Nogne O / Dugges-- Sahti

 

Nogne O  / Dugges Sahti is a beer that was a collaboration between these Norwegian and Swedish breweries, respectively, and was their take on the traditional Finnish style ale.

11% ABV and 24 IBU's

Review:

Aroma: Odd... phenolic smells are in your face. Strangely, the smell of walnut shells is very apparent. Notes of wildflower honey.

Appearance: This Sahti is a hazy amber color and has a white, soda-like head. 

Taste: There is a wheatyness, a rye bite, juniper in the throat... it is fruity and flowery with honey notes... this is a very layered and very complex beer. 

Mouthfeel: A bit syrupy. Quite thick and chewy. You can actually see the viscosity if you watch how slowly the bubbles rise!

Finish: A little bit of everything lingers on the tongue. 

(Side Note: I knew that I was in for an adventure when I saw that it was a Finnish style brewed by Norwegians and Swedes using honey, rye, sea wormwood, wheat, malt,  juniper twigs, hops, and three types of yeast from  from Belgium, Germany and Britain.)

Overall:

This beer is very difficult to grade because it is like nothing else. It is not a true Sahti although it has the key ingredients. It is an amalgam of so many things that it really is unique unto itself. Therefore I have to grade it simply by the satisfaction it gave to me.

Grade: B- for flavor, B+ for effort. This was a gutsy beer to brew and market. 

Barrel Man says, 

"Aye, a gutsy brew!"

(This Bottle Purchased at Ewa Pantry.)