My first task after pouring the beer was to eat the head with a spoon, no word of a lie. Of the reviews so far, only one has had the similar experience of pouring an entire glass of foam, so perhaps we just got an overly enthusiastic bottle. With that hurdle overcome, my job became more enjoyable. Unusually for an IPA, the grapefruit aroma is combined with a strong scent of butterscotch. The flavours were similar in the mouth, giving it a unique taste, even if it’s not entirely to my liking. A pleasant experience.

Shared 330ml bottle at Schouskjelleren. Beige layer at the top of a deep dark body added by ruby highlights. Dotted spots down the glass. Dark malty nose, lots of cocoa powder. Fine balanced taste profile of chocolate, cocoa, anise and herbal hops. Dry, dark bitter ending. Crisp in the mouth. Well bodied. Tasty (Oslo, 10.12.2012).

From a 330ml bottle on 14/11/2012. Pours a slightly cloudy dark golden with a massive five finger head. Has a very floral, fruity aroma similar to their Angry Man. The flavour is also like Angry Man, but after he’s been working out big time. You get lots of passionfruit, citrus fruit and honey, with a touch of yeastiness. The hops are dialed up fairly high to provide a satisfying dry, bitter, slightly spicy finish. My only real complaint is that it’s over carbonated. All up another very nice beer from Murrays, if not quite top flight.

Pours gold with a stupidly huge, growing head.Nose shows spicy, green hops along with pleasant biscuit-like malt.Very similar flavours. Spicy hops followed by more of that biscuity malt. Finishes exceedingly dry with a sharp, almost abrasive bitterness.Ridiculously high carbonation.

Bottle, 10C. Light amber with a large white head. Aroma has passionfruit, orange, peach, a little pepper, some more tropical fruits are there too - guava, I guess. Light bodied. Sweetish, but mainly fruity with some biscuit. Citrus and tropical flavours - pineapple as well as passionfruit. Finishes dryish and spicy with bitterness that just about keeps pace with the aromatics. No great intrigue but nice balance and hugely gluggable. [3.7]6 inch head, very high carbonation. Still like the way the fairly high bitterness avoids harshness. And the tropical fruit. But Murray’s bottling inconsistency is a real turn off.

Pours amber with a large head.Nose shows grapefruit, soft peach and passion fruit alongwith very faint clean malt.Some fruit hops as flavours too, along with some honey.Carbonation could be a bit higher.Pretty easy-drinking stuff.

Pours pitch black with a large, tan head.Nose shows chocolate, vanilla, roasted malt, liquorice and oats, alongside spicy phenols and higher alcohols.Very similar flavours; quite sweet at first before the roasted malt bitterness and soft alcohol make their presence felt. Lots more liquorice, roast and spicy Belgian notes. Seems a little brash though.Could use higher, creamier carbonation.

[8/12] Bottle, 14C. Black with a small tan head that fades to a coat. Aroma of roasted malt, weeds, earth, chicory. Not that sweet, but taste has molasses and kola nut, powdery cocoa. Astringent, earthy and herbal with vague bitterness. Warming rather than hot alcohol. Faintly rummy. No residual sweetness. Interesting, but the flavours don’t (yet?) meld together. [3.4] [3/13] Bottle, 12C. Black with an inch of tan head. Mysterious funky earthy aroma with coffee and chicory, roasted barley, dark berries. Tight powerful roasted flavours, dark rum, pinot noir, cocoa. Insistent coffee, spices and zingy astringent flavours build. Now seems coiled. [3.6] [3/14] Black with an inch of tan head that lasts well. Lots of chicory, light roasted coffee, earthy. Body was never substantial, seems to be thinning. Quite interesting. Not clear this is going anywhere, though.[6/14] Last bottle, just a few days after its bb date. Black, 2 inches of head fades to a good coat. Very earthy, still quite boozy, a little astringent. Reminds me a bit of Moa IS - berries, moderate roast, chicory, that Murray’s rumminess. Still torn on this one - an interesting not-quite-success, I guess. Will get again if hiding anywhere. 3.7, but leaving score as journey average.