5. God Jul (Winter Ale) - Nøgne Ø

Our winter ale yesterday came from Norway. Specifically a rocky little island off the coast of Norway- these types of islands are apparently called Nøgne Ø, at least that is what Haley would have me believe. The most noteworthy feature of this beer is how thick it is. You can see it when you pour. It's probably as thick as Guinness, but I haven't had Guinness since I was a young lad so I'm not sure. This one time, I was in Quizno's getting ready to slam a big steak sandwich, and there were some African Americans in line behind me. One of them, offering up an indication of the quality of a sandwich, told the others that her friend recommended it. She followed that up with "And she thick." Another man in line behind them instantly stated that "Just cuz she thick don't mean it's all good." They all agreed and chuckled. In this case though, the beer was all good. It was pretty bitter, more bitter than the snowcap. It wasn't spicy at all really or malty. Just kind of bitter and pleasant tasting. Haley says it had nice coffee notes and the richness of a stout without the stout taste (which is a good thing). She gives it four out of five barren Norwegian isles and I give it three out of four thick ladies.