Woodfordes Nog Review

Essex_Lad · Feb 7, 2012

SG1043 FG 1012 â 4.1%

Brewed 4/12/2011 â Bottled 18/12/2011

While I was in the Woodfordes brewery shop I picked up this kit which is made up of two tins. I had already sampled a couple in the pub next door so I knew what I was hopefully going to be expecting once I had brewed my own.

I had no issues with this kit and it had reached an FG I was happy with after 10 days but I decided to wait an extra few days before bottling. Â½ a teaspoon of granulated sugar was placed in each bottled to prime, placed indoors for a week and then in the shed as usual.

The brew itself is very dark and thick in texture, after checking the bottles after two weeks it has not cleared that much so I waited another two weeks making it a month before testing.

I was very impressed with the taste and it was just how I remembered it in the pub, if not better if Iâm honest :) itâs a very heavy going beer so it not really good for a session brew, I have found that two pints and I have had enough and I move onto something else.

This would make a cracking winter beer, maybe brewed to 32 pints and left in bottles for six months or so. I plan to keep some bottles back for the 2012 festive session as Iâm sure it will taste amazing!

:drink: : cheers:

SE10PAT · Feb 8, 2012

Ed very kindly gave me a bottle of this last week and I can agree it's a fantastic tasting brew.

It was very thick with a nutty/chocolatey taste, very smooth with a nice aftertaste. Unfortunately he only gave me one bottle :whistle:

One of the nicest kits that Essex Lad has brewed so far : cheers:

I will probably brew one of these for my Christmas 2012 beer

Essex_Lad · Feb 8, 2012

Dont worry Pat, I will give you a couple more bottles when I see you next week :thumb:

BrewDan · Feb 9, 2012

Yet another kit to add to my " to brew list" thanks for the write up :drink:

baggyray · Feb 18, 2012

I would agree that it's a heavy beer,albeit a nice drink :thumb:
It's a very "filling" drink,so I always drink a bottle of this first if I fancy a skinfull,but can't,because of work the next day etc;

Sandimas · Mar 25, 2012

Must admit that I was a little disappointed when I first tasted this, a bit too close to a stout: I like stouts but if I'd have wanted one, I'd have brewed one :) However, it just got better and better with age, to the point that now (10 weeks ageing) it's a really lovely individual dark beer, the stout flavour has really mellowed and virtually gone. I can now see why people rave about it.

Will definately brew this again, probably bottle it all next time (I did half in the keg) and leave it well alone for a few months. I've put a marker in the calendar to get one on in time for next Xmas.

Here's a piccie, turned out a bit lively:

BrewDan · Mar 27, 2012

Looks nice, so I have an idea , is there anything you could compare this to?

Sandimas · Mar 31, 2012

BrewDan said:
Looks nice, so I have an idea , is there anything you could compare this to?

Unfortunately no - I'm not a regular dark ale drinker. Some say it tastes a bit like Hobgoblin, but I don't think so. My aim in brewing it was to try to get something like Uley Old Spot, (hence the glass), a local ale here in Gloucestershire, but it's not like that either. Closest one I can think of is Old Peculiar IMHO, close but not the same. But an awesome pint nonetheless, that is still just getting better and better.

Essex_Lad · Mar 31, 2012

Not had a bottle of mine for a month or so now. Going to crack one open tomorrow to see how it is now its nearly four months old. Im sure it's going to be great :)

joelblake1 · Apr 13, 2012

I've got this conditioning in a keg. I had a cheeky taster while I was kegging and its coming on very nicely indeed.

Having read the other posts here, I was surprised that it was already very clear. It's been fermenting for about a fortnight @ 19C and there is now only a very slight haze when you hold a sample up to the light.

This is in fact my first attempt at homebrewing with proper kit, after 3 successful brews with a brupaks brubox I was bought for my birthday.

Now it's vacated the bucket, the only question is what kit to brew next! :hmm:

pedro30 · Apr 23, 2012

Hi new to brewing so thought I would give it a go, after looking through various websites I decided on woodfordes NOG really easy instructions fermented for a week and with a steady hydrometer reading I decided to transfer it 30 pints into a pressure barrel and 10 pints into bottles with granulated suger to prime.
I must say even after just 1 week in the keg and bottles it is absolutely clear and tastes amazing alot like HOBGOBLIN I have great pressure in the barrel to without injecting any CO2

and I think it will only improve with age.
all in all a great home brew. : cheers:

Fermenting:Canadian blonde

conditioning:Woodfordes NOG

Drinking: :whistle: Nothing yet

Underscore · Oct 23, 2012

My Nog has now been conditioning for a couple of weeks now. It did not have a easy birth.

Firstly, during fermentation we had a brief spell where the temperature shot up so the wort temperature was over 24 degrees. After just over 2 weeks in the FV (it went bonkers for the first 24-48 hours and then almost stopped but it reached ~1.010 by the end of the 2 weeks) I primed and transferred into a new keg.

After a couple of days it became clear that the keg was unable to hold any real pressure, which I tracked down to a small hole in the pressure relief rubber. brewuk happily sent out a replacement so I replaced it, partially reprimed and, this time, secondary fermentation went fine.

So, how does it taste, after all the trauma? Well, pretty darned good, TBH. I'm not usually a big fan of porters but the suggestion that it is similar to Hobgoblin persuaded me to give it a go. Personally, I don't find it particularly similar but I am enjoying drinking it. Lots of chocolate and some burnt sugar but not as much of the latter as some porters - which is probably why I'm enjoying it so much. It's still improving quite quickly too so I'll try to make it last for a while yet...
:drink:

So, bottom line: :thumb:

_

noddyman · Aug 25, 2013

Underscore said:
So, how does it taste, after all the trauma? Well, pretty darned good, TBH. I'm not usually a big fan of porters but the suggestion that it is similar to Hobgoblin persuaded me to give it a go. _

I too bought my Nog based on the Hobgoblin connection. My Nog has been in the bottles now for 11 days after spending 8 in the FV. I have put about 20 in the fridge and am now wondering how soon do i take it out before tasting? Simple question i imagine but this is only my 2nd brew. The remaining bottles are in the garage. Cheers.

noddyman · Aug 25, 2013

Good hey?

Stew · Oct 11, 2013

Put my Nog in the FV on 29th September (my first ever brew) stating gravity was 1042 (ish), and has been at a constant 20-21c since. First two days the fermentation was very strong but slowed down a lot since then.
Last night I opened her up and took a sample out and hey presto the gravity was 1014 (which according to the instructions is where it should be. Worth leaving any longer to see if it falls anymore or just keg?
I tested the sample and smelled lovely and tasted pretty good to, plenty of body and lots of liquorice. :thumb:
So far so good :geek:

itbrvilla · Oct 11, 2013

Ive got this waiting in the wings and cant want to get it going having read many reviews. I started the Youngs Harvest Bitter last night and this will follow. :drink:

Stew · Oct 14, 2013

Got my Nog into the pressure barrell on Saturday afternoon after 13 days in the FV. Syphoning was bit of a nightmare and already had a look on line for an auto-syphon to make things easier

Seems to be carbonating quite well (with 85gms of caster sugar) as bottom of barrell is now slightly bowed. Tap connecter leaked slightly last night but a quick tighten and all seems OK now. Can't wait to pour a proper pint of this stuff as smells prettty lush.
: cheers:

jon3163 · Oct 19, 2013

Hi I have put my Nog on last thursday so making it 9 days in the FV. I made it to 20litres instead of the 23 to make it a little stronger, apart from that i have made it to the kit instructions. everything was going fine my OG was 1042 now 9 days in its 1020 and all fermentation seem to have stopped making this quite a weak beer! what am i best to do at this stage has anyone else had this problem? should i give it a stir and add spraymalt or yeast nutritients please help!!!! or shall i just leave it??

cheers Jon :drink:

bobsbeer · Oct 19, 2013

Welcome :

I haven't made that kit, but are you sure it's stopped fermenting? I would leave it alone for a couple of weeks and see how it goes.

rocket ronnie · Oct 19, 2013

I must admit that when I go to Norfolk I sup the Woodfordes range of beers. I am mainly a grain brewer but three years ago I decided to try the Woodforde kits. I must admit that I don't like wherry but Nog is a different kettle of fish altogether. I find that, unlike Wherry it is as good if not better than the pub brew.

I make mine as near to the first week in June as I can possibly do. This year it went into F/V on June 12th along with no additions using Nottingham yeast, (Throw away the kit yeast) This was left in the F/V for two weeks then siphoned into a Wiko standard barrel, fully capped with no vent and no priming. This was left for 3 weeks then siphoned into a F/V for batch bottling ,using 90g sugar.
It was then put into coopers 500ml bottles.

This is what I do each year and apart from sneaking a taste at bottling time it is left until the festive season, opening the first bottle the Sunday night before Christmas. So in essence made June - drinking from December, six months seems about right

Woodfordes Nog Review

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