A GROUP of Norwegians walk into the Trembling Madness, lured by the promise of local ales, and joke: "You won't have any Norwegian beers, will you?"

They all laugh at how ludicrously expensive it would be to import, then sell their domestic products, only to stand aghast when shown that we do indeed have a full range of Nøgne Ø's beers.

We dream of Norwegian customers: Nøgne Ø's prices are sometimes a sticking point for our British clientele, who are often unaware of the costs and taxes associated with producing strong ale in Norway. Norwegian customers stock up before they go home.

To me, Nøgne Ø have always seemed fairly priced; doing the maths reveals a difference of only £1 a litre over similar beers from many smaller British breweries; Nøgne Ø just ship their beer in larger bottles and across the sea.

This beer pours a warm chocolate brown with a dense, spritzy dark beige head, approaching butterscotch in colour. The aroma is fruity plum bread, spiced with freshly grated nutmeg and cinnamon, topped with a handful of toasted walnuts.

Opening with treacle sponge and malt loaf, apricot perfume and sweet almonds add a delicate, albeit slightly tart, layer of complexity. Nutty wholemeal bread and green apple peel give way to raspberries and dark chocolate, balanced perfectly with a rich toasted coffee malt backbone and a measured British hop finish.

A perfect winter warmer, and not a Santa pun in sight.

Recommended by Michael Bates, Trembling Madness, Stongegate, York