Nøgne Ø 500

[LordEoin]

I decided to treat myself tonight and went on the crazy voyage through Bradley's in Cork to find something special to drink tonight.
I had a Norwegian in tow (as you do) who immediately pointed out the Nøgne Ø beers, and after a lot of humming and hawing I picked up a bottle Nøgne Ø 500 Imperial India Pale Ale.
It was €8.50 for a 500ml bottle but I said "[verb] it! why not?"
I also picked up a Sierre Nevada IPA, but it tasted like chewing on a spruce tree - that's a story for another day.

The text on the bottle drew me in:
"Nothing is like celebrating your own milestones. This is a celebration of our 500th batch of ale. It was brewed with joy and splendor; the brewer wore a suit, and a TV station filmed the event. As a base for this ale, we have elected to play with numbers: 5 hops, 100 IBUs, 10% alcohol by volume. Indeed it is an Imperial India Pale Ale. Big and bold. Great for a celebration!"

I poured it carefully to keep the sediment which is now in a test tube ready to step up. Win!
And then i took the first drink...

Sweet virgin! I was in love before it hit my lips. The aroma was like a fresh vacuum pack bag of hops opened for the first time.
And then it hit my mouth...

Feeling like a pint of cream it exploded like a banger loaded with hops and grain.
Even though it's 10% ABV there was no burning or bad alcohol taste from it at all. All drowned out by the sweet delicious flavours.
Although I did notice that my teeth tingled afterwards and I couldn't stop licking my moustache.

For the nerds:
Hops taste is citrus(grapefruit, bitter orange), pine(mild&smooth),
Grain is moderate sweet, caramel.

I'll get a bit coarse now, so ladies can skip ahead to the appropriate marker.
You know the first cigarette of the day, with a cup of coffee, on a hangover? and the way it relaxes you to the point of being ready to take a good shit?
Well that's how it was! honestly!

[ladies can rejoin here]
So 5 minutes later I was ready to continue, and BOOM that aroma back in my face! and BOOM that delicious flavour all 'up my grill'.
I'm in love with this beer! I proposed to her. She declined. So I'm going to clone her and keep her in the basement.
" it rubs the lotion on its bottle or else it gets the hose again" etc..
Wait actually, ladies can forget that part too and move to the next bit

So yeah. If you see it, buy it, drink it, fall in love with it, make love to the bottle and send the brewers a letter every February 14th.

Fin.


pic stolen off google

[CARA]

Sorry how many bottles of this did you drink??

[mr hoppy]

I've got one of those glasses.

They're great. I put my home-brew in it and pretend I paid 8.50 in Bradleys for it

Great beers though Nøgne Ø.

[johnrm]

I had one a week ago.
I can't say I was all that impressed.
Cough syrup-esque.
It was in date.
Maybe I needed to let it age.?
I'll get another.

[Bubbles]

John, I'd say the problem was that your bottle of #500 had aged too much! Probably stored on a warm shelf and the hops had dropped out completely. I love this beer, but i've had bottles of it that fell flat and I suspect lengthy/improper storage is the culprit.

[DEMPSEY]

Now that's how you do a review. .

[Qs]

John, I'd say the problem was that your bottle of #500 had aged too much! Probably stored on a warm shelf and the hops had dropped out completely. I love this beer, but i've had bottles of it that fell flat and I suspect lengthy/improper storage is the culprit.

This is the problem with every hoppy import in Ireland. Its a pain when you are paying so much for a Nogne O.

[johnrm]

I'll have words with my cellarman.

That makes sense though. If there was a bigger hop hit it would have balanced it.

I have a brick of Westvleteren 12, 1 left and it really gets better, so looking forward to this at Christmas.

So what is the ideal temp for long term beer storage?

[Taf]

I'll have words with my cellarman.

That makes sense though. If there was a bigger hop hit it would have balanced it.

I have a brick of Westvleteren 12, 1 left and it really gets better, so looking forward to this at Christmas.

So what is the ideal temp for long term beer storage?

In my opinion, hoppy beers shouldn't be stored long term.

[johnrm]

But if you had to...
No beer lives long enough in your house Billy!

[mr hoppy]

Taf's spot on. Even applies to pilsners. Dark 'n' malty or sour/ wild is what you want for aging.

[LordEoin]

I'd say there was definitely something wrong with the bottle you had john, or else it wasn't the #500 that you got.
bradleys also have #100, and seeing as it was brewed 400 batches ago it's almost guaranteed to have lost its balance.
Basically at this stage the #100 is the ugly older viking sister, worn down from a life of making ends meet. A pocket full of change and a heart full of broken dreams.
Where as the #500 is a bouncing fresh norwegian cheerleader, with soft skin and blonde pigtails, smelling of sweet fresh flowers and caramel...

[Rossa]

I had the 500 twice last year and it was desperate. Underattenuated sugary mess. Really unbalanced. Might give its a whirl again. Maybe they let it out and shouldn't have.

[Bazza]

Where as the #500 is a bouncing fresh norwegian cheerleader, with soft skin and blonde pigtails, smelling of sweet fresh flowers and caramel...

LE, to quote 'Blazing Saddles' - You put your words purdier than a twenty dollar wh0re.

Now for my second visit of the day to the work toilets. Ho hum.

-Barry

[Eoin]

So let's get this straight, it was so good you shit yourself?