Aroma: 10 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 4 | Flavor: 3 | Overall: 4

12 fl. oz. bottle, UK import. Bottled in 2003. ABV is 11.6%. Opaque pitch black, moderate brown head. Pleasant roasty aroma, hints of dark fruits, chocolate and liquorice. Flavour, on the other hand, is not particularly pleasant. From start to finish it is dominated by a one-dimensional intense bitterness of extremely strong and poorly made coffee, masks any other flavour (including the alcohol) which otherwise might be present. Want a definition of "over-kill"? Here it is! As Queen Victoria would have said: "We are not amused!" Apart from the looks and the aroma: Very disappointing.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

Bottle, labelled "Imperial Porter". Is this really the same beer? RBESG 2005, Grand Tasting. Pleasant sweet malty and roasty aroma with notes of chocolate and molasses. Flavour is malty sweet with chocolatey and oaky notes. Aftertaste is malty sweet and fairly unremarkable. Strangely sweet for a porter, but no doubt a craft beer.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

Bottle, RBESG 2005 Grand Tasting. Very dark brown colour. Malty and roasty aroma. Very roasty flavour, a bit too sweet. Really not that much above average.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 5 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 6

Bottle, RBESG 2005 Grand Tasting. Strong aroma, verging on the unpleasant, with notes of oak, brown sugar, lime and molasses. Flavour is oaky, alcoholic and too sweet, with notes of lime and lemongrass in the background. Not a love affair for me this one.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

350 ml bottle, bought in Denmark. Deep golden / amber colour, slightly hazy, large head. Pleasant hoppy aroma with strong fruity notes (citrus, raisins, prunes). Hoppy flavour on a decent malty base, notes of fruits (grapefruit, raisins) and spices. It’s easy to understand why this beer has become part of the staple diet of many American beer afficionados.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

355 ml can, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. ABV is 8%. Moderately hazy golden colour, huge white head, takes "forever" to settle. Aroma and flavour of lactic acid, oranges, guava and passionfruit. Moderate hops.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

355 ml can, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. ABV is 9.6%. Hazy orange colour, moderate white head. Aroma of citrus, over-ripe melon and some pine. Flavour of oranges, pine needles, resin and alcohol, a certain hop burn.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

355 ml can, as Sierra Nevada Juicy Little Thing IPA, from Vinmonopolet; Nettbutikken. ABV is 6.5%. Moderately hazy golden colour, moderate white head. Aroma of guava and mango. Juicy and zesty flavour of citrus, also hints of guava and mango, moderate hop bitterness. Nice and refreshing.

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

355 ml can, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. ABV is 7.7%. Slightly hazy deep golden to orange colour, moderate white head. Moderate aroma of citrus, hints of malts and pine. The flavour is quite malty, but also very bitter, with piney / resinous notes, also notes of bitter Seville oranges and grapefruit.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

May 2020: 16 fl. oz. can, from Vinmonopolet Kvadrat. ABV is 8.5%. Slightly hazy pale golden colour, moderate white head. Nice hoppy aroma of citrus, tropical fruits and spruce. The flavour has some fruity sweetness, citrus and tropical fruits again, followed by a moderate grapefruity and resinous bitterness.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 7

May 2020: 473 ml can, from Vinmonopolet Kvadrat. ABV is 7.5%. Very cloudy yellow colour, moderate to small coarse white head. Distinct aroma of spruce and pine, tropical fruits in the background. The flavour has citrus and tropical fruits, followed by distinct piney notes. Medium bitterness.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

473 ml can, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. ABV is 6.0%. Slightly hazy and very pale golden colour, moderate white head. Distinct aroma of ripe yellow plums. Fruity and refreshing flavour, notes of yellow plums and citrus, a moderate piney bitterness in the finish.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 8

Feb. 2017: Shared 650 ml bottle at local tasting. Slightly hazy golden colour, white head. Aroma of piney and fruity hops, pineapple and coconut. The flavour is very fruity with pineapple and coconut, but also with a distinct hop bitterness.

Aroma: 5 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 6

On tap at Cardinal, Stavanger, sample at Mandag i Annen. Pale golden colour, white head. Grassy aroma. The flavour has fairly decent hops for a "Mexican" lager.

Aroma: 3 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 3 | Flavor: 3 | Overall: 3

355 ml can, as Athletic Run Wild Alcohol-free IPA, from the n/a-shelf at Vinmonopolet Klepp. ABV is less than 0.5%. Slightly hazy golden to orange colour, small white head. Aroma of wort, fruity hops and over-cooked vegetables. Citric mouthfeel and flavour, fairly dry with notes of dust and piney hops. Bitter finish.

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 7

January 2018: 355 ml can, from Meny Løren. ABV is 4.5%. Hazy golden colour, moderate white head. Moderate aroma, some citrus and pine. Light bodied. Medium dry flavour, piney and grapefruity hops. Okay, but somewhat one-dimensional.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

Feb. 2015: 355 ml bottle, as Left Hand Milk Stout Nitro, Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 6.0%. Black colour, low and creamy beige head. Dryish roasty aroma, notes of coffee, hints of woodwork, cocoa and liquorice. Low carbonation. Medium dry and very roasty flavour with a little lactose sweetness present, notes of strong coffee, a little dark chocolate and liquorice. Should not be drunk ice cold, cellar temperature is better.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

March 2013: 355 ml (12 fl. oz.) bottle, will soon be available at Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 6.2%. Golden colour, moderate white head. Lovely aroma of fruity (tropical fruits, citrus) and resinous hops. Distinctly hoppy flavour throughout, grapefruity and slightly spicy notes with a hint of tobacco, but the bitterness is not extreme.

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 5 | Overall: 6

September 2014: Sample from bottle at Vecturamesse. Brown colour, Some caramel in aroma and flavour. The flavour is otherwise too bland for an ESB, with too moderate hops. Will re-rate when I get a full bottle.

Aroma: 4 | Appearance: 5 | Mouthfeel: 5 | Flavor: 4 | Overall: 5

February 2016: 355 ml bottle, from Matkroken Stokka. Probably well beyond its BB date. ABV is 4.7%. Slightly hazy deep golden colour, low white head. Aroma of dust, grain and wet basement. The flavour has a certain citrussy fruitiness that makes the beer drinkable, on a less pleasant background of very "dusty" malts. Low bitterness. Might have been somewhat better when it was fresh, but hardly a great beer anyway.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 8

June 2009: 1 pt. 6 fl. oz. bottle, as Rogue Captain Sig’s Northwestern Ale, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. Hazy brown colour, huge light tan head. Nice aroma of fruity American hops (Horizon, Amarillo and Cascade). The flavour has a considerable malty sweetness with hints of caramel, which probably is necessary to balance the 80 IBU. The fruity and resinous hops add more to the flavour than just bitterness, but the finish is nonetheless quite bitter. Good stuff.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

July 2014: 650 ml bottle, Limited Edition No. 13 (Winter 2013), Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 9.4%. Consists apparently of 90% ale aged in bourbon barrels, and 10% ale which is not. Reddish brown colour, moderate head, slightly off-white. Distinct aroma of bourbon whiskey, vanilla and oak, also sweetish malts. Medium sweet flavour, again distinct notes of bourbon, vanilla, oak and malts, very moderate hops. Warming mouthfeel. Very tasty beer, but it requires that you like bourbon - fortunately I do.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 8

July 2014: 650 ml bottle with waxed top, vintage 2013, Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 9.3%. Black colour, large and lasting tan head. Aroma of ripe raspberries and moderately roasted malts, hints of chocolate, wood and coffee. Moderately sweet and fruity flavour with distinct notes of raspberries, chocolate, coffee, liquorice and bittering hops. Long, salty and medium bitter aftertaste.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

August 2014: 650 ml bottle, vintage 2013, yellow label and wax, Limited Edition No. 11. ABV is 10.2%. Featuring X-431 hops. At Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. Amber colour, large head, slightly off-white. Strong sweetish aroma, notes of caramelized orange marmalade, notes of molasses and some fresh oranges too, hints of oak. Rich flavour, sweet and malty as expected, but not cloying or sickening. Citrus fruit and caramel again, with distinct bittering hops in the finish and aftertaste. Warming mouthfeel. Enjoyable.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

February 2013: 355 ml bottle, Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 7.0%. Orange to amber colour, moderate off-white head. Pleasant aroma of caramel, orange marmalade and fruity hops. Nice hoppy flavour throughout, but not extreme bitterness for an American IPA. Bitter enough for me, though. Sufficient malts, but not very sweet. Very drinkable.