Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 9 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 8

330 ml bottle, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. ABV is 14.5%, IBU 30. Black colour, moderate beige head. Aroma of roast malts, white wine and oak. Sweet flavour, more roasty than a normal quadrupel, notes of brown sugar, "spicy" white wine and oak, hints of chocolate and liquorice. Warming mouthfeel.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 10 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 9

330 ml bottle, batch #10221, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. ABV is 14.5%, IBU 30. Very dark brown colour, nearly black. Moderate beige head. Aroma of roast malts, red wine and oak. Mediu m sweet flavour with the same elements, also mild spices, hints of dark chocolate and liquorice. Very tasty.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 9

Bottle, kindly shared by gunnar. Deep golden to orange colour, moderate white head. Very nice hoppy aroma, fruity and herbal notes. Intense hoppy flavour, but not too bitter. Fruity and spicy notes, well balanced.

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

1 pt. 6 fl. oz. bottle, as Green Flash Stout (Double Stout), courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 8.8%. Pitch black colour, big brown head. Nice aroma of roasted malts, coffee and chocolate. Rich malty flavour with roasty notes, strong coffee and dark bitter chocolate, maybe a hint of liquorice too. Bitter aftertaste. The alcohol is well hidden.

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

22 fl. oz. bottle, as Left Coast’s Black Magic Stout, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 6.7%. Pitch black colour, big to moderate brown head. The aroma has the expected notes of coffee and dark chocolate, but also fruity and vinous notes. The flavour has strong roasty notes, coffee and dark chocolate again, but also some fruity notes in the background. Nice one.

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

500 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 10%. Pitch black colour, large to moderate tan head. Strong sweetish aroma of malts, molasses, coffee, chocolate, vanilla, oak and American whiskey. The flavour has very much the same elements, but the Jack Daniels whiskey is even more in front now. This beer has earned its position in the Top Division of Norwegian beers!

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

330 ml stubby bottle, as Waterloo Double 8 Dark, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 8.5%. Deep brown colour, huge and lasting beige head. Pleasant aroma of dark ripe fruits, spices, brown kandi sugar and caramel. Malty flavour with notes of brown kandi sugar and caramel, also notes of spices and dark dried fruits. Moderate hops.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 8

Cask at the Number Twenty-2, Darlington. Very dark brown colour, creamy beige head. Both aroma and flavour are excellent blends of malts and dark ripe fruits, also hints of caramel and nuts, nice bitter finish.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 9 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 9

180 ml bottle with green waxed top, kindly shared by my beerpal Ivar. ABV is 12%. Pitch black colour, no head, minimal carbonation. Lovely complex aroma, oak, roasted malts, molasses, bourbon and coffee, a touch of fusel alcohols keeps me from giving it a full score. Warming mouthfeel. Oaky flavour with roasty, bourbon and vinous notes, complex and excellent.

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

500 ml bottle, kindly shared by gunnar. ABV is 10.4%. Very dark ruby colour, nearly black. Fine tan head. Lovely complex aroma, vinous, smoked, burnt, malty. The flavour is very smoked, peaty, tarry and oaky, sweet and roasty. Not a classical barley wine by any stretch of the mind, more of a "smoked imperial porter" in my book.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 9

Cask at Copenhagen Beer Festival. Black colour. Sweetish aroma with roasty notes of coffee, liquorice and dark chocolate. Fairly sweet flavour with distinct roasty notes, coffee, liquorice and dark chocolate again, hints of dark dried fruits, some bitterness. Well balanced and truly enjoyable.

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

Bottle at Øl & Mat-festivalen, Oslo. Pitch black colour, creamy tan head. Very nice roasty aroma, notes of coffee, dark chocolate and cedar wood. The flavour has also a nice roastiness, notes of coffee and dark chocolate again, hints of liquorice.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 9 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 8

330 ml bottle, as X-mas Zinnebir, from Ølbutikken, Copenhagen. No vintage mentioned on the bottle, so I assume it is 2010, and that this is the same recipe as 2009. ABV is 6.5%. Mahogany colour, huge beige head. Spicy aroma, also notes of dark dried fruits, caramel and brown bread. Soft and rich moutheel. Malty and spicy flavour, some caramel and brown kandij sugar without being too sweet, some roasty notes, well balanced mild Christmas spices, peppery and hoppy finish. Very enjoyable.

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

Shared 750 ml bottle, thanks to gunnar. Vintage 2010, ABV 10%. Bottle No. 3495 out of 3800. Pitch black colour, rich tan head. Intense aroma of bourbon and vanilla, oak and molasses, roasty notes in the background. The fairly sweet flavour is roasty with notes of dark chocolate and coffee, also molasses, bourbon, vanilla and oak. Lovely stuff.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 9 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 9

500 ml bottle, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. ABV is 9.0%. Nearly black colour, moderate beige head. Aroma of roast malts and piney and grapefruity American hops. The flavour is very well balanced between the malts and the hops, a slight sweetness but not too much, roasty notes with hints of coffee, dark chocolate and liquorice, followed by a distinct grapefruity and piney bitterness in the finish and aftertaste. Jolly good beer!

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 9

Oct. 2018: 750 ml corked & caged bottle. ABV is 7.7%. Deep red to purple colour, moderate pink head. Distinct aroma of ripe and over-ripe raspberries, also notes of farmhouse and oak. Very sour flavour with an abundance of raspberries, also notes of lemons and oak. Astringent finish.

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 9

473 ml can, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. ABV is 7.8%. Hazy yellow colour, large white head. Strong and pleasant aroma of various citrus fruits, yellow stonefruits and tropical fruits. Rich and medium sweet flavour with the same elements, but unlike many double NEIPAs there is also a respectable bitterness. Not overdone, though.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 10 | Mouthfeel: 9 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

330 ml can, from the brewery. ABV is 12%. Pitch black colour, large brown head. The aroma is fairly moderate, with the expected notes of roast malts, mild coffee and dark chocolate. The flavour is medium dry, with distinct notes of roast malts, strong coffee and dark bitter chocolate, also distinct bittering hops. Good beer!

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 9

440 ml can, from Vinmonopolet Aksdal. ABV is 8.0%. Opaque yellow colour, large to moderate white head. Lovely hoppy and fruity aroma, notes of crushed gooseberries, crushed white grapes and various tropical fruits. Flavour of lemon zest and pine needles, hints of said fruits but not too sweet, with a distinct bitterness in the finish and aftertaste. Very good beer!

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 9

Sep. 2016: 650 ml bottle, Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 9.5%. Black colour, large tan head. Lovely aroma of roast malts, oak, oaked red wine, liquorice, chocolate, prunes, mild coffee. Slightly sweet flavour with the same elements as in the aroma, the roast malts, coffee and chocolate notes come forward stronger now, also hints of vanilla. Moderate hops (28.5 IBU). Warming mouthfeel. Excellent beer.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 9 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 8

330 ml bottle, as Gouden Carolus Whisky Infused, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. ABV is 11.7%. Deep reddish brown colour, moderate beige head. Aroma of malts, caramel, brown sugar, mild spices, dark dried fruits and Scotch whisky. Rich mouthfeel. Medium sweet flavour with the same elements as the aroma.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 8

Oct. 2015: 600 ml botlle, capped with red waxed top, as Colorado Ithaca, from the Norwegian importer. ABV is 10.5%. Black colour, moderate tan head. Nice roasty aroma with notes of chocolate, vanilla, mild coffee and exotic wood. Excellent roasty flavour, coffee, dark chocolate, vanilla, moderately sweet. Moderate hops. Very good beer.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 9

750 ml stylish "champagne" bottle, Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. Amber to brown colour, large cream-coloured head. Nice vinous aroma, notes of oak and "fruits of the forest", hints of farmhouse. Vinous, oaky and well balanced flavour with moderate but sufficient hops. Extremely drinkable for its strength.

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

375 ml dark green bottle, vintage 2009, from Vinmonopolet Vika. ABV is 8.5%. Pitch black colour, large to moderate brown head. Nice aroma of coffee, dark chocolate, farmhouse, red wine vinegar and various spices. The flavour has notes of red wine vinegar, dark fruits, coffee and loads of spices, some woody notes too. A complex, interesting and unusual beer!

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 8

Bottle, kindly shared by gunnar. ABV is 7.4%. Black colour, moderate beige head. Lovely hoppy aroma (Cascade and Pacific Jade), fruity and vinous notes, also mild roasty notes. Equally pleasant flavour, with the same elements as the aroma. Well balanced and very enjoyable.