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

Good of course - but Guinness Draught is much to be preferred.

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

330 ml bottle, bought at Selfridge’s, London. Label says for some reason "Lion Dark Beer" in stead of "Lion Stout", but there’s no doubt that this is the very same beer. Otherwise the label is exactly the same, so is the ABV and the characteristics of the beer. Pitch black colour, impenetrable for light. Large and thick brown head. A real beauty! Excellent aroma of various types of wood, tar, leather, tobacco. Full and rich flavour where the roastiness and hops are perfectly balanced with the velvety sweetness. Extremely drinkable. It’s debatable whether "the perfect stout" exists, but the Lion must be pretty close!

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

500 ml bottle conditioned real ale, bought at Selfridge's, London. Enormous thick tan head. Pitch black colour, even when held to the light. Very possibly the darkest beer in the world. Wonderful aroma of roasted malts, dark bitter chocolate, oak and cedarwood. Flavour is all smoked and heavily roasted malts and oats. A world class stout.

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

330 ml bottle, bought at Selfridge’s, London. Black (= very dark brown) colour. Truly impressive large and thick brown head. Aroma of malts, oak, leather, coffee and dark chocolate. Flavour is overwhelmingly bitter from the roasted barley and hops, but also sweeter than regular Guinness. Elements of very strong coffee, hints of bitter chocolate. Bitterness lasts through the long aftertaste. Not for beginners. The crowd who think nitro draught Guinness is "sooo strong" should try this one!

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

Aug. 2014: Shared 330 ml bottle at local tasting. ABV is 8%. Black colour,moderate tan head. Aroma of lightly roasted malts, low quality soy sauce, molasses, thin coffee and dust. Dry flavour, liquorice, coffee and soy sauce.

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

July 2019: Shared 330 ml can, ABV 8%. Brought home from Cambodia by Holmen1. Black colour, beige head. Moderate roasty aroma. Roasty flavour too, some sweetness, Okay, but could use some more bitterness.

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

On tap at Cardinal, Stavanger. Black colour, small tan head. Aroma of roast malts, coffee, dark chocolate, a hint of liquorice. Dry flavour with the same elements as the aroma, moderate and well balanced bittering hops. Straight up indeed, and moreish. Simply a good beer.

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

May 2015: Kinn Bresjnev Sovjet Staut, 750 ml bottle, Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 8.0%. Hopped with Fuggles. Pitch black colour, moderate but lasting tan head. Strong dryish roasty aroma, notes of roast malts and coffee, some woodwork too. Medium dry flavour, just enough residual swetness to carry through the strong roasty notes of coffee and dark bitter chocolate. Fairly bitter finish, both from the hops and the roast malts.

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

375 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal pub, Stavanger. Bottle conditioned. ABV is 6.3%. Pitch black colour, large brown head. Fairly moderate but nice aroma, chocolate, malts and a slight fruitiness. The flavour has a distinct roastiness with plenty of coffee and dark chocolate. Bitter finish, both from the roasted barley and hops. A very powerful and impressive beer.

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

Bottle, at RBESG 2007 in Glasgow, Grand Tasting. Black colour, ruby in the highlights, brown head. Malty and roasty aroma, hints of tobacco and liquorice. Sweet, malty and roasty flavour, quite nice.

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

330 ml bottle, at the GBBF 2008. ABV was 7.5%. Served too cold. Pitch black colour, moderate head. Roasty aroma, notes of rubber, malts and coffee. The flavour is heavily roasted / burnt with grainy and rubbery notes - quite strange. I hate it and love it - simultaneously.

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

Bottle, RBNAG 2009 in Vatlandsvåg. Black colour, low head. Lovely but fairly moderate aroma of whisky cask (oak), vanilla and coffee, hints of dark chocolate and alcohol too. The flavour has distinct notes of alcohol, smooth whisky and coffee, warming mouthfeel. An enjoyable brew.

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

Can and bottle in Bali, as Guinness Foreign Extra, brewed in Indonesia. ABV is 4.9%. Black colour, tan head. Nice roasty aroma, coffee, caramel and palm sugar. Smooth flavour, moderate roasty notes, coffee, a slight acidity in the finish.

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

330 ml bottle and can, in Bali. ABV is 4.9%. Black colour, moderate beige head. Moderate sweetish aroma of dark malts, mild coffee, chocolate, vanilla and palm sugar. Light bodied for a stout, medium dry flavour, coffee notes, "dusty" finish.

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

320 ml can, at Singapore Airport Changi. ABV is 6.8%. Black colour, moderate beige head (no nitrogen). Roasty aroma and flavour, coffee notes, quite dry. Okay, but there is not much complexity here.

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

600 ml bottle, from a corner shop in London. ABV is 7.5%. Black colour, moderate tan head. Moderate roasty aroma, hints of tar, coffee and cigar box, also a touch of burnt rubber. Roasty flavour, notes of coffee, a certain acidity. Hoppy and roasty bitterness in the finish.

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

330 ml bottle conditioned, bought at The Cheese & Wine Shop, Darlington. ABV is 7.7%. Pitch black colour, big to moderate brown head. Roasty aroma with strong notes of coffee, hints of liquorice and ashes. The flavour is roasty and quite dry, again strong notes of coffee, hints of liquorice and dark bitter chocolate. Good stuff.

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

330 ml bottle, as De Dolle Special Extra Export Stout, kindly shared by my beerpal Jan Magnus. ABV is 9%. Pitch black colour, big tan head. First a fairly moderate but very nice roasty aroma (gets even better as the beer warms up a little) with some vinous notes, hints of dark dried fruits and leather. The flavour is also vinous, oaky and roasty, hints of raisins, coffee and liquorice. Overall brilliant.

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

500 ml bottle, at Olympen, Oslo. ABV 6.4%. Pitch black colour, moderate tan head. Surprisingly moderate aroma, some roasty notes, hints of coffee and liquorice. The flavour is definitely roasty with notes of coffee, fairly dry. Smooth and pleasant to drink, will buy again. Inderøy’s best beer so far.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 4 | Flavor: 5 | Overall: 5

330 ml green bottle, as Damm Lemon 6-4 Cerveza & Limón, from ICA Kilden. ABV is 3.2%. Milky yellow (nearly more white than yellow), large white head. Strong aroma of lemon juice, which I like. The flavour is a blend of uninteresting pale lager and tolerably refreshing lemon juice. It is not as sugary as I feared, and may serve its purpose as a "beer" alternative for people who really don’t like beer.

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

330 ml bottle, vintage 2010, Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 8.0%. Cloudy reddish brown colour, huge cream-coloured head. Lovely vinous and funky aroma, notes of farmhouse, red wine vinegar and oak. The flavour is fruity and moderately sour (but not vinegary), notes of grape juice, funk and oak. An interesting and drinkable beer!

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

Shared bottles at HaandBryggeriet. ABV 7%. Reddish brown colour, low head. Strong sourish aroma of crowberries and lemony gueuze, notes of farmhouse. Sour flavour, notes of crowberries and oak. Interesting, but will probably improve with a year or two in a cool cellar.

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

500 ml bottle, Cardinal Pub & Bar, + sample at Ølmessen Nærbø. ABV is 5.5%. Pink colour, pours fizzy with a moderate to low pinkish-white head, which disappears completely after a while. Aroma of both sourish and over-ripe raspberries, hints of solvent. Sour flavour, notes of sour raspberries, hints of lemons, minimal hops. Sourish-fruity aftertaste.

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

Version I (not in the festival programme), at HaandBryggeriet Beer Festival, Drammen. Cloudy dark ruby colour, low beige head. Complex vinous aroma, notes of red wine vinegar, mild spices and oak. Moderately acidic flavour, notes of red wine vinegar, lacks hops.