Julöl 2008
Nils Oscar

 

A slightly hazy red brown ale, the head off-white, low, with little lacing and good curtains.

The smell is full of raisins, dates, figs and fermented honey.

Starting with dark bread, honey and raisins, some vinous port notes.

Light carbonation, a certain fizzy character, a rather small body, soft with an alcohol touch, a soft long dry finish.

A nice well balanced, possibly peaking old goody.

Bottle courtesy of thewolf: Poured a dark burgundy color ale with a medium size head with average retention and no lacing. Aroma of peat smoke with some lightly sweet biscuit malt. Taste is also a pretty nice mix between some peat malt with some sweet toffee malt with hints of chocolate and toffee. Fuller then average body with OK carbonation and no discernible alcohol. Interesting but slightly lacking ion character to be on the same level as other great for this style.

Pours a dark brown / almost black color with a large white foamy head. Aroma of coffee, dark chocolate, dried fruits, some burnt notes, a light smokiness, spruce needles (or well, something like that). Flavour is quite dominated by the malt but on the other hand not that sweet. A lot of roasted coffee, chocolate, some burnt notes and a light smokiness here too. Liquorice, a bit of fruitiness, spruce needles. Not too sweet, not too bitter. Slightly dry. Balanced and nice, but not overwhelming. Smooth and filling on the palate. Mediumbodied, low carbonation. A good and drinkable Christmas beer from Nils Oscar. I like it!

Smell: malty and sweet, dried fruits, nuts and some chocolate.

Taste: quite complex, nuts, almonds, dried fruits, chocolate, somekind of sour notes of red berries I think, and some fine, elegant notes of dessert wine. Alcohol is nicely integrated and warming, just the way it should be in a winter brew.

The best christmas beer this year. Expensive, but great. Malty, balanced and rich in flavors.

The colour is very dark brown; the finger thick head is pale beige. Some lacing occurs.

The strong smell got warming notes of alcohol, spices, roasted malt, meat and consommé. I noted coffee and roasted nuts and almonds.

The taste is first dry, but soon some sweet malty flavours emerge. Roasted nuts, light coffee, some bitterness, cocoa, meat and almonds. The aftertaste got warming notes of alcohol, dry minerals, raisins and consommé. The finish is long and generous.

The carbonation is gentle yet fresh; the bubbles are very small. The liquid is mid-smooth.

One of the most rewarding of the Christmas beer this year: Expensive but well worth the money.