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

Shared bottle at local tasting. Black colour, creamy beige head. Moderate aroma of lightly roasted malts with hints of chocolate. Okay flavour with the same elements, decent but not very impressive.

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

Shared 500 ml bottle, from a Tesco store in Gloucester. Black colour, moderate beige head. Nice aroma of butterscotch caramels. Roasty clean flavour, coffee, hints of chocolate, a slight acidity. Okay.

Aroma: 5 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 6

Keg pint at the Owain Glyndwr, Cardiff. Served too cold. Dark ruby colour, nearly black. Small off-white to beige head (not nitro). Very moderate aroma, roast malts and burnt potato skin. The flavour has notes of moderately roasted malt, quite dry, hints of smoked meat and burnt potato skin. Light bodied. Not great, but far from undrinkable.

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

Cask half pint at The Flying Chariot (JDW), Heathrow Airport, terminal 2. Black colour, beige head. Mildly roasty and fruity aroma. Smooth, deliciously fruity and mildly roasty flavour, high drinkability. Will buy again if I can find it.

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

Cask halfpint at The George (JDW), Croydon. 4.5%. Black colour, tan head. Moderate roasty aroma, notes of exotic woodwork. Dry flavour, notes of roast malts, liquorice and wood, a hint of smoke.

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

Rerate, 330 ml bottle, Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 5.1%. There is certainly no lack of carbonation now, the glass fills completely by beige foam, and the dark brown (nearly black) beer appears very slowly. Roasty aroma, notes of coffee, wood and ashes. Dry roasty flavour, but not sourish, notes of coffee, liquorice, wood and charcoal. I’m upping the score several points. Original rating: 330 ml bottle, from the Norwegian importer. ABV is 5.1%. Black colour, no head nor any carbonation. Roasty dryish aroma with notes of wood and ashes. Sourish flavour with dry roasty notes, again wood and ashes. The lack of carbonation is an obvious fault, but I don’t think this would have been a great beer even with carbonation.

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

Cask halfpint at The Junction, Castleford. Dark ruby colour, beige head. Moderate aroma, slight roast, slight fruit. Moderately roasty and quite fruity flavour, pleasant to drink.

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

650 ml bottle, Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 7%. Black colour, large to moderate tan head. Pleasant and unusual aroma of lightly roasted hazelnuts, hints of chocolate and mild coffee. Medium dry flavour of roast malts and roast nuts, surprisingly little chocolate, more distinct coffee and bittering hops (33 IBU). Smooth and pleasant to drink.

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

650 ml bottle, Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 7.0%. Black colour, moderate tan head. Pleasant roasty aroma, notes of chocolate and mild coffee. Medium sweet and smooth flavour, again with moderate roasty notes of coffee and chocolate, hints of caramel, vanilla and sweet liquorice. Very nice to drink.

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

330 ml can, Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 6.5%. Black colour, large tan head. Aroma of roast malts, chocolate, vanilla and coffee. Soft mouthfeel. Smooth flavour with the same elements as the aroma, some sweetness but not too much. Moderate bittering hops in the finish. Very enjoyable.

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

330 ml bottle, from Oddbins Aberdeen City. ABV is 6.5%. Pitch black colour, moderate tan head of poor retention. Aroma of roast malts, coffee, chocolate and peanuts. Moderate carbonation, soft mouthfeel. The flavour is slightly dry, with the same elements as in the aroma. Well balanced. Very moderate hops.

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

500 ml bottle, as Allendale Black Grouse Oaked Porter, from Gulating Ølutsalg, Stavanger. ABV is 4%. Malts are pale, amber, crystal, wheat, chocolate and cara. Hops are Target, Fuggles and Bramling Cross. IBU is 17. Dark brown colour, nearly black. Moderate beige head. Aroma of roast malts, chocolate and mild coffee, hints of oak. The flavour is mid between dry and sweet, with the same elements as the aroma, a hint of caramel. Very moderate hops, a little more would not hurt.

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

355 ml bottle, from Vinmonopolet Ølen. ABV is 6.0%. Dark ruby colour, large and lasting beige head. Pleasant aroma, mild roasty notes, prunes, chocolate and mild coffee. Medium dry flavour, smooth and easy drinking, chocolate, mild coffee and a hint of liquorice. Hops, coffee and wood in the aftertaste.

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

355 ml can, Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 6.5%. Very dark brown to black colour, small tan head. Strong aroma of coconuts, chocolate, vanilla and suntan oil. The flavour is not very sweet, but has plenty of coconut, chocolate and vanilla. Moderate hops. The guys at Oskar Blues Brewery have the nerve to call this an "Irish Porter" - I had no idea that coconuts grow in Ireland, but what do I know. The beer is well worth sampling anyway.

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

355 ml can, Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 6.5%. Black colour, large beige head. Aroma of roast malts, coffee and dark chocolate. The flavour has a slight sweetness, distinct notes of coffee but not overdone, also chocolate and decent hops, hints of roasted nuts. Good beer.

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

Keg halfpint at Brew Dock, Dublin. Black colour, no head. Aroma of roast malts, hints of cherries and marzipan. Fruity and mildly roasty flavour, notes of cherries, a hint of almonds.

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

Shared 500 ml bottle at local tasting, thanks to gunnar, who was instructed to bring this back from NI. Black colour, tan head. Nice roasty aroma, notes of coffee, hints of unsweetened liquorice. Fairly dry and roasty flavour with a light body, coffee notes, again hints of unsweetened liquorice, nice enough but not very complex.

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

330 ml bottle, batch L84, from Vinmonopolet Sauda. ABV is 7.4%. Nearly black colour, moderate to small beige head. Aroma of malts, sourish black rye bread, a hint of liquorice. The flavour is also malty and moderately sweet, notes of chocolate, mild coffee, black bread and a hint of liquorice, moderate hops. Not bad.

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

330 ml can, from KWM Wines & Spirits. ABV is 5.2%. Very dark brown to black colour, huge beige head, overcarbonated. Dryish aroma of roast malts, hints of mild coffee and dark chocolate, a whiff of dark berries. Thin mouthfeel. Dry flavour of moderate roast malts, hints of mild coffee, dark chocolate and prunes.

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

500 ml can, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. ABV is 6.6%. Black colour, moderate tan head. Aroma of lightly roasted malts, dark chocolate, mild coffee and chili peppers, a hint of blueberries. Relatively light bodied. The flavour is slightly on the dry side, with the same elements as the aroma, a very moderate burn from the Scotch Bonnet peppers. Low bitterness.

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

330 ml stubby bottle, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. ABV is 5.8%. Hazy deep brown colour, moderate off-white to beige head, poor retention. Aroma of pale chocolate malts, thin coffee, chocolate and a hint of orange zest, but less than expected. Smooth mouthfeel. Flavour with the same elements as the aroma, not too sweet, the orange notes are more distinct now, moderate bittering hops in the finish. Not bad, but could have been better.

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

Shared 330 ml bottle at local tasting. Black colour. Moderate aroma of tar and seaside, only hints of peat smoke. Roasty flavour, fairly dry, moderate notes of smoke.

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

440 ml can, from the brewery webshop. ABV is 6.5%. Black colour, moderate and creamy tan head. Aroma of roast and smoked malts, coffee, dark chocolate and chipotle chili. The flavour is not too sweet, nor too dry, and has the same elements as the aroma. Very moderate hops, a moderate but nice chili burn in the aftertaste.

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

Shared can at regional tasting. Black colour, tan head. Nice roasty aroma and flavour. Coffee notes, dry. Hints of smoke. Decent enough porter, might well sample again.

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

330 ml bottle, from Kalø Whisky & Vin, Denmark. ABV is 5.6%. Black colour, large beige head. Distinct aroma of coffee and roast malts, hints of dark chocolate. Fizzy mouthfeel. Dry flavour, dominant strong coffee, hints of dark bitter chocolate and earthy bittering hops.