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

Sample on tap at the brewpub. Black colour, no head, moderate carbonation. Roasty aroma with notes of tar, liquorice / aniseed dominates. Distinct heavy roastiness from start to finish, bitter and dry, notes of strong coffee. Mouthfeel could have been fuller.

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

Bottle conditioned, 500 ml. Very dark colour, nearly black. Large brown head. Delightful aroma of roasted malts, dark chocolate, coffee, prunes, caramel and oak. Flavour is not quite as complex but still good, bitter roasty and coffee notes combined with bittering hops dominate, on a background of dark bitter sweet chocolate, hints of English liquorice. Roasty bitter aftertaste. I’d say Imperial Stout is the closest style here - but maybe it’s not extreme enough. Anyway, this is a very fine effort from Haandbryggeriet. Not a beer for the traditional Scandinavian Christmas dinner, but try it if you have chocolate pudding for dessert - or simply enjoy it on its own!

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

330 ml bottle, bought in Bier Spezi Hamburg. My first Faroese beer. Closest style for this bottom fermented beer would be Baltic Porter, but it's a rather poor example of the style. Deep reddish brown colour, large light tan head. Very moderate aroma, some lightly roasted malts, hints of plums. One-dimensional flavour of roasted malts and coffee with a strange sourish and slightly metallic finish. Coffee and sourish metal (does that make sense? - battery acid?) in the aftertaste too. Weird. No masterpiece this one, but they have been trying.

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

On tap at Plain Kitchen, Göteborg. Black colour, moderate tan head. Fairly strong roasty aroma, dark chocolate dominates. Flavour of roast malts, but also some sour & sweet notes. Chocolate in the finish. Quite good.

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

RBESG 2006 Grand Tasting. ABV was 9.0%. Pitch black colour, low tan head. Lovely vinous oaky aroma with raisins and roasty notes. Roasty flavour with coffee and oaky (fortified wine) notes. Simply an excellent beer from my favourite Swedish brewery.

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

Bottle RBESG 2006, Grand Tasting. Black colour, no head. Exquisite aroma: roastiness, fine coffee, chocolate, liquorice, oak and tobacco. The flavour has a definite malty sweetness, roastiness with coffee notes, and plenty of dark chocolate. Rerate 2008, 330 ml can, new brewery: Pitch black colour, huge brown head. The aroma is perhaps a tad less impressive than the first time, but still very, very good. The flavour elements are still the same.

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

Can, RBESG 2006, Grand Tasting. ABV is 9.5%. Dark reddish brown colour, low head. Aroma and flavour: bakery full of rye bread and pastry, definitely malty with a moderate roastiness and distinct oaky vinous notes.

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

RBESG 2006, Grand Tasting. ABV is 9%. Malt content 18.1% Plato. Dark reddish brown colour, moderate tan head. Lovely vinous sweet aroma, plenty of oak, chocolate and a moderate roastiness. Flavour is malty and moderately roasty with rye bread and chocolate notes. Another good Polish (Baltic) porter.

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

RBESG 2006, Grand Tasting. Very dark reddish brown colour, nearly black, low tan head. Sweet bakery aroma, oaky and vinous notes. Flavour is malty sweet with a subdued roastiness, a bit too sweet for me to give it a definite top rating.

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

RBESG 2006 Grand Tasting. Aroma: Bakery, oaky and vinous notes. Raisins. Nice. Flavour: Sweetish, moderately roasty, a bit too sweet. Many Polish (Baltic) porters seem to be more on the sweet side than the ones of Scandinavian/Nordic breweries.

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

Bottle, labelled "Imperial Porter". Is this really the same beer? RBESG 2005, Grand Tasting. Pleasant sweet malty and roasty aroma with notes of chocolate and molasses. Flavour is malty sweet with chocolatey and oaky notes. Aftertaste is malty sweet and fairly unremarkable. Strangely sweet for a porter, but no doubt a craft beer.

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

RBESG 2006, bottle. Black colour. Dusty aroma with notes of liquorice and dark chocolate. Sweetish flavour of rye bread and some coffee, low bitterness. Alcohol is well hidden.

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

Sample on tap at Copenhagen Beer Celebration. Served too cold. Black colour, beige head. Moderate aroma of roasted malts and dust. Roasty flavour, notes of liquorice and coffee, medium sweet.

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

Shared 500 ml bottle, at a local tasting. Black colour, beige head. Nice aroma and flavour with mild roasty notes. Might well sample again, decent enough porter.

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

500 ml bottle, as Thisted Limfjordsporter Thy Whisky Fad 49, from Føtex Ebeltoft. ABV is 8.5%. Pitch black colour, large tan head. Aroma of roast malts, liquorice, peat smoke, smoked meat and whisky. Fairly smooth and easy drinking flavour, despite distinct peat smoke and all the other elements recogniseable from the aroma. Fairly well balanced.

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

330 ml bottle, Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 6.0%. Very dark ruby colour, nearly black. Small tan head. Aroma of coffee, moderately roasted malts and dark chocolate, a hint of dust. Quite dry flavour, distinct notes of coffee (an actual ingredient), hints of dark bitter chocolate. Moderate hops (Cascade, Northern Brewer and Hallertauer Tradition).

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

On tap, Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. Black colour, big beige head. Strong aroma of smoked meat / bacon, also roasty notes. The flavour has also strong smokey notes, and moderate roasty notes. A bit too much "smoked meat" for my taste. Not very sweet. A "German Rauchbier meets Baltic Porter"-experience.

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

440 ml can, from Vinmonopolet Herbarium. ABV is 8.1%. Black colour, large to moderate tan head. Aroma of roast malts and mild coffee, hints of dark chocolate and liquorice. Rich mouthfeel. The flavour is medium sweet, with the same elements as the aroma, and a slightly salty finish. Moderate hops, a little more bittering hops would not hurt. A fine beer as it is, though.

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

330 ml bottle, as Põhjala ÖÖ Imperial Baltic Porter. ABV is 10.5%. Pitch black colour, moderate brown head. The aroma has notes of roast malts, caramel, dark chocolate, molasses. Fairly sweet and rich flavour, with the same elements as in the aroma, also notes of liquorice, sweetened coffee and bittering hops. Pretty impressive.

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

Bottle, RBNAG 2009 in Vatlandsvåg. ABV was 7.2%. Brown colour (rather pale for a porter), low head. Pleasant aroma of butterscotch and caramel. Watery mouthfeel. Fruity and acidic flavour, some chocolate malts, thin body.

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

Bottle in metal cylinder, ABV 7.5%, RBNAG 2009 in Vatlandsvåg. Dark brown colour, low beige head. Malty aroma and flavour, notes of bakery and prunes.

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

Bottle, as Tomislav Tamno Pivo, ABV 7.3%, RBNAG 2009 in Vatlandsvåg. Dark reddish brown colour, low tan head. The aroma has notes of berries, lightly roasted malts and mild coffee. The flavour has notes of roasted malts, black bread and mild coffee, some fruit too.

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

Sample from 500 ml bottle, as Grand Imperial Porter, Westerheim stand at Smak 09. ABV is 8.0%. Extract / stammwürz is 18.1%. Very dark brown colour, moderate tan head. Moderate malty and roasty aroma, notes of bakery. Rich mouthfeel. The flavour is malty and sweet with roasted notes, plenty of caramel.

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

500 ml bottle, brought to a tasting by someone who had bought it in Riga. ABV was 6%. At first I thought that he was pulling my leg, and that the content of the bottle really was a "radler" (cola beermix). Apparently it was the real thing. Reddish brown colour, low head. Minimal aroma, hints of cola. Flavour of RC Cola and cinnamon - weird. Not my idea of a Baltic porter.

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

330 ml unlabeled dark blue bottle, thanks to Rune. Very dark brown colour, with a big and lasting brown head. Unusual herbal aroma, with notes of apricots. I have trouble deciding how well I really like this aroma. At least it is interesting ... The flavour is very sweet (too sweet) and malty with notes of apricots, birch sap and chocolate. Alcohol is noticeable and leaves a warming mouthfeel. Moderate hops in the finish. Not my favourite Baltic porter this one, but Mack HAVE been trying ...