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

There are, at the present, only 4 Norwegian standard strength bocks (alphabethical order is identical with my quality ranking): Aass, Borg, Frydenlund and Mack. However, they are all well worth sampling. Frydenlund has a good head, pleasant oak and nut aroma (but not as good as Aass), malty flavour, acceptable aftertaste. The Frydenlund brewery was bought and closed many years ago by Oslo rival Ringnes, who continue to brew their beers.

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

Brewed for every Christmas since 1999, this year (2002) unbelievably is the first (but definitely not the last!) year I have had this excellent beer. The recipe this year is supposed to be slightly less sweet than in 2001. Dark reddish brown colour, low head, pleasant but initially surprisingly weak roasted aroma (improves as the beer warms up). This is par excellence the most flavourful beer in Norway for nearly a century (between 1909 and 1999 max. ABV was 7%). Not as subtle and complex flavour as Aass Bock, but robust as hell. Roasted malts and coffee abound, Christmas spices and decent hops are balanced by a sufficient sweetness. Alcohol (9,9%) is well hidden. Robust aftertaste. Now THIS is a beer for the big boys! (OK, for big girls too.) Rerate Christmas 2004: Still excellent! Robust and "raw" in the edges, but I love it!

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

A middle-of-the-road, reasonably decent Danish pilsener. Not very different from its "økologisk" (organic) counterpart. A good regional alternative to Carlsberg and Tuborg. Rerate on tap: Drinkable but always served too cold. Generally Danish beers are served ice (and I mean ICE) cold, even if Danish summers normally are far from hot.

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

One of the better Danish pilseners - and it’s organic! Standard pilsener golden colour, moderate head. "Clean" flavour with a well balanced amount of hops. Maybe nothing to get ecstatic about, but nice enough.

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

Organic strong lager, moderate head. Deep golden colour. Strong enough but not what I would think of as a Christmas brew. Too light bodied despite the strength.

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

Rerate, 500 ml bottle, new label, from NETTO, Denmark. ABV is still 5.8%. Golden colour, moderate white head. Half-decent hoppy aroma, grassy and herbal notes. I don’t find the flavour too bitter any more, the bitterness is balanced by a more pronounced sweetness than I remembered. Still, this is just another pilsener (only with organic ingredients), not bad, but not really remarkable either. Original rating, on tap and 330 ml bottle, in Denmark: Too bitter for my taste (= too light bodied for the hops). Try Thy Økologisk Pilsner in stead. They are both organic beers, a niche that seems to have been successful for Thisted Bryghus.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 5 | Mouthfeel: 4 | Flavor: 4 | Overall: 4

Dark brown, low head. Extremely sweet and malty and very little alcohol (but plenty of Vitamin B, I'm sure), this a drink for convalescents to regain their strength - not what you'd normally think of as a beer.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 4 | Flavor: 4 | Overall: 4

Danish "hvidtøl" really are a style of their own - very dark brown, malty and sweet wheat beers with very little alcohol. This is one of them. Sweetish flavour. Maybe the kids will like it? I don't. (Actually, Danish kids are often allowed to have these beers with their rice pudding on Christmas eve, which leads them to keep a soft spot for "hvidtøl" for the rest of their lives).

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

A pleasant Danish Christmas brew, sampled in June(!). Goes very well with the traditional Danish Christmas dinner, roast duck and pickled red cabbage (which I also had in June!). Related to Norwegian Christmas brews, but slightly less spicy. Nice caramelly sweetness, not too much. Rerate Dec. 2002: Amber/golden colour, moderate head. Light bodied, distinct bitterness that balances the sweetness quite well.

Aroma: 3 | Appearance: 3 | Mouthfeel: 3 | Flavor: 3 | Overall: 3

According to the back label, this beer should be 'consumed ice cold from the bottle'. Sure, best way to hide the foul flavour - as far as there is any flavour at all. Well, I suppose this one has marginally more hops than the lousiest beers of this lousy style - but that should not detract from the basic fact: This is CRAP! Jesus - I must stop buying these shitty and (in Norway) over-priced beers! You know I buy them just to get another rating!