Even I could get that "Melkestout" is Norwegian for milk stout, but I have to confess that I would not have known that Nogne O is Norwegian for "Naked Island" or that Svart / Hvit means Black / White. Language lesson over, this is a beer containing lactose (obviously) as well as malted rye and (Maris Otter) barley. The hop types are not specified. The 33 cl bottle declares it to be "a non alcohol beer" and "alkoholfri" but I cannot see an ABV mentioned anywhere on the label. Perhaps in Norway these terms really do mean 0.0 % ABV. The "Uncompromising Brewery", as it likes to term itself, produces mainly alcoholic beers (as well as Europe's first sake). The ale pours a rich jet black and creates a thick beige head that gradually subsides. Coffee and earthy notes assail the nostrils and this follows through to the taste - a rich mixture of coffee, chocolate and vanilla sitting on a roasted grain base. The mouthfeel is luxuriantly silky and the finish has a lingering sweetness. An excellent stout, in any language.
5 / 5
