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

375 ml slim bottle, from the cidery. ABV is 10%. Clear deep golden to orange colour, no carbonation. Intense and lovely aroma of ripe dessert apples and concentrated apple juice. Even more intense and sweet flavour - again obvious notes of ripe dessert apples and concentrated apple juice, but also with qualities that can compete with the finest dessert wines like Sauternes or Tokajer.

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

350 ml clear bottle, purchased at the cidery, no ordinary label, only a small handwritten note around the bottleneck. ABV is 11%. Clear and deep golden colour, no carbonation. Lovely aroma of concentrated apple cider and apple juice, also notes of oak and red wine. Very sweet and INTENSE flavour of concentrated cider / apple juice, oak in the background. Warming mouthfeel. Impressive and expensive.

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

Bottled, as Deschutes The Abyss Reserve 2009, kindly shared by gunnar. Pitch black colour, excellent brown head. Lovely and complex aroma of dark malts, chocolate, coffee, tobacco, liquorice and leather, also some oaky and vinous notes. The flavour has notes of heavily roasted malts, balanced by a suitable sweetness, coffee and liquorice, hints of sandalwood. Superb!

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

Bottle, as Great Divide Yeti Imperial Stout, kindly shared by gunnar. ABV 9.5%. Pitch black colour, brown head. Lovely aroma of heavily roasted malts, cigar box and leather. Intense roasty flavour with notes of strong coffee, dark bitter chocolate and English liquorice. Brilliant stuff!

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

On tap at Schouskjelleren, Oslo. Pitch black colour, moderate brown head. Rich aroma of solid malts, roasty as hell, loads of oak / whiskey cask. Extremely rich flavour of whiskey cask, loads of vanilla, chocolate and roasty coffee. Very good.

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

Shared bottle at local tasting, Bought at Ølbutikken, Copenhagen. Pitch black colour, moderate brown head. Intense aroma of bourbon, concentrated dark malts, hints of leather, salty liquorice and chocolate. Rich and intense flavour, dark malts galore, coffee, chocolate, vanilla - and bourbon, of course. Solid hops in the finish. Brilliant stuff.

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

250 ml bottle, kindly shared by Odland. Sampled at room temperature. Pitch black colour, creamy brown head. Strong aroma of cognac oak barrel, some roasty notes too. Well rounded flavour, roasty of course, dark chocolate and coffee, the cognac and oak are there, but not overwhelming. Excellent beer.

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

On tap at HaandBryggeriet Beer Festival, Drammen. Pitch black colour, brown head. Lovely complex aroma, cognac, oak, vanilla, roasty notes (coffee, liquorice). Excellent flavour, medium sweet and distinctly roasty, notes of cognac, oak, coffee, caramel and liquorice. Top notch!

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

330 ml bottle, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. ABV is 9.5%. Black colour, moderate tan head. Aroma of roast malts with some vinous notes, also mild coffee, chocolate, tar and woodwork. Excellent flavour, roasty and medium sweet with chocolate and some vinous notes.

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

(Bought in Sweden - not in Systembolaget's ordinary selection, listed as "coincidentally in store"). This beer has a deep golden colour and pours with a good head. It has a lovely fruity aroma - there is some oak and spices too. Flavour is malty and rounded, still with a great bitterness. This is quite simply a good beer - wish it were imported to Norway!

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

33 cl bottle, bought at Selfridge’s, London. Beautiful brown to ruby colour, good beige head. Complex aroma of oak and sandalwood, some pine too, old sherry, leather, pipe tobacco, sour cherries, prunes, hints of smoke . Flavour is woody with a pronounced roastiness, coffee notes, strong tea, hints of bitter chocolate, excellent hoppy bitterness. A truly delightful beer!

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

(500 ml bottle). Bottle condtioned. Pours with an excellent thick & tan head. Pitch black, even when held to the light. In a blind test I'd probably say this was a stout (not Guinness!), maybe even an imperial. Aroma of roasted malts, coffee, cigar box, English pipe tobacco and dark bitter chocolate. Flavour is again roasted malts, coffee and dark chocolate. Not too sweet, excellent bitterness where you can sense the hops as well as the roasted malts.

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

500 ml bottle, bought at Pivni Galerie, Prague. Label says Herold Bohemian Black Lager, tmavý speciál, 13 degrees plato, Schwarzbier, ABV 5.2%. Very dark reddish brown colour, nearly black, deep ruby when held to the light. Moderate tan head. Excellent aroma of roasted malts, tar, leather and tobacco. Flavour of roastiness, notes of dark chocolate and liquorice, well balanced with the hops, not particularly sweet. Mouthfeel a bit too thin to deserve a straight "10", still a very good beer. Recommended!

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

Draught at the brewpub/restaurant at the monastery. Dark brown, nearly black colour. Thick creamy head. Aroma of roasted malts, some leather, hints of treacle. Solid flavour of roasted malts and coffee, notes of dark bitter chocolate. Reminds me of a Baltic porter. Dry bitter aftertaste from the roastiness and hops. A very good beer - good enough to make me go back the next day for more! By the way - the brewery restaurant serves decent food too.

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

(Bottle conditioned). A new favourite of mine - and I'm the first one to rate it, even! (It has been in the database for quite a while. Btw, cask conditioned this beer is called "Magnificat", otherwise it's the same brew.) I had this wonderful bottle conditioned beer under the vaulted ceiling of Durham Cathedral and Cloister Restaurant, where it rightly belongs. The commercial description seems pretty accurate, but this beer may have more in common (strength, yeastiness) with some belgian ales than most British IPAs. Durham Brewery is not much more than 10 years old, but this rich and full flavoured beer would be worthy of St. Cuthbert himself (he died 687 AD, btw). Colour is golden and hazy, carbonation (natural) is low to moderate. If one needs a textbook example of the fact that beer is made of the three elements malts, yeast and hops (+ water, of course), and that each of those three elements should be clearly discernible in aroma and flavour - well, here it is. To quote the brewery: "Despite being strong, this beer is not too sweet, but has a luscious malty base over which a complex bitterness makes balancing, thirst quenching properties." Amen!

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

330 ml bottle. Black colour, impenetrable for light. Moderate tan head. Looks like old engine oil, smells like old engine oil too - just add dark and roast malts, oak, leather, liquorice and dark bitter chocolate. Lovely roast malts flavour, oily texture. Elements of oak, dark bitter chocolate and substantial hops, maybe some dried fruits and English liquorice too. Great roasty bitter aftertaste with elements of peaty smoke. A great beer!

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

500 ml green bottle, courtesy of Cardinal pub, Stavanger. Very dark reddish brown colour, nearly black, nice brown head. LOVELY vinous aroma with oak, raisins, chocolate, roasted malts, liquorice, some coffee. The flavour has much of the same elements as the aroma, chocolate and sweet malts (but not too sweet) are in front. A roasty and hoppy bitterness in the aftertaste. Very full and rich mouthfeel. Blimey - this IS an excellent beer! LUVVERLY!

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

330 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. Bottle No. 40857, January 2009. ABV is 8.0%. Pitch black colour, big tan head. Intense and lovely aroma of fine malt whisky, notes of oak and peat, hints of vanilla and dark chocolate. Strong flavour of dark malts and fine whisky, peaty and oaky notes, also notes of coffee, hints of liquorice and tar. Moderate bitterness in the finish. Pretty brilliant stuff.

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

Bottle, courtesy of Nøgne Ø representative at "Onsdag i Annen", Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. Pitch black colour, moderate tan head. Lovely aroma of bourbon oak cask/barrel with notes of vanilla, coffee and dark chocolate. The flavour has strong notes of vanilla, coffee and dark chocolate. Overall brilliant!

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

330 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 7.5%. Pitch black colour, big brown head. Nice roasty aroma, notes of coffee and chocolate, hints of dark fruits and vanilla. The flavour has a distinct roasty character with strong notes of espresso coffee and dark bitter chocolate, some malty sweetness, bitter finish. Excellent rich mouthfeel.

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

330 ml capped and waxed bottle, brewed 7th Nov. 2009, bottled 6th Dec. 2009. Bottle No. 190 (of 1284 from this batch). OG 1115, FG 1031. EBC colour 308.9. EBU 99.9. ABV is 10.2%. Declared good for 25 years if kept cool and dark - feels like a sort of sacrilege to drink it now ... Pitch black colour, big and lasting brown head. Lovely roasty aroma, distinct notes of coffee and dark bitter chocolate. The flavour has an intense roasted character, notes of coffee and dark bitter chocolate again, also hints of liquorice, molasses and dark dried fruits. Bitter hops in the finish. Brilliant stuff.

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

500 ml bottle, from Voldby Købmandsgård. ABV is 10%. Pitch black colour, impressive brown head. The aroma has strong notes of peat smoked and birch smoked malts (which indeed are essential ingredients in this beer), also notes of tar, old rope and coffee, hints of dark chocolate. The flavour has loads of smoke, tar and sweet malts, caramel, roasted notes with coffee and dark bitter chocolate. Roasty and hoppy bitterness in the aftertaste. A solid imperial stout.

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

500 ml bottle, from Voldby Købmandsgård. ABV is 8.9%. Ingredients include 6 kinds of barley malts, roasted barley, 3 kinds of hops, demerara sugar, black syrup and raisin syrup (+ water and yeast, of course). Pitch black colour, huge brown head. Roasty and somewhat sweetish aroma, notes of dark malts, syrup, bakery, coffee and chocolate, hints of liquorice. Sweet and roasty flavour, notes of strong coffee, dark and pale malts (with a good deal of residual sugar) and dark syrup, with a distinct hoppy and roasty bitterness in the aftertaste, hints of English liquorice. Regard it as an atheist product or as a gift of God - this is under any circumstance a mighty powerful beer!

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

750 ml bottle, kindly shared by my beerpal Christian. ABV is 13%. Pitch black colour, big tan head. Strong aroma of tar, old rope, coffee, leather and dark malts. Roasty flavour, intense notes of coffee, roasted barley and loads of hops. A truly impressive beer!

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

500 ml bottle, batch #2631, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. ABV is 7.5%, IBU 30. Hazy deep brown colour, large off-white to beige head. Aroma of malts, caramel, brown bread. Malty flavour with the same elements, also chocolate and notes of cloves, a hint of banana and prunes, some bittering hops. Well balanced and very enjoyable to drink.