5oz bottle

Pours a dark brown/black color with minimal head, what head there is disappears quickly, no lacing on the glass

Smell has a huge roasted malt and molasses aroma, coffee has faded along with any bittering aromas, what is left behind is a very sugary sweet nose and an indication of what is to come (along with the namesake), nothing too complex though and nothing like the regular Dark Horizon's have been like.

Taste is as anticipated, a sugary sweet malt blast hits right away, if there is a sugary cloying beer award this would win, the aftertaste does lend a couple subtle complexities, such as a slight hint of coffee, that would otherwise be more noticeable on any other beer, the strength is well hidden (distracted by, is more appropriate) behind the massive sweetness, the alcohol does play it's part and it isn't a lovely characteristic.

I feel like this one is trying too hard. The first Dark Horizon was ace (expect for the price), the rest have seemingly gone down hill and the offshoots are the worst of the perpetrators.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2012 21:16:09 | More by deltatauhobbit

drabmuh

Maryland

3.83/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks Brad, this is about as sweet as a beer can be and still get away with it. It is like syrup (in a good way) and hides the dangerously high level of ethanol present in this beer. Served in a snifter.

Beer is black and thick with no head, no lacing, no carbonation to speak of.

Aroma is sugar, brown sugar, caramel, sweet.

Beer is thick, really thick, strong, a mild sense of alcohol but overall pretty well hidden, and odd beer, super sweet without being cloying, although it takes you right up to that edge.

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2012 13:25:12 | More by drabmuh

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

3.75/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Shared by ygtbsm94. Thanks a lot, Brad!

The beer is dark brown and viscous with just a slight, wispy, dark beige head. The head offers little retention and no lacing.

The aroma offers malt, roast, and sweet booze.

Though the beer is indeed sweet, it is very well done. Syrupy and viscous with low carbonation. This drinks like a sweet imperial stout. Very interesting. The reviews are all over the place on this one, but I rather enjoyed it. A small serving is ample, but I would certainly have this again.

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2012 21:19:48 | More by Huhzubendah

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

3.43/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3.5

Sweet Horizon in a Mad Elf snifter. 8.5oz bottle.

Pours an almost-black dark mahogany with no head. Just a few bubbles from the vigorous pour. 3.0

Mega alcoholic nose with dominant mocha. Similar to Dark Horizon 3rd, but sweeter. Black licorice, dark chocolate, and nectarine sweetness. 4.0

Super-sweet with some over-sweetened chocolate, vanilla, Fig Newton, and straight booze. Messy. Table sugar is a flavor worth mentioning. Sweetest beer I've ever had. 3.5

Thick body and hardly any carb. Gummi sweet, sticky in the 'stache, for those who have that problem. 2.0

Uber-sweet and hot as fuck. A missed-mark. Ridiculous and overwhelming. Shouldn't have saved this as the last beer in the Horizon tasting. A tough 5th beer of the day at 4pm. 3.5

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2012 20:33:23 | More by thecheapies

brystmar

New York

2.98/5  rDev -16.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Tiny bottle shared with my gf. Dark brown pour, no head or lace. Nose is mostly booze, supported by some roastyness and more booze. Did I mention it smells alcoholic?

Very sweet, almost sugary. Overwhelms the stout base. Some weird complexity shows up alongside the alcohol. Not sure what everything is here, but it feels out of place. Tons of biting booze after swallowing. Body is smooth and oily; by far the best part of this brew.

Now that I've had all 3 of the ____ Horizon beers, I can safely say none of them are worth your time or money. Dark Horizon is the best of the bunch, still not worth what it costs though.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2012 02:23:06 | More by brystmar

CharlieMurphy

New York

1.8/5  rDev -49.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1

overpriced 8.5oz bottle into chalice

A: Lacking carbonation, not head, but pouring like soda - thin but solid. Black with significant light penetration

S: WTF? literally smelling like brandy and grape soda, with booze. Otherwise not very aromatic.

T: Ok, this definitely isn't in the realm of "beer" by normal terms and I think I see that was the brewery's objective.

Very Sweet first and foremost, still some brandy liqueur like qualities, and malt soda almost like rootbeer beat to death with alcohol.

M: Flat. Sweet. Boozy.

O: FML for opening this to take 100% to my dome. I don't even think this would split well enough for 2. Save this for your 3-ways and gangbangs. Or better yet, save it for not ever buying at all

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2012 04:56:03 | More by CharlieMurphy

jjayjaye

New York

4.43/5  rDev +24.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours with a light viscosity...like a cola, but without visible signs of effervescence. Dark with translucent edges and a scant mocha colored ring of tiny bubbles. Tons of boozy vanilla in the first sniff followed by deep chocolate cherry...nicely complex. First tiny sip coats much more than the pour would suggest. The mouth feel lingers nicely and the high ABV packs a bit of heat. The chocolate cherry flavors mirror the nose. A really nice sipper.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2012 01:41:29 | More by jjayjaye

yamar68

Minnesota

4.45/5  rDev +25%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from 8.5oz bottle to brandy snifter:

Pours a near pitch black with an edge of dark coffee and a thin mocha ring and just a few specks floating about. The nose is massive. Huge coffee beans and booze supported by some dark fruit and soft chocolate. Then the taste... BAM! Jesus this beer is masterfully balanced. Big buttery chocolate with sweet, sweet caramel coffee. The ABV is just right, not too hot by any means. I normally get turned off by especially sweet beers but this works really nicely. I can't discuss the taste without tipping my hat to a perfect velvety mouthfeel that only leaves sweet hot coffee to cling.

Overall, this beer is such an awesome surprise after being so disappointed by his older brother of the sake yeast variety. Highly recommended to any stout drinker.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2012 01:43:38 | More by yamar68

PatrickSwayze

California

1.8/5  rDev -49.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2

Sweet Horizon

A: Jet black that looks like freaking oil sludge. No head just straight darkness

S: All i get on the nose is straight booze and coffee with little to no chocolate

T: I don't know where to start, oh wait yeah i do. This thing is absolutely the sweetest beer i have ever put on my mouth. Horribly sweet that it actually takes away from the actual slight chocolate and coffee that is hidden in the background. 

M: Ummm sweet sweet and um more sweet. Seriously thats all this beer is. Ridiculous how sweet this thing is.

O: I had high expectations for this beer but then i drank it. Just stupidly sweet ruining flavors that constantly try to express themselves. I guess it isnt called Sweet Horizon for nothing.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2012 05:39:54 | More by PatrickSwayze

pokesbeerdude

Colorado

3.15/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Received this in a trade, can't remember who from. 8oz bottle into a Delirium Tremens snifter.

A: Pours pitch black, and an aggressive pour yields a few tan bubbles and not much else. A small island of bubbles remains in the middle. Completely opaque.

S: Booze, and that is really all that appears at first. A bit of stale coffee and some chocolate in here as well. Smells sweet and boozy.

T: Disturbingly sweet, really no other way too put it, sugary sweet. Underneath the cane sugar onslaught there is a bit of a chocolate flavor and way in the back is a decent coffee flavor. I can just about feel my teeth rotting out of my head. No bitterness, just a slightly astringent boozy bite. Needs a little more of something to round this out. I understand a sweet beer, but it has too have a bit more coffee or roasted barley to even things out.

M: Mild carbonation, and a little bit thinner than I had expected. Finish is slightly warm. Incredibly sticky on the lips.

O: An intensely sweet beer, liquid diabetes, and easily the sweetest beer I've had since I popped open an 09 Dark Lord. I think this could be a really good beer if the coffee flavor was more pronounced. Bitter coffee could round and even things out a lot. Still glad to try it. Fitting for Valentines day, thankfully I haven't had any other sweets today!

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2012 02:19:33 | More by pokesbeerdude

Tone

Missouri

3.38/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 2 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Pours a black color. 1/6 inch head of a tan color. Poor retention and poor lacing. Smells of strong alcohol, roasted malt, sweet malt, and coffee. Fits the style of an American Double / Imperial Stout. Mouth feel is smooth and clean, with a low carbonation level. Tastes of alcohol, sweet malt, slight roasted malt, and slight coffee. The strong alcohol dominates this brew in aroma and body. The initial sip is quickly followed by a warming of the chest, that is oft sought after during these winter months.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2011 17:05:11 | More by Tone

dgilks

Australia

4.3/5  rDev +20.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Oily, inky black colour with no head. Good but lacking the special visual appearance that some suds add to the mix.

Sweet with plenty of sugary malt and sweet alcohols contributing. The chocolate note is prominent as is a light, fruity coffee. Some more yeast esters add further depth.

Very sweet malt with lots of esters adding fruitiness. The chocolate is sweet and pronounced as is the complexity that coffee adds. No real bitterness but that is only because of the massive sugar content. I really like this.

Full body with moderate carbonation. Luscious, oily, thick and rich. Nice.

I really like this. It is a massive dessert beer and the combination of malt, chocolate, sugar, coffee and alcohol is excellent. Well crafted by Nogne O.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2011 10:25:14 | More by dgilks

ebin6

California

4.28/5  rDev +20.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A - Not much to look at; pours very dark with virtually no head whatsoever. Some burnt amber coloration swirling on top which can be increased slightly with a swirl

S - Quite boozy on the nose. This bottle was aged for 1 year, so I can only imagine how much boozier it smells when fresh. Coffee is noticeable, but the more complex flavors present when tasting are harder to sniff out

T - Incredibly rich and complex. Begins with a bourbon-esque taste which quickly gives way to coffee and chocolate. One of the more interesting beers I've tasted

M - Great feel all around; a swish intensifies this, particularly on the front of the tongue

O - Top notch "dessert beer". I would recommend this to anyone who is interested even with the steep price per ounce

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2011 22:32:59 | More by ebin6

TK5150

Maine

4.28/5  rDev +20.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Originally rated on 11/23/10...this is a re-review on 11/22/11.

8.5 oz bottle

A- Pours very dark brown with a small light brown head with fairly large bubbles. The head recedes to a small ring around the glass. Alcohol legs on this one for sure.

S- Sweet coffee, brown sugar, dark fruits (raisins and berries) mixed with a hint of alcohol.

T- This is a dessert beer for sure. Lots of sweet, sticky, dark fruits and caramel. Sweet coffee. Not really picking up any chocolate. Finishes with some coffee bitterness and just a hint of alcohol heat, but not nearly as much as the 14% would indicate. Maybe as much heat as a lot of 9% beers I've had. Even with all of the sweetness, my mouth is left dry and craving more after each sip.

M- Nice and full bodied. I mean come on, its an under-attenuated dark horizon with syrups and sugars added. Low carbonation.

D- This is the most drinkable dessert beer I've ever had. I could have drank at least a 12 oz. bottle.

Overall, I like this beer a lot...and a little bit better than a year ago. The taste is the high point. You have to go into this beer knowing its a dessert beer, and take it for what it is (they clearly indicate this is a sweet dessert beer with the name!). All you haters out there can send me your remaining bottles for disposal.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2011 20:06:46 | More by TK5150

ehammond1

California

3.45/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Bottle

Pour It Black
Stone Brew Co.
Escondido, CA

Black pour with dark brown edges and a very thin light brown head. There's not a lot of visible carbonation and it leaves the glass oily.

The aroma is powerful and very, very sweet. There's lots of melted chocolate, molasses, simple sugar syrup, and mild roasted coffee component throughout.

The flavor is incredibly sweet, and thus, particularly out of balance. The flavor comes in waves of molasses, toffee, melted chocolate, and sugar cookies. The onslaught does not stop. Incredibly sweet and certainly a sipper without much hint of coffee.

Thin to medium bodied with low carbonation and a touch hot with alcohol. The body of the beer is somewhat oily.

Far too sweet to drink in any quantity.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2011 22:53:26 | More by ehammond1

BedetheVenerable

Missouri

3.55/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Presentation: 8.5oz slimline bottle in attractive metal cylindrical canister. 14% abv...yowza.

Appearance: Pours black into two small snifters, brown around the edges with a small light tan head that falls almost immediately to nothing.

Smell: My immediate thought was that this was kind of like Kahlua. It's boozy, but not at all harsh. Lots of dark coffee liqueur and chocolate.

Taste: Wow. Sweetest. Beer. Ever. Seriously. This makes beers like Creme Brulee taste bitter. Creme Brulee is too sweet for me, but this isn't, oddly enough. There are flavors of coffee liqueur, vanilla, and a strong, but not overpowering booziness. The label on the canister says "don't eat dessert, this IS dessert". We totally get this now. There's not a ton of depth here, but it's pleasant.

Mouthfeel: Viscous; 1 bottle of this split two ways is perfect

Overall: This was about $10-11...it's nice as an after-dinner drink, though it's WAY too sweet to drink much of. It's nice, and doesn't taste anywhere near like 14%. Not at all a bad brew, but considering its price/power, I'd not purchase this often.

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2011 21:11:30 | More by BedetheVenerable

rudzud

Massachusetts

3.43/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Picked up a bottle of this a while back at Julio's.

A - Poured into a snifter a deep brown hue that is definately clear but too dark to see through. There is a slight head that fades to leave a nice halo but no side lacing.

S - Sweet candy and light coffee. Its like an iced coffee with WAY too much sugar and cream.

T - More candy sweetness and light chocolate/coffee. Really sticky sweet and artificial tasting.

M - Smooth, super light/thin with small bubbles.

O - This really was a poorly exicuted stout. The appearance isnt that bad, but every other aspect is pretty average.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2011 00:55:27 | More by rudzud

GbVDave

Illinois

1.98/5  rDev -44.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 1 | overall: 1

Poured from an 8.5oz bottle into multiple glasses. Thanks to everyone for the assist...sorry about this one.

A: Pours like your typical big stout. Inky, black, forbidding. Almost like it's saying, "you think this is evil...wait 'till you taste it"

S: Where the Edition 3 had a way sugary smell to it, this one is all artificial sweetner. Like the kind that despite the fact that it caused cancer in lab animals in the 70's, my grandma continued hoard those little pink packets...

T: Mild coffee, disgusting artificial sweetner sweetness, and booze. I, unlike Matt, managed to finish my sips but I felt like a little piece of me died inside.

M: Slick, suprisingly thin, and burn-y in the finish. Sort of like afwul, but worse.

O: I normally really like the beer made by Nogne O, but this was an enormous sac-punch to anyone who spent good money on this. Happy Birthday Matt!!!

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2011 20:31:53 | More by GbVDave

emerge077

Illinois

1.88/5  rDev -47.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1 | overall: 1.5

It's rare that i'll ever dump a beer after a few sips, but that's what happened with this beer. Thanks Dave for sharing, reviewed from written notes.

Pours black with brownish edges, feeble foam rises and leaves a thin ring at the edge of the glass.

Smells like a coffee with one too many packets of nutrasweet dumped in. Lots of roast, caramel, cloying sweetness.

Ugh. The taste was wince inducing, utterly disgusting. Dump 4-5 packets of sugar or nutrasweet into a cup of coffee, and this is what you get. Harshly bitter aftertaste, with a sickly sweet cloying taste upfront. Bare bones of a withering stout hangs in between. Thin and astringent, lingering harsh alcohol. Dumped out after a few sips, and again that's rare for me. Spare yourself and consider yourself lucky if this never passes your lips.
Nøgne Øøps I dumped the whole sugar bowl in.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2011 05:30:26 | More by emerge077

sentomaster

Connecticut

1.43/5  rDev -59.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 3 | overall: 1

A: Pours a dark chocolate color with a few tan bubbles able to poke through the top.

S: HOLY SWEETNESS this is sweeeet. smells like a pan of melted chocolate poured into a pot of caramelized sugar.

T: Right in line with the nose, except now you're drinking that pot... Big boozy, sugar covered finish like chocolate and sugar covered raisins with rum filling (not rum soaking,rum FILLING)...ya, not good.

M: Chewy, thick, and syrupy like a liquid desert. If it wasn't for the palate-destroying, cloying sweetness this would bode well for a big stout.

O: The worst beer I've ever had.

Serving type: bottle

10-05-2011 15:13:13 | More by sentomaster

Arbitrator

California

1.75/5  rDev -50.8%
look: 1.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 1.5

Chilled bottle into a glass. Thanks, Nick.

A: Pours a dark maroon body with a smattering of tan bubbles on top of the beer.

S: Molasses, candi sugar, anise, and enough clove that I find myself thinking: this reminds me of Coke. Nanoslug blurted out with the same observation later. Very amusing.

T: Anise, chocolate, molasses, candi sugar, vanilla... Sweet things. It has a peppery, clove-y bite in the finish that accentuates the booze and, again, reminds me heavily of barrel-aged Coke Vanilla.

M: Thick and syrupy, the sort of mouthfeel I'd look for in a heavy, dessert-style stout. This is offset a bit by the rich, solventy alcohol aftertaste, but in total honesty this does more right than wrong. And I'm pleased that the brewery recognized that this is best sold in a small bottle.

O: I'll be kind and call this abysmal.

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2011 01:05:44 | More by Arbitrator

Klym

California

3.8/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured into new glarus glassware.

A: Pours a dark, basically black syrupy brown. A few clear bubbles on the pour that gradually gathered into the thinnest of a tan head layer.

S: A mysterious but powerful sweetness the shows itself but also proves not too aromatic with a nice layer of fine coffee.

T: I love sweetness, I love big sweet stouts, but I have to agree with others that even as a dessert the sweetness in this maybe a little too much. The sweetness is almost unidentifiable, closer to melted sugars and syrups than anything. The coffee has great character (almost kopi luwakish) and I think is is a great addition to the beer. I think if they could play down the sweetness a little and play up the coffee a bit with a decent, minor, third note they would have something very special with this beer.

M: thick and syrupy but exactly what you'd expect and as good as you can do to support the flavors.

O: They aren't joking, this really is a dessert in itself. I had my girlfriend try this, and she immediately wanted to mix it with milk (honestly, while I typically would never consider such blasphemous actions against a beer, it might work well with this). Something is missing, and something is a little too much in this beer. Great potential, I hope they tweak this with more editions to come.

Serving type: bottle

08-14-2011 04:19:50 | More by Klym