One of the first thing most beer drinkers do when ordering a new beer is take a sniff. The aroma is usually a good prediction of the taste of the beer. Luckily for those that aren’t a huge fan of heavily hopped beers, the scent of Nogne 0 India Pale Ale is much stronger than it’s flavor. Give it a chance and you will find there is more balance than the aroma will indicate.
Appearance: The head on the Nogne 0 Imperial Pale Ale does not last as long as the head on many other IPA’s. It dissipates quickly, and the lacing on the glass is lacking as well. The hazy amber color does match well with the fall season though. While not perfect, it still scores 7 out of 10 points for appearance.
Aroma: This is where the Nogne 0 India Pale Ale lacks character. It can be intimidating to those that are not fans of hops. Pine is very strong in the aroma of this beer, closely followed by some grapefruit. Overall, based on the aroma, this would appear to be a very bitter beer, scoring only two out of five points.
Taste: The taste of the beer does provide some verification for the aroma, but luckily for malt fans, it’s not as strong. While the pine is definitely present, there is a little sweetness from a combination of grapefruit and a little orange at the beginning of the flavor to balance out the bitterness that is definitely present at the end. Still a little too bitter, except for fans of hops, scoring only seven out of 10 total points.
Mouth Feel: The mouth feel of Nogne 0 India Pale Ale is lacking a little as well. It just comes across as a little bit flat and sour. There is a hint of alcohol in the finish of the beer too, which adds to the bitterness of the flavor. In the end, it’s just a bit above average at three points out of five.
Overall Drinkability: In the end, there are many other India Pale Ale’s that have better balance for those seeking a balanced IPA. If you are looking for a bitter IPA, there are others that have a stronger bitter finish. In the end, it appears that the Nogne 0 IPA just can’t decide what it is shooting for. It tries it best to appeal to both sides of the beer drinking spectrum, the hops and malt lovers, and in the end that costs it when compared to similar beers. Drinkability only scores 14 out of 20 points.
Summary: There are many other IPA’s out there that I would choose before I would choose the Nogne 0 IPA , which scores 33 out of 50 points. This is a 3.3 in classic beer scoring systems and is a beer that really shouldn’t be on the top of your list unless you can get a great price for it as a six pack or at a bar at a happy hour. There are two many others that match the style more accurately.