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Category Archives: Nogne

Review of Nogne O/Terrapin Imperial Rye Porter

Hello everyone. I hope all is well. Thanks for checking back in on another craft beer review. Today, I’m going to be drinking the Nogne O/Terrapin Imperial Rye Porter produced in a collaboration effort by Nogne O – Det Kompromisslose Bryggeri A/S located in Grimstad, Norway and the Terrapin Beer Company situated in Athens, Georgia.

I have thoroughly enjoyed all of the Nogne beers I’ve gotten my hands on, however Terrapin is not distributed in my area. I’ve heard a great deal of positive things about them though, so let’s hope this brew is a good one.

Neither brewers website, nogne-o.com nor terrapinbeer.com, had a description of this particular beer, but I was able to find a bit of information from ratebeer.com.

Imperial Rye Porter is a dark ale with lots of character, brewed by Spike and Kjetil. The best of both worlds!

Ok. Not much to go on there, so let’s just pour it and see what we have.

This brew came in a 16.9 oz. bottle and it had an ABV of 9.0%.

It poured pitch black with a tan colored head. The crown was very smooth creamy, soft and frothy with a lot of tightly compacted bubbles. It was greatly sized with a tremendous retention time. The lacing was very thick and clingy as well. Simply a beautiful looking beer. One of, if not the best looking Porters that I have ever laid my eyes on. That’s one thing I will say about the Nogne beers that I’ve tried. They all look phenomenal in the glass.

The nose brought forth a solid dose of roasted malts. Toasted grains and breads intermingled with hints of coffee and dark chocolate. The spicy rye was light, however it did seem to release a touch of nuttiness with deeper whiffs. As it warmed it began to uncover a subtle sweetness that one may find in an Oatmeal Stout. Kind of milky too. As a matter of fact it started to get real milky and creamy as it opened up. A very, very nice and inviting aroma to say the least.

The taste also presented a creamy/milky sweetness. Relishes of coffee and bittersweet dark chocolate added a good source of complexity. Roasty, toasty malts and grains (as to be expected) really hit the spot. Like the aroma, the rye remained somewhat subdued, although it was easily detected with long sips. A very, very good taste in my opinion.

The mouthfeel was full bodied. Thick, chewy, dry, smooth and creamy with just a touch of chalkiness on the swallow. The carbonation was on the lower side and a slight bit of warmth was felt from the alcohol. A plethora of flavors were left behind on the palate long after each sip.

Man. I thought this was a great beer. I altogether enjoyed it very much. This brew would be great for a cool evening that’s for sure. The drinkability wasn’t bad either. I had no problem whatsoever in finishing this bottle. It was a bit thick, but that didn’t deter me. I kept chugging. It’s definitely worth a try if you guys haven’t done so already. I think I’ll probably pick up another bottle or two myself before too long. So, with that being said, pick up a bottle of the Nogne-O/Terrapin Imperial Rye Porter and see what you think. If you like Porters I doubt that you will be disappointed.

Thanks for reading everyone. Don’t be afraid to comment if you would like.

Until next time. Cheers.

Score: 4.35 out of 5
Grade: A

Review of 8 Wired/Nogne O/Renaissance Brewing "O Is For Awesome"

29 Oct

Hello everyone. For today’s craft beer review I’m going to be trying an Imperial Amber Ale called “O Is For Awesome” produced in a collaborative effort by three different brewery’s. 8 Wired Brewing Company and the Renaissance Brewing Company both located in Blenheim, New Zealand and the Nogne O – Det Kompromisslose Bryggeri A/S located in Grimstad, Norway.

If you have a few moments I would suggest checking out each brewery’s website: 8wired.co.nz, renaissancebrewing.co.nz and nogne-o.com.

From the Renaissance Brewing Company’s website, we find this commercial description.

A 3 way collaboration between Norway and New Zealand. Loosely based on a mix of our 3 flagship beers: Stonecutter Scotch Ale, Hopwired IPA and Batch #100.

Let’s sip. Shall we?

This brew came in a 16.9 oz. bottle and it had an ABV of 9.0%.

It poured a deep brown, oxblood color. The head was light tan, smooth and creamy. The size was decent and the retention time seemed to be sufficient. The lacing looked alright. A few patches of foam were left on the sides of the snifter for a good while. Not a bad looking beer.

The nose smelled wonderful. Hints of sweet caramel and toffee. Touches of chocolate and cocoa powder as well as a solid dose of toasted wheat bread and other toasted malts. Well suited piney hops along with a slight hickory nut type of aroma also. Very well balanced and pleasing on the nose. I really liked it.

The taste was very gratifying too. It was almost exactly like the aroma. Rich caramel and toffee malt intermingled with dry chocolate. More toasted breads and malts. The piney hops mix with some earthiness to create a very “round” and “smooth” flavor profile. A very light taste of alcohol was found, however it only added to the complexity and never became distracting or obtrusive. Again, very well balanced and very good.

The mouthfeel was medium to full bodied. Thick, sticky, dry and chewy. Medium to low carbonation with a nice warmth from the alcohol. A nice shot of flavor was left on the palate for a good while after each sip.

No doubt about it. This is a great brew. Tons of complexity was had to be pondered. It kind of reminded me of an Imperial Stout actually. It was a bit thick and chewy for a real high drinkability rating, however if you are looking for a sipper that could be best enjoyed on a cool Fall/Winter night, this may be a brew to be tried. I wish I had picked up another bottle and squirreled it away that’s for sure. Have you guys ever tried the 8 Wired/Nogne O/Renaissance Brewing “O Is For Awesome” Imperial Amber Ale? What did you think of it? If you would like, leave a comment and let me know.

Thanks for reading everyone. I really appreciate it.

Until next time. Cheers.

Score: 4.25 out of 5
Grade: A-

2 Comments

Posted by Beer Apprentice on October 29, 2012 in 8 Wired Brewing Co., Country: New Zealand., Country: Norway, Nogne, Renaissance Brewing Co.

Review of Nogne O Imperial Stout

20 Jul

Hello everyone. For today’s craft beer review I’m going to be trying the Nogne O Imperial Stout produced by Nogne O – Det Kompromisslose Bryggeri A/S located in Grimstad, Norway.

I was pretty impressed with the Nogne O Porter that I tried a while back, so I’m hoping that the Imperial Stout follows the same path.

Here’s a brief description of this brew from the website, nogne-o.com.

We thing the Russian tsar would have liked his stout this way. A dark, rich ale in which a generous sweetness with roasted malt bitterness. Great with vanilla ice cream or dark chocolate.

Time for a taste.

This brew has an ABV of 9.0% and it comes in a 16.9 oz. bottle.

The Nogne O Imperial Stout poured pitch black. No highlights whatsoever. A very dark tan head was formed from a fairly easy pour. It was very smooth, silky, creamy, and smooth. The retention time was excellent and the lacing was thick and sticky. A gorgeous looking beer I thought.

The nose presented some heavily roasted malts and grain. Earthy/herbal hops intermingled with tones of black licorice. Light espresso notes amalgamated with hints of chocolate and creamy oatmeal as well. The bouquet was very well balanced, harmonized and very pleasing.

The taste revealed more of that roasted malt and grain. It was nearly burnt tasting to be honest. Toasted coffee beans and espresso savors. Earthy hops and bitter, chalky chocolate goodness provided a good tickle on the tongue. Some very, very relaxed dark fruits were distinguished also, which provided an extra kick of sweetness. No discernible alcohol taste even with the relatively high ABV. Overall, this brew kind of reminded me of a creamy Oatmeal Stout only with a touch more roastiness.

The mouthfeel was medium to medium/full bodied. Dry, smooth and slick. It had a chalky aftertaste too, but it was somehow creamy going down. Very nice I thought. The carbonation was medium to low, although fitting. It left a good amount of flavor behind after each sip also.

I’ll tell ya what. This may not be the best Stout I’ve ever had, but it’s pretty darn good. It was a very easy drinking, proper and becoming beer. I think it could easily be a “go-to” brew for me throughout the cooler months. It has a lot of character and personality without ever becoming an over-the-top, challenging or tiresome beer like some Imperial Stouts can be. It was still best enjoyed when sipped and pondered, however I had no trouble taking a bigger gulp from time to time. The bottle went down fairly easy. If you guys are looking for a no frills, solid Imperial Stout, I’d say give the Nogne O Imperial Stout a try. I think that you may find it rather enjoyable.

Thanks for reading and commenting everyone. I really appreciate it.

Until next time. Cheers.

Score: 4.05 out of 5
Grade: A-