Head to Head: Nøgne Ø Porter vs Fullers London Porter

Welcome to another Head to Head challenge. Today we have two Porters. The first is from Norway and is the Nøgne Ø Porter. The second is the English Fullers London Porter.

As usual the tasting was done blind and to style.

Appearance: Winner – Fullers

Nøgne – Quite simply this looks like a stout. The creamy tan head sitting on top of the lovely black color says I am a stout come drink me.

Fullers – This looks like a porter. It pours a very dark brown with a nice reddish color as you look through the light. The head is a bubbly light tan and leaves good lace on the glass.

Aroma: Winner – Fullers

Nøgne – Really good aromas leap out of the beer. There is good amount of roasted flavors but also some citrus hop aromas. In fact it reminds me of simcoe hops present in some Imperial IPAs.

Fullers –The aroma is full of roasted barley along with some sweetness and a bit of tar.

Taste: Winner – Nøgne

Nøgne – Wow this is smooth with a sweet start followed by a bitterness that builds slowly. There is also a bit of nuttiness mixed in almost like a good nut brown ale.

Fullers –The initial sweetness is balanced by a moderate degree of bitterness. The contrast between the two gives a wonderful balance.

Body/Finish: Winner – Nøgne

Nøgne – The full body is accompanied by a nice long bitter finish.

Fullers – The body is medium to full and the finish has a smooth oily texture. Finishes with hints of bitterness.

Overall: Winner – Fullers
Well finally a Porter gave the Fullers a good run. In fact I think the Nøgne is the better beer. So why did it not win? Well simply it is just to outside the normal porter description. At 7% it is closer to a Baltic Porter in strength and in taste and aroma much more like a stout. And I think it is great. But the Fullers London Porter is still what I would expect of a Porter. It is rich but not overpowering. Not to mention the beautiful red color and the ease at which it can be drunk. These make it the better porter and so it wins this Head to Head. But I highly recommend having the Nøgne.

~ by alelagerlambic on June 19, 2008.