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

500 ml bottle, batch #225, from Vinmonopolet. ABV is 10%. Pitch black colour, big to moderate tan head. Lovely roasty aroma, notes of coffee, leather, dark chocolate, dark dried fruits, some oaky and vinous notes. The flavour has plenty of malty sweetness and roastiness, notes of coffee and dark bitter chocolate, some oaky notes, with a firm hoppy and roasty bitterness in the finish. I might not be able to say that the oak cask previously had contained aquavit, if I did not know, but this is indeed one of the very best Norwegian beers I’ve had. Ever.

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

500 ml bottle, bought in Denmark. Top fermented, ABV is 7.5%. Black colour, big and lasting brown head. Nice aroma of roasted malts, chocolate and mild coffee. Roasty flavour, notes of burnt toast and strong coffee, hints of dark bitter chocolate and liquorice, but the beer is not very sweet. Fairly bitter finish and aftertaste.

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

275 ml nip bottle, vintage 2009, thanks to my beerpal Olav who brought it home from the Orkneys. ABV is 9.0%. Black colour, dark brown in the highlights, big to moderate tan head, some lacing. Lovely aroma of dark malts, molasses, oak and dark dried fruits, hints of old sherry. The flavour has roasty coffee notes, also notes of malts and molasses (medium sweetness) and liquorice, with a hoppy and roasty bitterness in the finish. Solid stuff.

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 6

Bottle, at Plain Kitchen, Göteborg. Black colour, moderate creamy tan head. Overwhelming malty sweet aroma, roastiness, molasses and bakery / Danish pastry. Flavour is VERY sweet (too sweet) - molasses, sweetened coffee, sweet pastry, chocolate. There’s just too much of the good stuff. Unbalanced.

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

RBESG 2006 Grand Tasting. Roasty and alcoholic aroma with some initial hints of vomit, gets better. Flavour is roasty and sweet with an acceptable bitterness in the finish. Quite nice.

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

(This is, as far as I'm informed, the same beer as A. le Coq Imperial Stout. Harveys changed the name to keep it in line with their other products and avoid confusion with the present Estonian A. le Coq beers). Cask conditioned at the 32nd Cambridge Beer Festival, as "Harvey’s Double Extra Russian Stout". ABV was 9.5%. Gravity dispense. Pitch black colour, low head. LOVELY complex aroma, surprisingly fruity: Plums, cherries, oranges. Roastiness, oak and cigars too. Flavour is extremely roasty and bitter, but also elements of oak and dark fruits. Warming mouthfeel, as expected from a 9.5% ABV beer. The roasty and bitter aftertaste lasts "forever", making it difficult to move on to another beer. Belongs in the top division of beers.

Aroma: 10 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 4 | Flavor: 3 | Overall: 4

12 fl. oz. bottle, UK import. Bottled in 2003. ABV is 11.6%. Opaque pitch black, moderate brown head. Pleasant roasty aroma, hints of dark fruits, chocolate and liquorice. Flavour, on the other hand, is not particularly pleasant. From start to finish it is dominated by a one-dimensional intense bitterness of extremely strong and poorly made coffee, masks any other flavour (including the alcohol) which otherwise might be present. Want a definition of "over-kill"? Here it is! As Queen Victoria would have said: "We are not amused!" Apart from the looks and the aroma: Very disappointing.

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

Bottle, RBESG 2005 Grand Tasting. Very dark brown colour. Malty and roasty aroma. Very roasty flavour, a bit too sweet. Really not that much above average.

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

A beer for extremists - if the brewers / maltsters had roasted the malt more, we'd be talking about cremation! An excellent after dinner beer, could stand in for a cup of espresso. Aftertaste lasts forever. One bottle is enough for the evening

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

500 ml bottle, courtesy of "Venner av Nøgne Ø". Like all NØ beers bottle conditioned. Pitch black colour, impenetrable for light. Large and thick brown head. Lovely aroma with vinous qualities, also notes of Colombian coffee, liquorice, chocolate and dark dried fruits. Flavour is dominated by strong notes of bitter coffee, mixed with a substantial malty sweetness, hints of molasses. Also some acidic notes, I’m not sure if they are wanted or not. Strong "coffee" bitterness in the long aftertaste.

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

Draught at the brewpub. Served far too cold. EBC 169.7, IBU 27. Black colour, moderate creamy tan head. Roast malts, coffee, smooth and velvety, well hopped, well balanced. Easy drinking despite its strength.

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

12 fl. oz. (355 ml) bottle, at The Jolly Butcher, Frederikshavn, Denmark. "Limited bottling - Winter ’05 - ’06." ABV is 8.25%. Nearly black colour, very low tan head. Vinous aroma with strong notes of dark chocolate, plums, prunes and oak. Powerful flavour of strong coffee and dark bitter chocolate. Relatively sweet. Alcohol is evident, but not dominant. A great sipping beer!

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

Sampled RBESG 2006, bottle. Dark reddish brown colour, nearly black. Very nice roasty aroma, notes of bakery, coffee, liquorice and dark chocolate. Nice roasty flavour with rye bread and coffee notes, hints of chocolate. A very good stout.

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

December 2020: 500 ml bottle, from Løvbjerg Brønderslev. ABV is 12.3%. Pitch black colour, small brown head. Aroma of roast malts, chocolate, mild coffee, a hint of vanilla. Moderate carbonation. Distinct roasty flavour, notes of dark bitter chocolate, strong and bitter coffee, liquorice and a hint of vanilla, also substantial bittering hops. Sweet, but the bitterness is dominant. Not perfectly balanced, but impressive.

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

April 2019: 330 ml bottle, probably at Kaisla Beer House, Helsinki, ABV 9.0%. Black colour, tan head. Both aroma and flavour are very well balanced, AFAIK without any unusual ingredients - this is an imperial stout the way it should be. Notes of roast malts, chocolate, coffee and liquorice, hints of tar. Not too sweet. Moderate hops. The best beer I had in Finland.

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

December 2020: 330 ml bottle, from Vinoble Frederikshavn. ABV is 9.1%. Pitch black colour, large to moderate brown head. Aroma of roast malts, liquorice, coffee and chocolate, hints of tar. The flavour is not too sweet, with distinct notes of the same elements as the aroma, also moderate bittering hops. Excellent beer.

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

440 ml can, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. ABV is 11%. Black colour, moderate to small tan head. Aroma of chocolate and mild coffee, a hint of vanilla and almonds. Thick and warming mouthfeel. Medium sweeet flavour, notes of chocolate, vanilla, almonds, liquorice and mild coffee. A moderate bitterness in the finish.

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

440 ml can, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. ABV is 10%. Black colour, small and shortlived tan head. Aroma of almonds, marzipan, tonka beans, chocolate and vanilla. Warming mouthfeel. Cloying sweet flavour with the same elements as the aroma, also lactose and dates. I hate tonka beans, this would have been a better beer without them.

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

440 ml can, as BrewHeart Psychedelic Peanuts Imperial Pastry Stout, brewed together with FrauGruber. ABV is 10.3%. At Cardinal, Stavanger. Pitch black colour, minimal tan head. Aroma of peanuts, cocoa, caramel and roast malts Very moderate carbonation, oily mouthfeel. Very sweet flavour with the same elements as the aroma. Slightly salty finish. The can is for sharing.

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 5 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 6

440 ml can, at Cardinal, Stavanger. ABV is 8.5%. Black colour, moderate tan head. Aroma of marzipan, pistachios, cocoa and Christmas spices. Very sweet flavour, notes of lactose, chocolate, caramel, marzipan, pistachios and spices. A moderate bitterness in the aftertaste.

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

440 ml can, as FrauGruber Banana Split Imperial Stout Biermischgetränk, at Cardinal, Stavanger. ABV is 10.3%. Brewed with 2% Madagascan Vanilla, 11% bananas from Costa Rica, and 7% Belgian chocolate. Pitch black colour, large brown head that does not last very long. Aroma of dark malts, banana, chocolate and vanilla. Oily mouthfeel. Sweet flavour with the same elements as the aroma. Low bitterness.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 7

330 ml can, as Garage Mash Tears Imperial Stout, at Cardinal, Stavanger. ABV is 11.0%. Pitch black colour, huge tan head. Aroma of roast malts and mild coffee, hints of maple syrup and vanilla. Sweet flavour, distinct maple syrup and caramel, also notes of coffee and roast malts, chocolate and vanilla. Quite nice - something for your sweet tooth.

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

440 ml can, as FrauGruber Shakerato Imperial Stout Biermischgetränk, at Cardinal, Stavanger. ABV is 10.6%. Pitch black colour, large and creamy brown head. Aroma of roast malts, coffee, chocolate and vanilla. Roasty and moderately sweet flavour with distinct notes of coffee, vanilla and chocolate, moderate bittering hops.

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

330 ml can, from Vinmonopolet. ABV is 10%. Opaque dark brown colour, moderate tan head. Strong aroma of ripe and over-ripe raspberries, chocolate and roast malts in the background. The flavour is sweet, but not as extreme as I feared. Distinct notes of raspnerries again, smooth chocolate in the background, minimal bitterness. Nice-ish, but hardly a beer I'll bother to buy again.