Dark Horizon 4th Edition
Nøgne Ø

Dark Horizon 4th EditionDark Horizon 4th Edition
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From:
Nøgne Ø
 
Norway
Style:
Russian Imperial Stout
ABV:
16%
Score:
94
Avg:
4.27 | pDev: 8.43%
Reviews:
22
Ratings:
146
Status:
Retired
Rated:
May 22, 2023
Added:
Aug 20, 2013
Wants:
  13
Gots:
  31
No description / notes.
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Photo of Sigmund
Reviewed by Sigmund from Norway

4.12/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
July 2015: Rerate, 250 ml bottle in triangular cardbox box and wrapped in red paper, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. ABV is 16%, 100 IBU. Pitch black colour, moderate to low beige head. Strong roasty aroma, notes of coffee, molasses, liquorice, fusel and alcohol. Warming mouthfeel, as expected. Sweet and rich roasty flavour, notes of coffee, molasses, caramel, vanilla, liquorice, dark chocolate and bittering hops. Fairly impressive, but I am lowering the score a bit.

Original rating: Temporary rating, sample from 250 ml bottle, Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. Will re-rate as soon as I sample a whole bottle. Astonishingly smooth and pleasant flavour, very tasty, but not extreme.
May 22, 2023
 
Rated: 4.5 by Craftbeerfan666 from Norway

Feb 04, 2022
 
Rated: 4.29 by DucksFan16 from Tennessee

Aug 23, 2020
 
Rated: 4.1 by MDDMD from Pennsylvania

Jul 10, 2020
 
Rated: 3.9 by cp45 from New Jersey

Aug 24, 2019
 
Rated: 4.25 by Patches826 from Massachusetts

Feb 22, 2019
 
Rated: 4.38 by shelby415 from Oregon

Mar 04, 2018
 
Rated: 4.25 by Shaymus from Massachusetts

Feb 24, 2018
 
Rated: 4.75 by jwat from Pennsylvania

Jan 07, 2018
 
Rated: 4.25 by Daniellobo from District of Columbia

Jun 30, 2017
 
Rated: 4.05 by darktronica from Indiana

Jun 08, 2017
 
Rated: 4.83 by Shaun_S from Maine

Feb 26, 2017
 
Rated: 4.25 by Roy1586 from Massachusetts

Feb 12, 2017
 
Rated: 4.6 by DoubleSimcoe from Pennsylvania

Nov 20, 2016
 
Rated: 4.13 by cyrushire from Florida

Sep 02, 2016
 
Rated: 3.5 by Fettpopps from Massachusetts

Jul 12, 2016
 
Rated: 4.75 by calcnerd from Pennsylvania

Jun 03, 2016
 
Rated: 4.18 by THSmusicman from Pennsylvania

Apr 22, 2016
Photo of jmasher85
Reviewed by jmasher85 from Maryland

3.99/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Nøgne Ø's Red Horizon is not one of my favorite beers, but it was certainly revelatory the first time I drank it. It inspired me to try the less unique-seeming Dark Horizon which, while quite good, didn't live up to the mind-f**k that was Red Horizon.

Pours a thick syrup that is almost black, but still just on this side of brown. Some head but not much, and it doesn't stick around for long, so take those nice, long sniffs early on. They will reveal the usual coffee, chocolate (not quite bitter enough to be cocoa), malted grains that are also a bit sweet and rich like brown sugar and molasses, and more than a hint of anise.

The taste brings out all these things and more. The coffee is a bit more pronounced, but still hardly bitter - I guess it's more like a mocha. Anise dies down a bit, but a slightly briney flavor comes to the fore, which I guess a lot of reviewers might describe as "soy sauce" in stouts, but to me it seems more like seawater salt than umami salt. The texture is pretty good - thick, little carb, bold malty finish that's a bit sweet and roasty, barely bitter, and just what you'd look for in an imperial stout. Crazily smooth for such a high ABV, but not sure if that's a plus or not; if I wanted something that tasted like 8%, I'd drink something that was.

Overall, it's a very good beer in it's style, but it's not much better than many other similar heavy stouts and porters I've had. I shouldn't be comparing it to a drastically different beer by the same brewery like Red Horizon, but considering it costs about as much - $20 for a pony bottle - I was hoping for a beer that altered my mind about beer the way Red did. Not the case. Buy any other great RIS for about 1/3 the cost.
Dec 28, 2015
 
Rated: 4.02 by riotontheroad from California

Dec 23, 2015
Dark Horizon 4th Edition from Nøgne Ø
Beer rating: 94 out of 100 with 146 ratings