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

440 ml can, as Monkey Brew Cygnus X-1 Imperial Stout, from Vinmonopolet Hinna - Stadionparken. ABV is 10%. Black colour, moderate beige head. Aroma of roast malts, molasses and coconut. Warming mouthfeel. Sweet and rich flavour, notes of roast malts, chocolate / cocoa, vanilla, treacle and coconut.

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

375 ml bottle, Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 9%. Black colour, moderate tan head. Aroma of chocolate, vanilla, lactose, roast malts and mild coffee. Smooth mouthfeel. The flavour is sweet but not cloying, notes of roast malts, chocolate, lactose, coffee and decent bittering hops. Good beer.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 7

440 ml can, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. ABV is 11%. Pitch black colour, large to moderate tan head. Aroma of molasses, caramel, roast malts, chocolate and toasted almonds. Warming and rich mouthfeel, oily texture. Very sweet flavour with the same elements as the aroma, also notes of sweetened coffee, noticeable alcohol. Too sweet for me, really.

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

Cask at Copenhagen Beer Festival, gravity dispense. Black colour, no head nor carbonation. Strong aroma of rum and oak / vanilla. The flavour is quite oaky, again with strong notes of rum and vanilla. Quite enjoyable, and would no doubt be better with a little carbonation.

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

At Copenhagen Beer Festival. Pitch black colour. Aroma of vanilla and chocolate, also roasty coffee notes. Roasty flavour, again with notes of coffee, vanilla and chocolate. Jolly good stuff.

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

Cask at Copenhagen Beer Festival. Black colour. Sweetish aroma with roasty notes of coffee, liquorice and dark chocolate. Fairly sweet flavour with distinct roasty notes, coffee, liquorice and dark chocolate again, hints of dark dried fruits, some bitterness. Well balanced and truly enjoyable.

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

At Copenhagen Beer Festival, served too warm. Black colour, moderate tan head. Roasty aroma and flavour, fairly dry, with notes of coffee, dark chocolate and smoke, hints of liquorice and wood. Pretty good.

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

Sample from bottle, Copenhagen Beer Festival. Black colour. Intense aroma, roasty, vanilla, chocolate, a hint of fusel, oak. The flavour has much the same elements, the hint of fusel detracts a point or two, and the sweetness is bordering on "too much". But by all means, this is a craft beer well worth sampling.

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

On tap at Copenhagen Beer Festival. Black colour. Moderate roasty aroma, notes of coffee and dark chocolate, hints of liqorice. Smooth roasty flavour, malts, dark chocolate and hints of liquorice again. Good, very drinkable.

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

330 ml bottle, a gift from OleR. Wow - I really owe that man a few beers now! Vintage 2009. ABV is 13%. Pitch black colour, huge chocolate brown head. Lovely complex aroma of roasted malts, leather, oak, bourbon, vanilla and dark chocolate. The flavour is roasty with notes of strong coffee and dark bitter chocolate, but also notes of oak and bourbon, hints of liquorice. A distinct hoppy and roasty bitterness in the finish. Impressive stuff!

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

330 ml swingtop bottle, from Voldby Købmandsgård, Denmark. ABV is 9%. Very dark brown colour, nearly black. Large beige head. Aroma of moderately roasted malts and Belgian ale yeast, notes of mild coffee, hints of chocolate and dark dried fruits. The flavour is sweeter than the aroma made me expect, notes of malt sugar and molasses, hints of caramel and chocolate, roasty coffee notes in the finish, a moderate hoppy and roasty bitterness in the aftertaste. Decent, but a bit too far out on the sweet side for me.

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

330 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 10%. Pitch black colour, impenetrable for light. Moderate brown head. Strong roasty aroma, coffee, liquorice and leather, very good. Very roasty flavour, notes of strong coffee and plenty of liquorice, slightly salty finish. Dark chocolate in the aftertaste. The bitterness is not extreme - but that will change if Yin is mixed with double IPA Yang, as recommended.

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

650 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 11.0%. Pitch black colour, moderate creamy tan head. Intense aroma of cocoa / chocolate. The flavour has also loads of chocolate and cocoa, but the sweetness is not too extreme. Also some roasted coffee notes. A moderate hoppy bitterness in the finish (Chinook and Willamette) balances some of the chocolate sweetness. Very drinkable for an 11% beer. I had no problem finishing the bottle - but if you hate chocolate, this is clearly not a beer for you.

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

Bottle, kindly shared by gunnar. ABV is 9.5%. Pitch black colour, creamy brown head. Intense aroma of chocolate and espresso coffee, also liquorice and oak. The flavour is oaky and roasty with loads of chocolate, without being too sweet. Also notes of liquorice and espresso coffee. Well balanced, an excellent beer!

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

Bottle, kindly shared by gunnar. ABV 11.5%. Pitch black colour, moderate brown head. Nice roasty aroma, notes of coffee and cocoa, hints of leather. Fairly sweet and malty flavour, strong roasty coffee and cocoa notes. Lovely! Has "much of everything", but is not too extreme. Well balanced.

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

330 ml bottle, Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 9.5%. Black colour, ruby in the highlights, large to moderate tan head. Roasty aroma with strong notes of espresso coffee, hints of dark chocolate. The flavour is very roasty and seems first quite dry, intense notes of espresso coffee, maybe too much. I’d like a little more sweetness, to balance the roastiness and the bittering hops in the finish. Still a fine beer as it is, but requires that you don’t hate coffee.

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

375 ml dark green bottle, vintage 2009, from Vinmonopolet Vika. ABV is 8.5%. Pitch black colour, large to moderate brown head. Nice aroma of coffee, dark chocolate, farmhouse, red wine vinegar and various spices. The flavour has notes of red wine vinegar, dark fruits, coffee and loads of spices, some woody notes too. A complex, interesting and unusual beer!

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

Shared bottle at local tasting. Bottle No. 49 out of 374 made. 10.4% ABV, 98 IBU. Pitch black colour, large to moderate tan head. Lovely aroma of bourbon cask, vanilla, coffee and chocolate. Excellent flavour, same elements as the aroma, but even more harmonious and well balanced.

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

330 ml bottle in a thin cardboard box, batch #057, Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 17.2%. Pitch black colour, low brown head. Strong and complex aroma of tar, sea water, iodine, old rope, heavily roasted malts, coffee, salty liquorice, dark chocolate, smoke and ashes. Extremely rich mouthfeel. The flavour is very sweet with loads of malt sugar, dark syrup and molasses, coffee, liquorice and chocolate, hints of smoke. No doubt a fair amount of hops here too, but they nearly drown in all the sweetness. A beer to be cellared for many more years, I assume.

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

Shared bottle at local tasting, thanks to gunnar. " A stout beer aged in a 28 year old Speyside cask." ABV is 7.7%. Pitch black colour, large brown head. Roasty and vinous aroma, hints of brettanomyces, moderate notes of Scotch whisky and leather. The flavour is roasty and oaky, hints of brettanomyces with a slight acidity in the finish.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 9 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 8

Vintage 2010, shared bottle at local tasting. ABV is 13%. Black colour, hardly any head. Intense aroma of concentrated malts and fusel alcohols, vanilla and bourbon. The fusel brings the aroma score down. Intense and complex flavour, much better than the aroma, loads of vanilla, chocolate, roasted malts and bourbon, sweet but not too much.

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

Shared 330 ml bottle at local tasting, thanks to gunnar. ABV is 13%. Black colour, minimal brown head. Aroma of cold coffee, hints of woodwork. Intense roasty flavour, quite dry, strong coffee and bittering hops.

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.