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

500 ml bottle, bought at Pivni Galerie, Prague. Label says Herold Bohemian Black Lager, tmavý speciál, 13 degrees plato, Schwarzbier, ABV 5.2%. Very dark reddish brown colour, nearly black, deep ruby when held to the light. Moderate tan head. Excellent aroma of roasted malts, tar, leather and tobacco. Flavour of roastiness, notes of dark chocolate and liquorice, well balanced with the hops, not particularly sweet. Mouthfeel a bit too thin to deserve a straight "10", still a very good beer. Recommended!

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

Draught at the brewpub/restaurant at the monastery. Dark brown, nearly black colour. Thick creamy head. Aroma of roasted malts, some leather, hints of treacle. Solid flavour of roasted malts and coffee, notes of dark bitter chocolate. Reminds me of a Baltic porter. Dry bitter aftertaste from the roastiness and hops. A very good beer - good enough to make me go back the next day for more! By the way - the brewery restaurant serves decent food too.

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

Sampled 500 ml can, later also 500 ml bottle (now available in Norway). Advertised as 'Das Schwarze mit der Blonden Seele' (= The Black with the Blonde Soul). Dark brown to ruby colour, nearly black. Large brown head. Fairly weak but decent aroma, smells like German Schwarzbrot. Roasted malt flavour with coffee and burnt toast. A bit watery mouthfeel. (Is that what the brewers refer to as the 'blonde soul'?) By all means, this is a very drinkable Schwarzbier, but the style unfortunately seems to lack the rich velvety mouthfeel of a good stout or a Baltic porter. Still, this is a beer well worth sampling!

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 5 | Flavor: 5 | Overall: 6

(500 ml bottle, bought in Norway). Pours with a good lasting head, colour is black (= very dark brown to ruby). Very nice aroma of hayloft, some barnyard, molasses, dark syrup, coffee and German bakery. Flavour and aftertaste have interesting rich malty notes with some roastiness, but are unfortunately ruined by the invertsugar syrup which has been added to the brew. Must be another beer for "convalescents and nursing mothers".

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

Sure it's black - but when I feel like anything black, I'd most likely go for any dry or imperial stout instead, any time - if given the choice. As far as German Schwarzbiers go, there are tastier ones around than this one. Disappointing lack of flavour and 'bite'. Of course it's drinkable, but I expected more.

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

Draught at Pivni Galerie, Prague. The PG beer list says ABV is 4.9%, but the brewery website says 4.5%. Plato is 11%. "Havran" seems to mean "raven" in English, acccording to the website. Black colour, moderate tan head. Nice lacing. Malty aroma with notes of leather, liquorice and tobacco. Easily drinkable, moderate but nice roastiness, hints of liquorice. A slight sweetness in the aftertaste. Very good.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 5 | Flavor: 5 | Overall: 4

330 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal, Stavanger. Ingredients include maize (corn) and rice. 10.8 degrees Plato. ABV is 4.3%. Very dark colour, nearly black, ruby in the highlights. Low head. Very moderate malty aroma, hints of coffee. Flavour is surprisingly watery and bland, drinking it after the excellent Nøgne Ø and Nørrebro beers obviously didn’t help. "Boiled" notes, wet cardboard and dust abound. Disappointing.

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

500 ml bottle, bought at KaDeWe, Berlin. dark brown colour, nearly black. Large and lasting greyish brown head. Moderate malty aroma with notes of caramel and bakery, hints of prunes. Moderate carbonation, mellow and pleasant mouthfeel. Nice moderately malty flavour with a pleasant roastiness, hints of schwarzbrot. Easy drinking. I like it.

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

500 ml bottle, bought in Germany, named "Fürst von Louny", must be the same beer, but ABV is 5.4% - one rater has had one in Germany at 4.8% and brewery website says 5.1%, seems to vary quite a bit. Very dark brown to ruby colour, large to moderate light tan head that doesn’t last very long. Aroma is malty sweet with notes of caramel, chocolate, schwarzbrot and leather. Flavour is strangely sweet for a "Reinheitsgebot" schwarzbier: malts, syrup, molasses and caramel, just a faint hint of roastiness. Too sweet for me, very little hops to balance the sweetness. I could swear some kind of syrup had been added to the brew, but they say no. Despite the sweetness and the ABV, mouthfeel is a bit thin. Not my favourite schwarzbier this one.

Aroma: 10 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 6

Draught at the brewpub / restaurant. Black (= very dark brown) colour, good creamy head. Moderate roasty aroma with notes of chocolate and liquorice. Very moderate flavour with roastiness and some caramel, minimal hops. Moderate rye bread aftertaste. I’m not that impressed.

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

500 ml bottle, bought in Bier Spezi Hamburg. Very dark brown colour, nearly black. Large and lingering greyish tan head, nice lacing. Pleasant moderately roasty aroma, also notes of dark fruits, chocolate, Schwarzbrot and coffee. Very nice flavour of roasted malts perfectly balanced with the hops, not too sweet, notes of coffee. Moderate roasty aftertaste which lasts "forever". A very good Schwarzbier!

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

Draught at Carlsen’s Kvarter, Odense. Served too cold. Chestnut colour. Aroma and flavour are very fruity (plums), nearly acidic / vinegary. Decent maltiness, notes of English malt vinegar. Minimal hops. Refreshing and pleasant to drink. Acidic even in the finish, but a wormwoodlike bitterness pops up in the aftertaste.

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

Cask at The Golden Lion, Ipswich. Deep brown colour. Full malty flavour, prunes and forest fruits aroma, hints of English malt vinegar and HP Sauce in both aroma and flavour. Dusty finish. Nice.

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

Cask conditioned at Ye Olde Dolphin Inne, Derby (Heavyweight Beer Festival, February 2005). Gravity dispense. Brown to ruby colour, some natural carbonation, no head. Malty aroma and flavour like expected from a "Scottish" style ale, but this one also has a tolerable hoppy bitterness. Hints of dark bitter chocolate. Not a bad try from the Otter Brewery.

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

The nitro version is known as Tennent's Velvet. I had a few pints on nitro tap in Glasgow, must have been Tennent's even if the glass just read ’Velvet’. Well, the pints I had certainly deserved their name, velvety, smooth and creamy indeed. The beer may not be outstanding, but GOOOOD, to be sure! Moderate grapefruity elements with hints of caramel.

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

Cask conditioned at the 32nd Cambridge Beer Festival, gravity dispense. Dark reddish brown colour. Complex aroma of dark fruits, spices and oak, various woodwork, some chocolate. Flavour is spicy, oaky, malty, chocolate, there’s vinous qualities (old sherry, marsala). Nutty / dusty hops finish. A great beer! Rerate, 330 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 8.5%. Dark ruby coloured beer, low off-white head. Nice vinous aroma with notes of dark dried fruits, hints of oak. The flavour is rich, sweet and malty, notes of figs and molasses. Spicy hops and nuts in the finish. Not quite as complex as the cask version, but still a good beer.

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

330 ml bottle. Black colour, impenetrable for light. Moderate tan head. Looks like old engine oil, smells like old engine oil too - just add dark and roast malts, oak, leather, liquorice and dark bitter chocolate. Lovely roast malts flavour, oily texture. Elements of oak, dark bitter chocolate and substantial hops, maybe some dried fruits and English liquorice too. Great roasty bitter aftertaste with elements of peaty smoke. A great beer!

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

RBESG 2006 Grand Tasting. Cloudy golden colour. Aroma: sultanas, oak yeast. Flavour: yeasty, slightly spicy. Not too sweet. Not a beer that blows your socks off, but nice.

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

330 ml clear bottle, at Cardinal, Stavanger. Beautiful golden brown colour. Large and creamy off-white head, long lasting, decent lacing. Unusual aroma and flavour, very woody, Scotch whisky elements, but also notes of toffee, vanilla, cinnamon - and even shrimp and the dark meat of crabs(!). Relatively sweet, but the finish and aftertaste are woody, dry and hoppy. Something out of the ordinary, and I have trouble deciding how well I really like this beer. Definitely worth a try!

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

(500 ml bottle, now available in Norway). Colour is yellowish brown, good thick head. Aroma has first some fruity hops, then dusty malts. Flavour is malty with hints of caramel and dust. There is too much carbonation for my taste. OKish beer, but not remarkable.

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

Cask conditioned in Scotland: A Scottish ale or "heavy" which is copper coloured, low head, quite malty, low on hops - not bad for a "macro" cask ale.

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

I liked the bottled version - even imported to Norway (my retailer stored it cool). Lots of taste, good to drink straight from the bottle with an afternoon snack! Rerate, can: Of some reason not as good as the bottle. Still a decent beer, not outstanding.

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

(Draught / keg). It is debatable if this is a bitter or a Scottish ale. Copper coloured. Flavourful, rich malty taste. Low bitterness. Not bad for a moderate ABV "macro" keg ale.