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

Served from the oak barrel in which it had been aged, at the GBBF 2008. Room temperature, gravity dispense. Pitch black colour, minimal head. Intense aroma of tar, woodwork, coffee, liquorice and alcohol. Intensely roasty flavour with coffee, alcohol, tar, liquorice and dark bitter chocolate. Pretty impressive, but certainly not easy drinking.

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

330 ml bottle, ABV is 9.0%. Very dark reddish brown colour, nearly black. Excellent large and thick brown head. Lovely roasty aroma with strong notes of dark chocolate. Flavour is very roasty with strong notes of coffee, also some chocolate but not very sweet. Bitter finish, it’s hard to tell how much of the bitterness comes from the roastiness and how much from the hops - obviously both elements are plentiful. A first class imperial stout!

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

1 pt. 6 fl. oz. bottle, as Port Brewing Old Viscosity, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 10.0%. Black colour (dark ruby when held to the light), huge tan head. Lovely aroma of moderately roasted malts, mild coffee, chocolate, oak and leather. Full and rich flavour, malty predominance with much the same elements as the aroma, moderate but sufficient hops in the finish. Well balanced, immensely pleasant to drink. Warming mouthfeel, but the alcohol is otherwise well hidden in the flavour.

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

500 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 10.4%. Pitch black colour, big brown head. Nice aroma of roasted malts, coffee, dark chocolate and vanilla. The flavour has loads of roasted malts, notes of strong coffee, dark bitter chocolate and vanilla, bitter hops in the finish. Good stuff!

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

180 ml black-waxed capped green bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. Bruichladdich barrel from 1972. ABV is 9.5%. Bottle No. 364 out of a batch of 1776 bottles. Brewed 3. Dec. 2009, bottled 7. June 2010. Bittering hop Nugget, final hop Amarillo, 96.9 EBU. OG 1100, FG 1030. The beer starts gushing out of the bottle shortly after opening. Pitch black colour, huge to big tan head. Strong aroma of peated whisky, tar, old rope and salty seas, also strong roasty notes. The flavour is roasty with a certain malty sweetness, dominated by peat smoke, oak and tar, the high bitterness feels kind of subdued. A pretty impressive beer in my book, but not the right choice if you hate Islay whisky.

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

330 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 10.0%. Deep brown colour, big off-white head. Pleasant malty aroma with notes of dark dried fruits, bourbon whiskey, vanilla and oak. The flavour is malty and medium sweet, balanced by decent hops. Again notes of dark dried fruits, bourbon and oak. Good bitterness in the aftertaste. Another excellent beer from Lervig’s head brewer Mike Murphy.

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

355 ml bottle, kindly shared by gunnar. ABV 10.5%. Pitch black colour, low head. Strong and intense aroma of heavily roasted malts, cigar box, burnt caramel and oak. Equally strong and intense flavour, again heavily roasted malts, burnt caramel and oak. Pretty impressive stuff.

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

500 ml bottle, batch 22, from Voldby Købmandsgård. ABV is 8.0%. Pitch black colour, big to moderate tan head. Moderate but nice aroma of roasted malts, notes of coffee, hints of liquorice and smoke. Full and rich mouthfeel. The flavour is fairly sweet and malty, roasty notes of course, some caramel, tar, coffee, dark chocolate, liquorice and smoke again - but not quite as much peat smoke as expected, and that’s quite alright with me. A lovely drop!

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

Corked bottle, at "Onsdag i Annen", Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 11%. Pitch black colour, moderate to low tan head. Intense sweetish malty aroma, vinous and roasty notes, oak, caramel, coffee and chocolate. Rich mouthfeel. The flavour has much the same elements as the aroma. Sweeter and less intense bitterness than in some other imperial stouts. A real treat!

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

330 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 10.4%. Pitch black colour, large brown head. Strong aroma of roasted barley, notes of coffee, hints of ashes and woodwork, a touch of smoke. Rich mouthfeel. Medium sweet flavour with strong roasty notes, coffee and dark bitter chocolate. Bitter and dry finish, roasty aftertaste. Excellent beer.

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

On tap at Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. Pitch black colour, low brown head. Lovely aroma of oak, roasted malts, dark chocolate and coffee, hints of leather. Roasty flavour, dark malts, coffee, oak, hints of chocolate and liquorice. Nice bitterness in the finish.

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

At last - the elusive Wiibroe Porter Imperial Stout is mine. 330 ml bottle, at Plan B, Copenhagen. Black colour, moderate creamy tan head. Aroma of roasted malts, caramel, coffee, chocolate and liquorice, hints of oak and dark dried fruits. Roasty flavour, dark malts and coffee, hints of liquorice and dark chocolate. Lovely!

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

340 ml green bottle, from Høkeren, Copenhagen. ABV is 8.5%. Pitch black colour, large and creamy brown head. The aroma has some roasty notes with hints of coffee, also distinct notes of smoke and old rope, hints of vanilla. Rich mouthfeel. Lovely flavour, medium sweet, roasted malts, coffee, molasses and dark chocolate, hints of liquorice, oak and vanilla, just a touch of smoke. Excellent stuff.

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

355 ml bottle, from Ølbutikken (or possibly Høkeren), Copenhagen. ABV is 11.2%. Pitch black colour, minimal tan head. Lovely complex aroma with roasty and vinous notes, coffee, dark chocolate, liquorice, cedar wood and honey. Warming mouthfeel. The flavour is very malty and sweet with strong roasty notes, coffee, molasses, honey, wood, dark bitter chocolate and liquorice. The sweetness is to some extent balanced by resinous American hops. A mighty fine beer!

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

440 ml can, at Cardinal, Stavanger. ABV is 14.2%. Pitch black colour, moderate to small tan head. Aroma of roast malts and brown sugar, also notes of chocolate, hints of oak. Smooth and warming mouthfeel, but not as alcoholic as expected. Rich flavour, with the same elements as the aroma, moderate hops, very pleasant to drink.

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

330 ml bottle, ABV 6%. Drank it out of a plastic "glass" (sacrilege, I know!) at cellar temperature. Cherry-like aroma with hints of cowshed and ensilage. Flavour is sour/acidic/red wine vinegar-like, with strong barnyard and ensilage elements (not that I normally eat ensilage, but still...). This was my first Flemish red ale, an exciting experience! It will not be my last beer of this style.

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

This one certainly has a lot more going than the Blond/Enkel. Moderate aroma of oak, spices, dried fruits and English pipe tobacco (before smoking!) Delightful flavour of gently roasted malts, some yeast and spices. Moreish indeed. Moderate hops in the aftertaste. I'm looking forward to the Triple and Quadruple!

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

(Cask conditioned, Northern England.) This is a very good and strong Old ale, well suited for a winter's day. One of my favourite pints! Rerate: 500 ml bottle, thanks to my beerpal Egil. ABV is 5.6%. Very dark reddish brown colour, big beige head. Nice aroma of malts (some of them apparently lightly roasted), vinous notes, dark fruits and berries. The flavour is rich and malty with just a mild roastiness, perfectly balanced by fruity hops with berry notes. Not an extreme beer in any way, other than being "extremely good".

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

(500 ml bottle). Nearly gushes out of the bottle, pours with an enormous long lasting fluffy head. Colour is hazy golden. Pleasant hoppy aroma, heather, herbal, hints of cedarwood. Initially some notes of dirty socks too, notes which fortunately soon disappears in the glass. Lovely crisp hoppy flavour on a subtle malty background, hop character reminiscent of a very good golden ale. This is not a sweet beer, but the little sweetness there is reminds me of heather honey. Notes of rambutan and grapefruit too. Excellent mouthfeel, not fizzy. Long lasting hops aftertaste. This is a very good beer, regardless of style - and of course MUCH better than any industrial pilsener.

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

250 ml Scaldis Noël bottle, bought at Borough Market, London. Pours with an an enormous lingering head, beer is clear, colour is deep reddish amber. Aroma of dark rum, sherry, oak, raisins, spices. Flavour is very sweet with dried fruits and whisky elements, but a distinct spiciness and decent hops prevent it from falling in the "cloying sweet & undrinkable" ditch. Alcoholic warmth in the mouthfeel, as expected from a 12% ABV beer, but not overwhelming or unpleasant. A very fine Christmas special in my book.

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

(Bottle conditioned, 500 ml. Courtesy of Erik Dahl, Venner av Nøgne Ø.) I received this remarkable beer with awe, mixed with great anticipation. Very few litres of #100 have been for sale to the public. Would I like it, or would the massive hops (80 IBU!) be too much for me? The cost of brewing it (= the massive amount of malts and hops required for a batch) made the brewers certain that it would be unprofitable as a permanent brew, particularly with Norwegian alcohol taxes. This impenetrable cloudy dark brown beer pours with a large to moderate tan head. Aroma is simply wonderful - Colombus hops galore, dark chocolate, leather, cigars, pipe tobacco, tar. The complexity remains in the flavour - extremely malty, very sweet, but also extremely bitter. The bitterness (which becomes medicinal and wormwood-like in the aftertaste) prevents me from giving this beer a full score. On a regular basis, I’d prefer Nøgne Ø’s God Jul (which is world class this year, IMHO) and also their Porter. But what a great experiment #100 is!

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

25 cl bottle, bought at Selfridge’s, London. Amber colour, large and fluffy lingering head. Vinous dry sherry-like aroma, elements of oak and leather too. Flavour is again sherry-like, medium dry (or medium sweet, if you like), loads and loads of oak, hints of German "Weinbrand", warming mouthfeel as expected from a 12% ABV beer, but the beer doesn’t feel inappropriately alcoholic. A substantial hoppy bitterness in the finish balances the sweetness nicely. Plays in the Premier League of beers, this one.

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

Draught in Prague, called Krusovice Vycepni Tmavé on the menu, but must be the same beer. Black (= very dark brown) colour, large head. Lovely malty aroma with strong elements of leather and cigarbox. Pleasant flavour of roasted malts, some caramel but not too sweet, very well balanced with the hops. For the style freaks: This is a Schwarzbier IMO, not a dunkel - but who cares, as long as the beer tastes good? I’d think the ABV was stronger than it actually is - another evidence that flavour and strength are not necessarily the same thing. Great with food or on its own. A truly enjoyable beer. Rerate bottle: I just realised I had written separate notes of the BOTTLED beer named Krusovice Cerne - I could SWEAR it was a different beer from the draught Vycepni Tmave. Notes bottle: Deep reddish brown colour. Large tan head, moderate carbonation. Moderate malty aroma. Typical dunkel flavour with low bitterness. Relatively light bodied, refreshing. Overall 13/20.

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

330 ml bottle, bought at Pivni Galerie, Prague. Hazy dark reddish brown colour, enormous tan head. Lovely complex aroma of fruits, oak, leather and spices. Flavour is surprisingly bitter - hops of course, but also dead yeast cells? Leaves a not entirely pleasant bitter aftertaste on the back of my tongue. Elements of oak, caramel, toffee and spices. Warming mouthfeel, as expected. I much preferred the Rochefort 10 to this one.

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

Cask at the Ipswich Beer Festival 2004, gravity dispense. Pitch black colour. Aroma of coffee and plums. Flavour is roasted malts, coffee and bitter dark chocolate. Very well balanced, just the right bitterness. Nearly a stout - in a blind test I’d probably say it was. "Addictive" indeed. This was "Beer of the Festival" for me - delightful!