Norwegian Good

So I've been sitting on this one for a little while, and have been meaning to drink it for a good couple months now. Every time I opened the fridge, the bottle stared at me longingly, just begging to be opened and enjoyed. Well, with such dreary weather today, I was in need of a pick-me-up. I liked the Nøgne Ø Winter Ale I had a month or so ago a lot, and hoped this would treat me just as well, if not better.

When I poured this beast out, it had the look of concentrated coffee and was topped by the darkest head I've yet seen on a beer. Oddly enough, it got somewhat lighter as the beer settled, but originally, we're talking a deep mocha color which was still several shades lighter than the impenetrably black beer itself. As a matter of fact, the last bit of liquid actually stained the top of the head, giving it the look of a pinch of ground cinnamon resting on top. The head's incredibly slow descent left a good wall of lace on parts of the glass, and was now egging me on even more to take a sip.

It was tough, but I allowed some extra time for it to warm up a bit, and I wanted to get the proper flavor full force from the start. So in the meantime, I began testing the nose, picking up roasted coffee and chocolate malt, but a boozy and sweet aroma that almost resembled an Old Ale, with a subtle hint of vanilla. Seemed like it would take on a rather sharp character on the tongue, so I was ready for brace for that first sip.

And upon taking that first sip, the thing that immediately came to mind was, What an astonishingly well-rounded Imperial Stout! Tasting like a malty blend of dark and milk chocolate, combined with an oatmeal-esque accent, the introduction was much smoother than I had anticipated, and the kick of alcohol slid in toward the finish, but didn't stand out at all. Some faint coffee notes were also present, but really the roasted feel was more like a well-blended, mild cup of java, less like a robust Kenyan mountain one. There is also that contrasting and ghost-like touch of vanilla that really adds to the complexity of this beer.

For a Russian Imperial Stout (albeit from Norway... get them to send us more, Knut!), I'm impressed at the level of restraint and complexity of this offering. Definitely a notable difference from its overpowering relatives, without the alcohol burn or the soy sauce profile. These qualities make it unbelieveably drinkable. If you happen to spot this one in your area, do yourself a favor and pick one up, especially for you malt-heads out there.