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

330 ml bottle, from Systembolaget. ABV is 5.5%. Black colour, big brown head. Lovely aroma of roasted malts, dark bitter chocolate and coffee, hints of English liquorice. The flavour is roasty with notes of coffee, hints of liquorice, dark chocolate and burnt toast. Some fruity notes in the background. Distinct bitter finish, both from the hops and the roasted malts.

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

330 ml bottle, batch 016, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 10%. Black colour, big brown head. Moderately roasty and oaky aroma with strong notes of vanilla and freshly baked buns, also hints of liquorice, chocolate and dark died fruits. The flavour has strong roasty coffee notes, also distinct notes of peat smoke / malt whisky. Hints of English liquorice, bitter hops in the finish. Awesome beer!

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

500 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. (A couple unpasteurised kegs will also be available at Cardinal.) ABV is 10%. Murky brown colour, big cream-coloured to beige head. Lovely aroma of American and New Zealand hops (Chinook, Simcoe, Centennial, Pacific Gem and Nelson Sauvin), fruity and resinous notes, hints of heather honey and orange marmalade. The flavour has of course loads of hops, but the bitterness is not too extreme. Piny, resinous and grapefruity notes. A pleasant malty sweetness balances the hoppiness. The high ABV is noticeable, but not really disturbing. A worthy brew to celebrate Nøgne Ø’s batch #500.

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

500 ml bottle, from Voldby Købmandsgård. Batch #425. ABV is 7.5%. Pitch black colour, huge brown head. Moderately roasty aroma, notes of mild coffee, chocolate and fennel seeds, possibly other undefined spices too. Rich and creamy mouthfeel. The flavour has notes of pumpernickel bread (no surprise!), fennel seeds, coffee and dark chocolate, hints of liquorice. An impressive, well made and tasty beer, but (if anything) I would perhaps recommend going a bit easier on the fennel seeds.

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

500 ml bottle, from Voldby Købmandsgård. Batch #427. ABV is 11.5%. Pitch black colour, huge chocolate brown head. Strong roasty aroma with notes of coffee and tar, also notes of peaty smoke (from the whisky barrel, obviously - and the smoked malts), hints of sea water, dark dried fruits and oak, some vinous notes too. The flavour is extremely intense, loads of tar, very strong coffee, oak and smoke. The honey is barely noticeable. Quite bitter, with an ashy finish. Not for the faint of heart.

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

This one of the very best (moderate strength) beers I've ever had (cask conditioned). Aroma and flavour of dried fruits, coffee and liqourice. Can't think of any faults with it. Rerate: 500 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 4.6%. Black colour, ruby in the highlights, big to moderate tan head. Aroma of coffee, dark chocolate, hints of peaty smoke and oak, not as fruity as the cask version, but nice. The flavour has the same elements as the aroma, but here distinct fruity and vinous (claret) notes come through too. The finish is slightly acidic with moderate but sufficient hops.

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

Like most belgian ales more heavily carbonated than I appreciate, otherwise this is an excellent beer! Dangerously drinkable - hence the name.

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

(500 ml bottle, bought in Denmark). Colour is black (= very dark brown), very good and creamy tan head, leaves a nice lacing. Lovely roasted coffee-like aroma with notes of unrefined cane sugar. Flavour is all roast barley with coffee notes, not particularly complex but still very good. Dry aftertaste. An excellent alternative to GBM (Guinness/Beamish/Murphy’s).

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

(500 ml bottle). Golden colour, moderate head. Moderate but decent hoppy aroma. Hallertau in a bitter? Must be unusual? Mouthfeel is initially quite soft and not very "bitter and twisted", but there's a distinct lemony bitterness in the finish (Styrian Goldings). Leaves a nice aftertaste. Very refreshing. I can see why this beer has a broad appeal to the masses. Not a piece of art, perhaps, but a decent and well made bitter. Looking forward to sampling it cask conditioned. Rerate: This beer has become part of my staple diet, due to its availability here in Norway, and I will readily admit that I LOVE both the aroma and flavour. I’m upping it 1 point. Also sampled cask conditioned at The Cask & Barrel, Edinburgh. Not in the very best condition, and served slightly too warm. Deep golden colour, creamy head. Nice zesty and fruity hop aroma, but should be even better. Distinctly hoppy flavour throughout, but not quite as zesty as it should be in its best condition.

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

330 ml bottle. Chestnut colour, large head. Vinous aroma, claret, caramel, spices. Malty aroma where the sweetness is well balanced with decent hops. Elements of caramel, liquorice, dark chocolates and some spices. Nice warming mouthfeel. Definitely a beer I’ll buy again when I can find it.

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

(Bottle conditioned, 500 ml). Thick sediment in bottle. I turned the bottle upside down a couple of times, like the brewers recommend, to get maximum pleasure out of the yeast. The result was that my pants now have the unmistakenly typical witbier aroma of coriander, cloves, over-ripe bananas and orange peel. The rest of the beer hit my glass, and there the aroma was even better! After the ENORMOUS foamy head had subsided a little, I found out there was actually beer underneath - colour: Cloudy golden, nearly brownish. Flavour: Again typical wit - coriander, cloves and orange peel. Very refreshing. Moderate aftertaste. How wonderful that the "lager desert" of Norway now has an uncompromising micro brewery that DARE make good beer!

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

Vintage 2003. 275 ml bottle at the White Horse at Parsons Green, London. Unusual, overwhelming and lovely aroma of port wine, raisins and dried figs, hints of barnyard. Very sweet, like drinking a sweet sherry with carbonation. Warming mouthfeel, as expected from an 11.5% beer. It’s definitely not a beer I’d drink every day, but it sure was an interesting experience. The sweetness makes this an alternative to sherry or port, rather than another beer. 275 ml is definitely enough for one sitting. I understand that some people find it cloying, but with a beer this rich in aroma and flavour, I accept the sweetness.

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

(500 ml bottle). Exquisite aroma, beautiful colour, very bitter aftertaste (perhaps too bitter?) Rerate: I regret part of my first comment: The flavour is NOT too hoppy - it’s just an acquired taste. And the aroma IS exquisite!

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

My 500 ml bottle (brewed and bottled in Slovakia, purchased in Finland) just says Topvar Marina Schwarzbier - with an ABV of 5%. I'm slowly getting the idea that the high % in the Slovakian name of all Topvar beers is NOT the ABV, but the malt content or something. This is a delicious Schwarzbier: Black to mahogany colour, good head, oily garage aroma with coffee notes ("coffee break at the garage"). Well balanced malty roast flavour with just the right sweetness - not very complex, but this proves that a well balanced beer does not necessarily have to be complex to be GOOD. In other words - a very drinkable and refreshing Schwarz. A nice roast finish makes you want another one. Yes, please!

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

Cask at the Ipswich Beer Festival 2004, gravity dispense. The hops are what it’s all about with this light and refreshing golden ale. Would benefit from being served at a slightly cooler temperature than was the case at the IBF. Lovely hoppy aroma and flavour, notes of grapefruit and pineapple. Recommended!

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

A heavy mouthful from one of Denmark's few independent regional breweries, which I'm always happy to support every summer. A nice region with nice people who make several acceptable beers - this is their very best one. However, I have to admit that Gl. Carlsberg Imperial Stout Porter is slightly better. RERATE: Characterized as a 'double brown stout' by the brewery, this stout / (Baltic) porter (in Denmark that's more or less the same thing) is really so different from Gl. Carlsberg Imperial Stout Porter (now called Carls Porter) that it's a bit unfair to compare the two. The smoked flavour of the Limfjordsporter is really something out of the ordinary. I've never had a rauchbier (*I have now!), but I guess this one has some elements in common with that style (* i.e. it's smoky, but not smoked meat like the Aecht Schlenkerla, thank God). I highly recommend a sample of Limfjords-Porter! RERATE 2: Hey, this beer grows on you! Black (okay, extremely dark brown) as the deadliest of sins, moderate thick tan head, aroma and flavour of tar, resin and midsummer bonfires. Overwhelming smoked bitterness. Tastes like it's been stored in a Viking ship through seven battles and a round-the-world tour. Simply outstanding.

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

500 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 5.5%. Very dark colour, nearly black, reddish brown in the highlights. Decent tan head with good retention, leaves a nice lacing. The aroma has loads of malts, also chocolate, dark fruits, caramel, rye bread and coffee, hints of oak too. The flavour has much of the elements as the aroma, plenty of malts, chocolate and fruit, but also decent hops in the finish. A brilliant porter, and a true classic. Original rating: (Cask in England). A beer for... well, old growlers, like me. Definitely not for beginners! There's an "old man" feeling throughout, but also a fairly complex malty and fruity flavour with hints of spices and oak.

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

Bottle no. 21166, 550 ml, at Plan B, Copenhagen, august 2005. Cloudy chestnut colour, moderate head. Vinous aroma, raisins, oak. Flavour is very full and rich, old port or madeira, plenty of oak, hoppy and oaky aftertaste. Clearly a top notch beer.

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

Bottle, kindly shared by gunnar. ABV 11.2%. Black colour, big to moderate tan head. Oaky and vinous aroma, also notes of dark malts, leather, chocolate and coffee. The flavour has overall the same elements as the aroma. Excellent beer!

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

At Copenhagen Beer Festival. Brown colour. Lovely aroma and flavour of brown and lightly roasted malts, caramel, rye bread and a little chocolate, mixed with distinct fruity (apricot, melon, citrus) hops. I was sceptical how well Citra hops would fit in a brown ale, but Beer Here have succeeded. Good stuff!

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

330 ml bottle, from Ølbutikken, Copenhagen. ABV is 12%. Deep golden colour, some floaties. Huge white head. Strong and complex aroma of spices, Belgian ale yeast, brown kandij sugar, caramel, oak and alcohol. Very sweet flavour, but still with a refreshing character. Strong and complex fruity and spicy notes, hints of oak, decent hops in the finish. Very enjoyable.

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

500 ml bottle, from Beer2000, thanks! ABV is 8%. Dark reddish brown colour, moderate but lasting creamy off-white to beige head, leaves a nice lacing in the glass. "Farmhouse" aroma with some vinous and woody notes. The flavour is medium sweet and malty with notes of ripe berries and dark dried fruits, also oaky notes, distinct hops in the finish. Very good.

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

330 ml bottle with tear-off cap, from Ølkonsortiet, Aalborg. Bottle conditioned. ABV is 7.0%. Pitch black colour, large tan head. Very nice roasty aroma, notes of dark chocolate, mild coffee and tar, a hint of liquorice. The flavour is moderately roasty and fairly dry, with strong notes of dark chocolate and coffee. Just a slight fruity acidity. The finish has a solid hoppy and roasty bitterness. Slightly salty aftertaste. Very good.

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

Feb. 2015: 355 ml bottle, Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 9.1%. Pitch black colour, moderate tan head. Fine aroma with the expected roasty notes, coffee, dark chocolate and liquorice, hints of leather, blending in with the fruity notes of West Coast hops. Medium sweet flavour, roasty notes galore, strong coffee, dark bitter chocolate and liquorice, again blending nicely with fruity hops. Bitter finish. A great beer!

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

750 ml corked & caged bottle, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. ABV is 9%. Chestnut to mahogany colour, large beige head. Aroma of malts, brown kandij sugar, caramel, dark dried fruits and spicy Belgian ale yeast. Pleasant flavour with the same elements as the aroma, moderate to modest bittering hops.