Nogne O Imperial Brown Ale

Rating:

91774256_1341096026074539_1172306912511787008_o“There is a long story to this malty ale. It was first brewed in the spring 2006 in Nørrebro Bryghus in Copenhagen, Denmark, as a joint brew between Nøgne Ø and Nørrebro. Nørrebro calls their version “Double Knot Brown”.”

Glassware: English Pint.

Appearance: Deep mahogany with two fingers of tan foam on top. It gradually peels off but leaves excellent lace on the glass.

Aroma: Exactly the big old malt bomb we were hoping for only this offers an extra flutter of whiskey and cacao. Quite earthy, certainly dissociated from it’s sweeter English counterparts. Hints of coffee, lightly roasted malts, cooking chocolate and an almost cherry-like fruitiness. Some warmth from the booze creeping in. Very unique. Almost on Porter level.

Flavour: A damn fine Porter…oops we mean brown ale. There’s more than enough chocolate, coffee and roast to tick that box. Even the usual suspects like nutty malt, toast and caramel are all amped up like they’re on steroids. The warming booze also plays a part as it leads in to a slightly assertive finish with lingering coffee and roasted malts on the back end.

Mouthfeel: Not watery but still kind of light like a traditional brown should be. Mild-medium body with the 7.5% ABV fairly noticeable.

Overall: It has been a seriously long time between drinks for us and Nogne O. Can’t explain why really, maybe it’s the rise of quality Aussie breweries urging us to look local instead of international? But beers like this is why we loved them all those years ago. It’s big, aggressive but balanced and right on the money. Cracking drop.