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

500 ml can, as George Killian’s Bière Rousse (Bière Spéciale de Tradition Irlandaise), bought in France. ABV is 6.5%. Reddish amber colour, large off-white head. Moderate malty sweet aroma with notes of caramel and fruit. Flavour is also moderately malty with some caramel, very moderate hops. Little complexity. Drinkable beer, but nothing to get excited about.

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

330 ml can, as Gipsy Hill Hepcaf Alcohol-free IPA, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken, n/a dept. ABV is 0.5%. Hazy golden to orange colour, moderate to small white head. Aroma of various citrus fruits and tropical fruits, a hint of spruce. Thin and fizzy mouthfeel. Flavour of piney and citric hops, moderate bitterness.

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

July 2017: Cask from the wood, halfpint, at the SPBW 1st National Woodfest, Castleford. Golden colour, white head. Aroma of fruity hops, notes of citrus and tropical fruits. Distinct hoppy flavour, fruity with a piney finish. Could use a bit more of malty body, though. Still a good beer.

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

Bottle, RBESG 2005, Grand Tasting. My first faro. Clear brown colour, caramel and barnyard in the aroma. Flavour is sour and sweet, hints of Norwegian "Flux Soda" soft drink. Hints of dark crab meat(!) too.

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

At Copenhagen Beer Festival. Hazy golden colour, sparkling. Decent aroma of brettanomyces (sour fruit, farmhouse, horse blanket), but not extreme. The medium sour flavour has also the typical brettanomyces character, but fairly well balanced and not too extreme. Should work well as a beginner’s gueuze.

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

On tap at the GBBF 2008. Beautiful red colour, minimal pinkish head. Very nice cherry aroma. The flavour is also dominant cherries on a moderately sour background. Not too sweet, fairly light bodied.

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

440 ml can, as Glamorgan Dead Canary India Pale Ale, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. ABV is 5.0%. Clear copper colour, moderate white head. Distinct aroma of toffee and dark berries. Flavour with the same elements, also distinct citric, herbal and earthy hops. Nice beer.

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

500 ml bottle, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. ABV is 5%. Pale golden colour, only the slightest haziness. Moderate white head. Aroma of citrus and yellow stonefruits. The flavour has a moderate fruity character, with a fairly distinct earthy hop bitterness in the finish.

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

Cask conditioned at the Great British Beer Festival (GBBF) 2008. Golden colour. Nice and moderately hoppy aroma and flavour, with notes of flowers and tropical fruits.

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

Shared 750 ml bottle, ABV 8.7%. From Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. Hazy deep reddish brown colour, large off-white to beige head. Very nice aroma of rich malts, brown kandij sugar, molasses and Belgian ale yeast. Malty flavour, moderate notes of kandij sugar, but not too sweet. Very moderate hops (Aalst Hallertauer).

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

750 ml bottle, Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 7.0%. Very pale straw colour, large white head. Strong aroma of banana, coriander, cloves and curacao orange peel, some alcohol. Slightly sweet but still refreshing wheaty flavour, citrus, banana and spices.

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

Shared 500 ml bottle, ABV 8.5%. From Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. Hazy yellow colour, white head. Nice aroma of spicy Belgian ale yeast. Moderately sweet flavour, again with spicy notes of Belgian ale yeast, moderate hops. Well balanced, very enjoyable.

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

750 ml paper-wrapped bottle, Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 6.5%. Pale straw colour, huge white head. Pleasant aroma of spicy saison yeast, some fruity hints too. Spicy and fruity notes in the flavour too, with decent herbal hops. Very good beer.

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

Sample from bottle, RBNG 2014 in Halden, Grand Tasting, as Glazen Toren Saison d’Erpe-Mere Lentebier. ABV was 9%. My notes recall a fresh and spicy aroma and flavour - I liked it!

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

Rerate, 2005, 330 ml bottle: This is the first year that this beer is actually brewed by Lervig in Stavanger, but they haven’t changed the recipe much since it was contract brewed by Mack/Trio. "Gledelige" has been added to the name. It is still a very unpretentious "klasse D" juleøl, but I somehow think the hops are slightly better this year. Easy drinking, not offensive, OK with a meal, but not a "big" beer in any way. Original rating, 2003: (330 ml bottle). Norwegian "klasse D" Yule beer. Copper coloured, good head. Malty aroma with hints of caramel and oak. You don’t expect much from the grocery store versions of "juleøl" - and (at least in this case) you don’t get much either. Nothing offensive about it, just a one-dimensional beer with some maltiness (but not too sweet) and just a hint of toffee and oak - hardly any spices. Okay to wash down a meal, but for Christmas you want something better than this!

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 3 | Mouthfeel: 3 | Flavor: 3 | Overall: 3

330 ml brown bottle, courtesy of Cardinal pub, Stavanger. Also available in Norwegian grocery stores. ABV here is 4.7%. Probably my first beer ever brewed without any barley malt at all. They call this is a "Premium Pilsener", so you’ll know what they’re aiming at. But it’s a poor "pilsener", and there’s only one reason (but for those affected, a very good one) to drink this beer: if you suffer from coeliac disease and need to have a completely gluten-free diet. Pale golden colour, moderate white head, leaves a nice lacing. Weak grainy and slightly fruity aroma, with some of the "boiled" notes that you find in n/a beers and industrial pale lagers. Flavour is bland and boring, but the beer is not totally undrinkable, and has some very moderate hops in the finish.

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

500 ml bottle, as Godt Bryg Albani 1859, from BilkaToGo, Skalborg. ABV is 5.2%. Clear copper colour, large head, slightly off-white. Aroma of malts, caramel and brown bread. Medium sweet flavour with the same elements, very moderate hops. Decent enough.

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

500 ml bottle, from BilkaToGo, Skalborg. ABV is 5.7%. Mahogany colour, large to moderate beige head. Aroma of malts, dark bread, burnt breadcrumbs and caramel. Nice malty flavour, sweeter than the aroma made me expect, but not too much. Distinct notes of caramel and dark bread, hints of prunes, moderate hops.

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

500 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 5.3%. Black colour, moderate to low greyish brown head. Nice aroma, some roastiness, coffee and chocolate, hints of tobacco and dark fruits. The flavour is moderately roasty, coffee and chocolate again, with a slight fruitiness. Smooth and pleasant to drink.

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

500 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 4.0%. Amber coloured beer, large off-white head. Moderate aroma of hops with a little malts, toffee and fruit. The flavour has decent hops and a little toffee and nuts, on a tolerable malty base. Dry finish.

Aroma: 4 | Appearance: 4 | Mouthfeel: 2 | Flavor: 2 | Overall: 3

Shared 330 ml can at local tasting. ABV is 5%. Clear pale golden colour, low white head. Very moderate aroma, but not bad. Sweetish and grainy flavour, not good at all, disgusting aftertaste.

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 3 | Mouthfeel: 3 | Flavor: 3 | Overall: 4

Bottle, at local tasting, as Goldstar Dark Lager Beer, kindly shared by our beerpal Olav. ABV is 4.9%. Deep golden to amber colour, moderate white head. "Industrial" moderate lager aroma and flavour, sweetish, with hints of wet cardboard.

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

On tap at Mandag i Annen, Cardinal, Stavanger. Very pale and clear straw colour, white head. "Clean" lager aroma and flavour, moderate hops. Slightly thin mouthfeel.

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

Cask conditioned at the North Riding Hotel, Scarborough. ABV was 4.2%. Golden colour, creamy head, nice lacing. Fruity aroma, pineapple, a hint of sulphur. The flavour is reasonably hoppy but not very complex, still okay.

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

Cask conditioned at the North Riding Hotel, Scarborough. The ABV was 3.8%. Copper coloured beer, creamy light tan head. Malty aroma, notes of toffee. Malty flavour, smooth mouthfeel, some caramel, dry hops in the finish. Okay. I suppose the name of the beer suggests that this is a mild, but to me it’s a typical Northern English malty bitter.