Nogne - Sunturnbrew - Barley Wine

Nogne Sunturnbrew - Grimstad, Norway - 11% abv
16.9 oz dark brown bottle. A place for "Best fore" date but not stamped on label. Batch # 474.
It pours a spent motor oil black with a thin beige head and some splotchy lacing.
Smells of rum-soaked prunes and an odd whiff of camphor on a Band-Aid are released upon first pour. Smells of fresh rye bread, molasses, citrus peels and mixed fruit follow.
This huge-bodied sweet beast is certainly boozy! A big hit of Kahlua hit home beat feet fast. Caramel candy and bread pudding comes to mind as does honey and Vicks Cough Syrup. A medicinal taste of camphor and Band-Aids takes me down a road best forgotten, but it's not altogether unpleasant.
It's a bit on the thick side, so the drinkability factor comes down a notch.
Brie and crackers would go well with this.

Haandbryggeriet - Aqauvit Barrel-Aged Porter

16.9 oz dark brown bottle. Bottled on 23.07.10
Poured into a Sam Adams fluted glass.
It pours a very deep and dark root beer-hued spent motor oil color along with a lively mix of large and medium sized tannish bubbles. Some patchy and webby lacing sticks and stays.
The aroma is a must smell... ASAP! Smells of fresh robust espresso and dark chocolate fumes fill the air surrounding the glass. A nice whiff of black licorice and Aquavit is quite noticeable and lasts throughout. A slight woody smell mingles with a bit of grapefruit rind.
The flavor is all over the damn place! Sorry to say, after the lovely aroma experience, the flavor profile sort of falls apart. There's coffee, Aquavit, citrus hops, green wood, dark chocolate, followed by an off-putting yeasty sourness. A bit of a copper metallic tang seems a little out of place. Porters, Baltic, Robust, or Imperial should not have any funkiness in the flavor department.
A change of yeast is called for here. I believe this would be a first class beer if only the sour/tart flavors were mellowed out.
Try pairing with ginger candies or very dark, bitter chocolate nibs.

Nogne O - Brown Ale

Nogne O Brown Ale- Gamle Rygene Kraftstasjon - Grimstd, Norway - 4.5% abv
1 PT .9oz dark brown bottle. No freshness date.

Pours an overly dark, almost Porter-like dark black coffee color with a thin, but creamy beige color, along with some patchy and trailing lacing.
A mild damp woody aroma fades fast. With some concentration, a whiff of dried chocolate malt escapes.

Tastes of strong coffee, toffee and scorched malt are upfront. Minor flavors of sweet grapefruit and a metallic bite lie beneath.

Oddly, for such a low abv brew, a light alcoholic fuminess is noticed.

A nice brew, just somehow floating about as a Brown Ale. Too dark for a brown, too mild for a Porter, perhaps it's a Dark Brown Ale?