Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales: Collababeire Special Holiday Ale – Powerful and innovative, all around

Collababeire Special Holiday Ale is, without a doubt, one of the most powerful and innovative ales to come across my palate in the past few months (for others, see for example my reviews of Mikkeller Stella 2, Xbeeriment Black Force One, LostAbbey 10 Commandments). Brewed by Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales, which is located in Dexter, Michigan, Collababeire Special Holiday Ale is a collaborative brew crafted by Jolly Pumpkin and two other first-class breweries: Stone Brewing Company, from Escondido, California, and Nøgne Ø, from Grimstad, Norway. Collababeire Special Holiday Ale is the finale to a three-part series of this ale, each of which included the same ingredients, but varying aging practices were used in each version. Each version was also brewed and bottled by one of the three collaborators – the first by Stone, the second by Nøgne Ø, and the third by Jolly Pumpkin. While I’ve sampled a wide variety of brews crafted by the first two breweries, this is my first encounter with Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales, who brews five year-round products and ten seasonal varieties. And based on Collababeire’s excellence, I will certainly be looking to sample more of Jolly Pumpkin’s craftsmanship.

While classified by Ratebeer as a spice, herb, or vegetable beer, Collababeire Special Holiday Ale is also a wild ale of sorts, where the brewer deliberately introduces a Brettanomyces yeast to impart a rather funky, sour taste, which in most ales would be seen as an undesirable quality produced by an undesirable and pesky (and potentially costly) contaminant. For those of you familiar with different beer brands and styles, but less familiar with yeast strains, Brettanomyces, or “Brett” as it is sometimes called, is commonly found in Lambics, and features in other tasty treats like Orval, Liefmans Brown Ale, and Rodenbach Grand Cru. Aside from the rather unique qualities imparted by Brett, Collababeire is aged in oak barrels for two years and brewed with chestnuts, juniper, sage, and caraway – all the makings for a delightful beer experience.

While the label’s drab, dark-gray background makes it easy to overlook when sitting on the store’s shelf alongside other, more colorful labels, once the bottle is picked up for closer inspection, one is instantly captivated by the creative amalgamation of the various symbols adopted by each of the three breweries. The red and green bat-like wings reference Stone’s devil-like winged creature, while the pumpkin head that sits upon the wings and looks to be blowing out a candle clearly references the symbol adopted by Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales. What’s most interesting is the placement of Nøgne’s tell-tale “Ø”, which is sits on the face of the candle; hence it is dead center on the label, just like the positioning of the bolder “Ø” on all of Nøgne Ø’s beer labels. My hats off to the label’s artist!

Moving on to the beer itself, popping off the cap comes with a crisp hiss, followed by a light gush of foam, and an aroma that is quite eager to greet the olfactory system. When poured into a goblet, Collababeire Special Holiday Ale presents itself as a dark reddish-brown ale and culminates in a one-finger high, beige head that quickly recedes to a thin film of densely-pack bubbles. The lacing is sparse, but is completely consistent with a beer of this style. Being easy to detect even at 20 cm away, the nose is immensely powerful to say the least. In fact, the Orval goblet I used to sample Collababeire was left unrinsed overnight in the kitchen, and the smell throughout the entire kitchen the next morning was a vivid reminder of my Collababeire experience the night before. 

Indeed, on the first whiff, the nose sort of comes off as a cross between a grand reserve and a lambic. Generous smells of raisins, plums, and oak are obvious, as well as a sort of grape note that comes off as sour when mixed with the undeniable Brett funkiness. At the same, the aromas from the other additives are, at the very least, not plainly evident. The juniper note, for example, is only detectable after some effort. The same can be said about the caraway, while I still failed to find the chestnut and sage aromas.

Taking a mouth full reveals a medium body and a modest amount of carbonation. Initially dominated by Brett’s sour delivery and references to dark fruits, the taste closely resembles the aroma: It sort of reminds me of a cross between a grand reserve and a lambic. The spiciness is obvious, but without knowing the ingredients, I would have never guessed sage and caraway. The juniper and oak notes are evident, but only after some effort and determination to find them. The finish comes with a dry and bitter punch, and the alcohol warming is a perfect match to that punch.

Overall, Collababeire Special Holiday Ale is unbelievably aromatic, tasty, and complex – a testament to the outstanding craftsmanship of all three collaborators. Objectively speaking, it’s well balanced and well blended, especially in the way the alcohol gently warms the finish. To this I must add two minor caveats – one about the beer’s ability to match its aspirations and one about the beer’s match with my personal preferences. In terms of the former, I was a bit disappointed that some of the additives – most notably the sage – were not as forthcoming in my sample, although I see other reviewers found these flavors quite easily. In terms of the latter, I was ever so slightly disappointed that the sourness in some sense seemed to steal the show, thus giving Collababeire a rather rough feel all around. Yes, I know this is a sour ale; but unlike some of the other sour ales (see my Mikkeller, Stella 2 rating, for example), the drama that unfolded in Collababeire felt more like a lambic, where the sourness took center stage or defined the broader context rather than emerging as one particular “actor” or “event” within a play about the matrix of all the wonderful additives that constitutes Collababeire. Of course, this reflects my preference, and is no reason passing negative judgment. In fact, the sourness completely and harmoniously engaged with the other flavors, especially the fruit flavors, to produce an enjoyable cidery feel. Indeed, if you truly like the funky side of sour ales, or if you’re a lambic enthusiast, then Collababeire is certainly an excellent choice, and one that I have no regrets on making.

Links

Collababeire Special Holiday Ale on Ratebeer.com

Collababeire Special Holiday Ale on BeerAdvocate

Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales

Stone Brewing Company

Nøgne Ø 

Image credits

Cardinal Pub & Bar

Nøgne Ø: Two Captains – Still Defying the Laws of Gravity

If you’ve read some of my previous posts here, you might remember coming across a rather brief review of Two Captains, an outstanding double IPA brewed by Nøgne Ø. After recently drinking a bottle that’s been cellaring for some time, I realized that my previous post really failed to do justice to Nøgne Ø’s Two Captains. So, typed up a new and more detailed review about the product as a whole. Indeed, Nøgne Ø’s Two Captains definitely falls within my top-ten list of favorite double IPAs, and if you try it, I think you will understand why.

The typical first encounter with Nøgne Ø’s Two Captains will immediately confront the distinctiveness of the company’s bold orange “Ø” surrounded by a white label attached to a half-liter brown bottle. Stamped with the same “Ø”, the cap is as distinctive as the label. For those of you unfamiliar with Scandinavian languages, the “ø” or “slashed o” as it is sometimes called, is a letter reserved for the Norwegian and Danish alphabets. Ø is used to represent close-mid front rounded sounds (the closest English comes to this is the vowel sound in bird, although that ‘s still pretty far off).

Compared to the raw simplicity and austerity of Nøgne Ø’s other labels, the “Ø” on the Two Captain’s label is juxtaposed over a late 1940s to early 50s American piston engine fighter plane – the F-82 Twin Mustang. At first glance, it looks like two planes, but as shown in the picture to the right, the F-82 is actually two P-51 Mustangs joined together in a rather successful effort to build a long-range escort fighter at the end of World War II. One might think that “Two Captains” is a reference to the twin boom plane illustrated on the label. However, both the name and the label are references to Jan Halvor Fjeld, an SAS captain who originally concocted this brew, and Kjetil Jikiun, Nøgne Ø’s head brewer as well as a captain for SAS – hence not just one, but two Captains.

In my opinion, Nøgne Ø probably brews Norway’s most exiting line of products, although Ægir and Kinn are close rivals. Hailing from Gimstad, which is a coastal town on the southeastern tip of Norway, Nøgne Ø produces about 17 year-round products, including Two Captains. Adding to this another dozen or so seasonal and specialty beers, each with a ceaseless array of well-balanced subtle and aggressive qualities, yields a rather long list of top-notch brews. And Nøgne Ø Two Captains is emblematic of the brewery’s attention to both subtly and aggressiveness, with the balance in favor of the aggressive side of beer.

Life in the glass begins with the aggressive head that just keeps defying the laws of gravity, and a wonderful copper-colored appearance so characteristic of robust double IPAs. The three-finger head is fluffy, rocky, and well retained, giving way to a tight and sticky lacing matrix. Two Captain’s aroma is complex and – aside from the florally and hoppy scents – sort of hard to pin down at first. Faint earthy smells accompany the scents of orange and maybe peach. The aggressive scents of pine and grapefruit predict the rather bitter taste to come. In short, Nøgne Ø brewed some serious nose candy with this one.

With an 8.5 percent ABV, the taste of Two Captains continues to show this ale’s aggressiveness, revealing a mixture of flavors that closely match the aroma. Tropical fruits, especially lemon and grapefruit, are prominent and nicely supported by sweet malt and caramel. The faint alcohol taste is more prominent as the temperature warms a bit. This thing is hop heaven and, at 100 IBU’s, it’s amazingly bitter. That said, Two Captains has a bitterness that lacks the burning sensation that one gets from other similarly styled ales: The bitterness here is smoother and more elegant.

Overall, Two Captains is as aggressive as the two Rolls-Royce Merlin V-12 engines that powered the some of the earlier F-82s. While the malt presence is perhaps a bit too forward for a double IPA, the malt clearly adds to the beer’s smoothness and complexity, making it one of the most tasty double IPAs around.

Links
Nøgne Ø, Two Captains on Ratebeer.com
Nøgne Ø, Two Captains on Beeradvocate
Nøgne Ø, Two Captains official site

Image credits
Cardinal Pub
Wikipedia
Kjempetorskens Øl Blogg

Beer bLoNg's Early 2012 Beer Line-up

There’s a lot of stuff in the beer cellar right now, and I thought I would share a bit of what will be coming out of there in the next month or two. For starters, there are tons of Christmas beers (almost literally), including many macro-brew varieties that I just never got around to trying during the holiday season. Furthermore, a lot of the beers in this list are not new to me. I’ve had quite a few of them in the past – some of them on numerous occasions, but either failed to take tasting notes or took rather poor ones that are simply not good enough to produce a respectable review. 

So here’s the list, starting with the first row and then moving onto the second (an serious business) row.

Row One

Orval, Belgian Trappist Ale; 6.2 percent; Florenville, Belgium. I’ve had this quite a few times in the past and certainly look forward to tasting it and reviewing it in the coming weeks. Its scores on Ratebeer.com and BeerAdvocate are impressive, and, based on my past samples, I expect my review to be nothing but positive.

Dahls, Juleøl (Christmas beer); 6.5 percent; Oslo, Norway. I’ve never had a Dahls brew, but the company is owned by Ringnes (which is in turn owned by Carlsberg), so I don’t really expect it to taste much different than many of the other macro-brew Christmas beers widely available in Norway. That said, most of these 6.5 percent versions are quite robust and tasty.

Erdinger, Schneeweisse Winterbier; 5.6 percent; Erding, Germany. What can I say? Everything I’ve had from Erdinger has been top-notch, and I expect nothing less from this one. I’m somewhat surprised I never had it before.

Silenrieux, Joseph Bio/Organic; 5 percent; Silenrieux, Belgium. I’ve previously sampled their Sara Buckwheat Ale and really liked it (I took good notes, so expect a review of that one soon). 

Rodenbach: Grand Cru; 6 percent; Roeselare, Belgium. I’ve had this once or twice before and loved its fruity and sour feel. I can’t wait to try it again.

Lancaster Brewing Company, Strawberry Wheat; 4.7 percent; Lancaster, PA, USA. I’ve had this in draft form numerous times at their brewpub and loved each one of them. However, I had a bottle of it over the summer and found it wanting in flavor and appearance. We’ll see how this one goes, but I’m not expecting it to be a top performer.

Berentsens, Stelliger Divum Juleøl; 19 percent; Egersund, Norway. I’ve never had this Christmas beer before, but I’m very much looking forward to it. At 19 percent ABV, it’s either going to be seriously complex or nothing but booze. I’ll be letting this one sit in the cellar for a few months before trying it, so the review will have to wait (assuming I am patient enough to keep away from its lure).

Nøgne Ø, Imperial IPA (#500); 10 percent; Grimstad, Norway. A very outstanding IPA. I’ve had it twice, but my tasting notes are rather rough, and this one deserves a quality rating. So, I’ll try it a third time before giving an official reviewing. But, its damn good, I promise!

Lervigs, Jul; 6.8 percent; Stavanger, Norway. I’ve sampled several of their products – e.g. the Konrad’s Stout, Lucky Jack APA, and White Dog Norwegian Wheat – on several different occasions, and each sample revealed a respectable level of quality. I received this one as a Christmas gift and will probably use it to liven up my February.

Mack, Juleøl; 6.5 percent; Tromsø, Norway. I’m sure I’ve tasted this somewhere along the line, but I can’t really remember it. Mack is one of Norway’s larger brewers, and I don’t expect this one to be much different from the other 6.5 ABV Christmas beers out there (not necessarily a bad thing, really).

Hansa, Juleøl; 6.5 percent; Bergen, Norway. I’ve had it dozens of times, but never gave it an official review. So, I picked one just for that purpose. 

Fredrikstad (Hansa Borg), Juleøl; 6.6 percent; Sarpsborg, Norway. Well, let’s wait and see. I’m not expecting it to be much different than the Hansa Juleøl listed previously. Maybe I should have a drink off between the two of them.

Row Two

Port Brewing, The Lost Abbey, 10 Commandments; 9 percent; San Marcos, CA, USA. This one has been sitting in the cellar for some time now. It’s only half mine, so I’ll have to wait until convening with the other ‘shareholder’ before reviewing it. My expectations are high.

Port Brewing, The Lost Abbey, Judgment Day; 10.5 percent; San Marcos, CA, USA. This one is a Christmas gift, so it’s all mine! Again, my expectations are high.

La Rulles, La Granda 10; 10 percent, Rulles, Belgium. I’ve had this on several occasions, and could just write a review based on my notes. But, this one has been in the cellar for some time now, and I plan on popping it open in the coming weeks. So, I’ll wait with the review.

Haandbryggeriet, Bestefar (Grandfather); 9 percent; Drammen, Norway. Haandbryggeriet makes some really remarkable and somewhat experimental stuff. So, it goes without saying that sometimes experimentation can go awry, resulting in some really weird brews. The ratings for this one are very good, and I’m looking forward to reviewing it myself. 

Paulaner, Hefeweissbier Dunkel ; 5.3 percent; Munich, Germany. I cannot believe I’ve never had this one. It’s not rare or anything, but I just never managed to find the time for it. I drink their Hefeweissbier all the time. I suspect this one will not be much different than the similarly styled Erdinger.

Nøgne Ø, Bitter; 4.5 percent; Grimstad, Norway. I’ve had this probably a scillion times or so, and I could easily write a review for it now. But, I’ll just wait and write one after consuming this particular bottle. 

Haandbryggeriet, Fyr og Flamme (to be excited, lit. fire and flame) IPA; 6.2 percent; Drammen, Norway. As I said before, Haandbryggeriet makes some really remarkable and somewhat experimental products. So, it goes without saying that sometimes experimentation can go awry, resulting in some really weird brews. I have no idea what to expect from this one.

Haandbryggeriet, Røyk Uten Ild (smoke without fire); 8.5 percent; Drammen, Norway. Had it before and loved its smoky profile. I cannot wait to give it a review for this blog.

Herslev, Økologisk Hvedeøl: 5.6 percent; Roskilde, Denmark. I’ve had their crazy, but tasty Pilsner. This one has been in the cellar for quite some time, so I think it’s about ready to sample.

Ægir, Ratatosk, Double IPA; 9 percent, Flåm, Norway. My expectations for this one are high, as they usually are for Ægir’s stuff.  

Mikkeller, Beer Geek Brunch, Weasel; 10.9 percent; Copenhagen, Denmark. I’ve been looking forward to this for a long time. Out of all the beers on this list, Beer Geek Brunch is probably the one I most look forward to. For some reason, I’ve had a hard time finding it. The local bar I frequent - Henrik Ø og Vinstove – carries it, but they were always sold out when I asked for it. So, I patiently waited for it to turn up at the wine monopoly, and finally it did.

Nøgne Ø: Underlig Jul – Mild, spicy, Christmassy

There’s just something so cozy about drinking dark Norwegian beer at 60 degrees north in Norway during the holiday season, amid falling snow and Santa. Well, for those familiar with this part of the world, you’ll surely know that the latter two are really the stuff for postcards rather than winter’s windy and wet reality. But Nøgne’s Underlig Jul really warms things up, and it may make the holidays more enjoyable (or at least bearable for those holiday skeptics).

While the name, which means curious or strange Christmas, suggests something highly unique, I found nothing truly original in Nøgne’s Ungerlig Jul. It’s malty, spicy, and well balanced in ways not much different than many other Christmas beers out there. Like other Christmas beers, Underlig Jul is a real treat. Life outside the snowflake speckled bottle begins with a dark reddish-brown color and a robust, foamy beige head. The lacing is a bit runny, but dense nonetheless. Giving it a whiff reveals roasted malts, licorice, and some Christmassy spices like ginger and cinnamon in the background. Overall, the taste closely resembles the aroma. Underlig Jul finishes dry and relatively bitter, and the spices leave a faint tingling sensation. 

This is a pretty solid Christmas brew, although not as complex as Nøgne’s God Jul. The label on the bottle suggests trying it with “traditional Christmas cookies” and that is certainly the right thing to do, especially with ginger snaps.

Links

Ratebeer: http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/nogne-o-underlig-jul/40625/

 

Nøgne Ø, Underlig Jul: http://www.nogne-o.com/seasonal-beers/underlig-jul.html

Image credits

Suregork Loves Beer: http://beer.suregork.com
  

Nøgne Ø: Imperial Stout - Not for the Faint-Hearted

On a few occasions, one encounters an experience so memorable that the senses born out of that experience hold over for weeks – or maybe longer in the case of trauma. Fortunately, experiencing a Nøgne Ø Imperial Stout is simply memorable without being traumatic. And what a wonderful memory this ale can be.

The typical first encounter with Nøgne Ø’s Imperial Stout will immediately confront the simplicity and distinctiveness of the company’s bold purple “Ø” surrounded by a black label attached to a half-liter brown bottle, immediately giving away its Norwegian origins. Stamped with the same “Ø”, the cap is as simple and distinctive as the label. For those you not familiar with Scandinavian languages, the “ø” or “slashed o” as it is sometimes called, is a distinct letter in the Norwegian and Danish alphabets which is used to represent close-mid front rounded sounds (the closest English comes to this is the vowel sound in bird).

In my opinion, Nøgne Ø probably brews Norway’s most exiting line of products, although Ægir and Kinn are close rivals. Hailing from Gimstad, which is a coastal town on the southeastern tip of Norway, Nøgne Ø produces about 17 year-round products, including the Imperial Stout. Adding to this another dozen or so seasonal and specialty beers, each with a ceaseless array of well-balanced subtle and aggressive qualities, yields a rather long list of top-notch brews. And Nøgne Ø Imperial Stout is emblematic of brewery’s attention to both subtly and aggressiveness, with the balance in favor of the aggressive side of beer.

Breaking open the cap releases a welcomed hissing sound and, on a few occasion, the smell of roasted malts might immediately greet the olfactory system. When pouring Nøgne Ø's Imperial Stout into a glass, the pitch black body and thick brown head are signs of what’s to come: roasted malts and a heavy bodied beverage. Tilting the glass slightly will reveal the stout's impressively long-lasting lacing. Aroma? Think chocolate, toffee, vanilla, roasted malts, and a distinct alcohol sting – perhaps a bit too much, especially as it warms. When reviewing Nøgne Ø's Imperial Stout, quite a few folks on ratebeer.com mention dark chocolate and licorice odors, but I’ll just stick with chocolate without the licorice.

The mouth feel and taste(s) are even more impressive than the aroma and appearance. Creamy and oily, the mouth feel is met with some mild carbonation. Taking a generous mouthful reveals a wonderful array of flavors, ranging from mildly sweet chocolate, toffee and roasted malts in the front to slightly bitter and citrusy flavored hops in the finished, marked by a strong alcohol taste – again perhaps a bit too strong.

I feel a warning is in order for those who never had a really good imperial stout. Drinking Nøgne Ø's Imperial Stout is an experiment not to be taken lightly, and if you’re used to lagers or milder ales, you will probably be a bit stunned by this imperial stout’s roasted flavor and high alcohol content, which again is pretty prominent in the taste. I recommend splitting it with a fellow beer explorer who’s up for the challenge. Be sure to finish it, even if you find it rather unpleasant. After all, you probably paid a fortune for it, so be sure to give it a fair shake. While these beers are an acquired taste, most drinkers I know manage to find Nøgne Ø's Imperial Stout to be quite enjoyable even by the end of the first glass.

Links

Nøgne Ø Imperial Stout review on Humle of Malt (Norwegian)

Nøgne Ø Imperial Stout on San Diego Beer Blog

Nøgne Ø Imperial Stout on Ratebeer.com

Nøgne Ø Imperial Stout on BeerAdvocate

Nøgne Ø Imperial Stout on  brewery's site

Additional information

Stouts on Wikipedia


Image Credits

International Beer Shop

Nøgne Ø: God Jul – A Holiday Icon

There’s just something so cozy about drinking strong, dark Norwegian beer at 60 degrees north in Norway during the holiday season, amid falling snow and Santa. Well, for those familiar with this part of the world, you’ll surely know that the latter two are really the stuff for postcards rather than winter’s harsh and wet reality. But Nøgne’s God Jul is as real as it gets, and if you have the chance to try this 8.5 percent ABV pleasure, I strongly recommend jumping on it. It may make the holidays more enjoyable (or at least bearable for those holiday skeptics).

Life outside the snowflake speckled bottle begins with a robust, foamy beige head that imparts a seriously sticky web of lacing. The aroma is largely coffee with a touch of chocolate, liquorice, and some unidentifiable smoked scents that definitely accentuate Nøgne’s product as a real holiday icon (or at least it should be). Overall, the taste closely resembles the aroma, including the smokiness and some spiciness perhaps, although the alcohol reference was surprisingly strong in the taste. 

Overall, this is an excellent brew – perhaps the best Christmas beer I’ve had so far this year, although BrewDog’s Santa Paws is certainly a closer second. It's leaps and bounds better than their still quite tasty Underlig Jul. God Jul’s distinct smokiness really adds to the holiday spirit, and I will certainly be cracking open one of these on Christmas day. I might even leave one out for Santa…sorry Santa, not a chance!

Nøgne Ø: Saison – A Summertime Favorite

Originally brewed in Belgium as mild refreshments for seasonal farm workers, these ales today have a slightly higher alcohol content than those that quenched the thirst of these seasonal works, but they are still ideally suited as refreshments for hot summer days. In my view, and among those posting reviews on ratebeer.com and beeradvocate.com, Nøgne Ø’s Saison is one of the better representations of this beer style. 

If you’ve read my other Nøgne Ø reviews, you’ll know that I’m quite fond of the company’s packaging. The simplicity and distinctiveness of the company’s red “Ø” surrounded by a black label attached to a half-liter brown bottle immediately gives away its Norwegian origins. 

Breaking open the bottle and pouring a glass of this 6.5 percent ABV beverage reveals the ale’s opaque golden color, amazingly well retained head and commendable level of carbonation. The appearance is accompanied by a decent aroma, with hints spices and fruits – notably citrus. The Saison’s taste is similar to the nose, with a medium body peppered by a complexity of sweet fruit and herbal tastes and a somewhat dry mouth feel. The sweetness continues through to the finish, transitioning into a lingering, but ever so mild bitterness. Other tastes can also be found, although I have not found some of those mentioned by other fellow beer fans. One ratebeer.com commenter mentions “an explosion of raspberries”, while another reviewer mentions coriander. A few reviewers on beeradvocate.com mention apples and pears. Given the complexity of the flavoring in Nøgne’s Siason, I am sure you’ll find some if not all of these at some point.

Nøgne Ø: Two Captains – Defying the Laws of Gravity

For an updated and more thorough review, please read my Two Captains update.

Nøgne Ø Two Captains is a must try for those that love IPAs. Two Captains has the aggressiveness of not just one fighter pilot, but two, just as its name suggests. It all begins with the aggressive head that just keeps defying the laws of gravity and a wonderful copper-colored appearance so characteristic of robust imperial IPAs. Two Captains' aroma is complex and – aside from the florally and hoppy scents – sort of hard to pin down. Faint earthy smells accompany the scents of orange and maybe peach. Other reviewers mention odors like “caramel and grass” (saxo), along with “fruity hops [and] piney grapefruit” (anders37). Whatever the case may be, Nøgne Ø brewed some serious nose candy with this one.

With an 8.5 percent ABV, the taste of Two Captains continues to show this ale’s aggressiveness, revealing a mixture of flavors that match the aroma. Quite a few reviewers mention pine and mild alcohol tastes, both of which I also found. This thing is hop heaven and, at 100 IBU’s, it’s amazingly bitter. That said, Two Captains has a bitterness that lacks the burning sensation that one gets from other similarly styled ales. Moreover, to my slight disappointment, the bitterness vanishes surprisingly early after swallowing; other similarly styled ales seem to tingle on for just a little bit longer than this one. Overall however, Two Captains is as aggressive as its label suggests and, if you manage to find it, it’s well worth a taste.

Links

Nøgne Ø, Two Captains on Ratebeer.com: http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/nogne-o-two-captains-double-ipa/125773/1/8/

Nøgne Ø, Two Captains on Beeradvocate: http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/7730/62520

Nøgne Ø, Two Captains official site: http://www.nogne-o.com/constant-production/two-captains-double-ipa.html

 

Nøgne Ø: Blonde - A Reason to Never Leave

“Nøgne Ø, blonde” (naked island, blonde) sounds like something out of a movie with quirky music, bad audio, and a plot about one lone man’s trials and tribulations in an island adventure that takes a dramatic turn for the better when he finds the island populated with beautiful and barely clothed blonde women. Throw in some bottles of Nøgne Ø blondes and you’ll give him a good reason to never leave.

The simplicity and distinctiveness of the company’s yellow “Ø”, surrounded by a black label attached to a half-liter brown bottle, immediately gives away Blonde's Norwegian origins. The Nøgne Ø bottle simply looks wonderful alongside some of the others in my small display collection.

While I must admit that some of these blonde ale varieties have far too much citrus flavor for my taste, Nøgne Ø’s 4.5% ABV version is one that I find myself drinking on a regular occasion. When pouring it, you’ll notice its golden brown color, its good carbonation, respectable one-inch head, and fat lacing. Blonde's aroma is super fruity, including hints of bananas and lemons of sorts. Try hard enough and you’ll be reminded of apples and spices along the way. 

Given the well balanced and mild taste, this Nøgne Ø's Blonde would be pleasurable for nearly anyone. However, I find that, with the exception of the citrus aroma, the nose does not really predict the flavor. The citrus flavor is as overpowering as the nose might lead you to believe and the banana flavor does not really come alive in the taste. Next to the wit, Nøgne Ø’s Blonde is probably one of my least favorite in their line, but it’s easy to get, highly enjoyable, and rounded enough to hand out to the occasional guest. Nøgne Ø Blonde is a great summer beer and I absolutely recommend it.

Links

Nøgne Ø Blonde on Ratebeer.com: http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/nogne-o-blond-kos-pa-groos/89187/

 

Nøgne Ø Blonde offical site: http://www.nogne-o.com/constant-production/blonde.html

Nøgne Ø Blonde on BeerNorway: http://www.beernorway.com/2011/08/28/beer-review-nogne-o-blonde/