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

355 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 4.4%. Pale golden colour, hazy when the yeast is poured in, moderate white head. Spicy aroma, notes of cloves and coriander, hints of ripe bananas. Plenty of carbonation in the mouth.. Refreshing flavour, spicy notes again, a touch of banana, but the beer is quite dry.

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

Bottle, kindly shared by gunnar. ABV 11.5%. Pitch black colour, moderate brown head. Nice roasty aroma, notes of coffee and cocoa, hints of leather. Fairly sweet and malty flavour, strong roasty coffee and cocoa notes. Lovely! Has "much of everything", but is not too extreme. Well balanced.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 9 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 8

Vintage 2010, shared bottle at local tasting. ABV is 13%. Black colour, hardly any head. Intense aroma of concentrated malts and fusel alcohols, vanilla and bourbon. The fusel brings the aroma score down. Intense and complex flavour, much better than the aroma, loads of vanilla, chocolate, roasted malts and bourbon, sweet but not too much.

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

April 2014: Shared bottle at local tasting, from Voldby Købmandsgaard. 2012 vintage, 7.3% ABV. Weak aroma, brown malts and bread, hints of stale jam. The flavour is better than the aroma, malty with a slightly warming mouthfeel. Hints of spices. Okay, but not really impressive.

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

355 ml (12 fl oz) bottle, bought at Peckham’s, Glasgow. ABV is 5.0%. Amber colour, large to moderate head with an orange hue. Nice sweetish aroma of malts and plenty of fruity hops, hints of molasses. The flavour is surprisingly short, some fruity hops but a moderate bitterness, biscuity notes.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 5 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 7

(355 ml bottle). This was my first American IPA, now available in Norway! Deep golden colour, good head. Lovely hoppy citrussy aroma. I got more pleasure sniffing this beer than I got from drinking it. Flavour is all hops (where are the malts?), dominant initial grapefruity bitterness like I expected (not unpleasant), quite drinkable, but the one-dimensional, medicinal and wormwoodlike bitterness that remains in the aftertaste is not to my liking.

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

355 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. Also available in Norway at Vinmonopolet. ABV is 7%. Deep golden to amber colour, big white (or slightly off-white) head. Strong fruity and spicy aroma, notes of cloves, Belgian ale yeast and alcohol. Fairly rich mouthfeel. Drank it a bit too warm, but the flavour has a decent fruity and malty sweetness with some notes of mild spices and moderate hops in the finish. Pretty good stuff.

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

355 ml bottle, from Ølkonsortiet, Aalborg. ABV is 6%. Dark brown colour, nearly black. Huge and lasting beige head. Pleasant "Belgian" ale aroma with spicy / peppery and fruity notes. Hints of coriander, banana, citrus and cloves. The flavour is citrussy, possibly a bit more sour than intended? (slight infection??), moderately spicy / peppery, just a hint of dark malts and coffee. Okay, but not as great as I hoped. Won’t buy again.

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

February 2015: Shared 355 ml bottle, vintage 2010, from Voldby Købmandsgaard. ABV is 8%. Amber to brown colour. Oxidised malty aroma, reminds me a bit of Thomas Hardy’s Ale. The malty flavour is better, somewhat oxidsed but still nice, notes of oak and dark dried fruits, not very sweet though.

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

33 cl bottle, as "Gordon Finest Scotch Highland Ale", courtesy of Cardinal pub, Stavanger. ABV is 8.6%.Copper colour, large beige head. Pleasant aroma of malts, caramel and hops. The flavour is very sweet as expected, malts, sugar and caramel galore, but the sweetness is to some degree balanced by decent hops, which linger in the aftertaste. Still, the beer is sweeter than I’d like it to be. But at 8.6% ABV, this is not an easy-drinking refreshment beer anyway. Worth a try, when you know what to expect.

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

330 ml bottle, from Ølbutikken, Copenhagen. ABV is 8.8%. Mahogany coloured beer, large off-white head. Malty aroma, notes of caramel, but also some fruity and spicy notes. Gordon / John Martin are known for some pretty sweet beers, so I braced myself to tolerate an enormous sweetness. Well, their Xmas is sweet, but not more than I’m able to handle. Very rich and malty flavour, notes of caramel, dark dried fruits and mild spices. The sweetness is to some degree balanced by moderate hops in the finish. Not a beer to go with Christmas dinner, but excellent to savour on its own, or with Christmas cookies, chocolate and fruit. Will buy again, if I can find it for Christmas.

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

500 ml bottle, from Ølbutikken, Copenhagen. ABV is 4.8%. Hazy pale golden colour, huge white head. Nice wheaty aroma, notes of coriander and cloves, hints of sea water and citrus. Wheaty and refreshing flavour, medium sweet, hints of coriander and citrus, only faintly salty. Very moderate hops.

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

330 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal pub, Stavanger. Also available in Norway at Vinmonopolet. Amber colour, huge off-white head. Moderate spicy aroma. The flavour is malts and spices with some caramel and moderate hops. The alcohol is well hidden. Quite tasty.

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

330 ml bottle, at de Klomp, Nice, France. Deep ruby colour, large head. Malty sweet aroma, notes of caramel. Malty sweet flavour, notes of molasses and sweet wine.

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

Bottle, RBESG 2005 Grand Tasting. Golden brown colour. Vinous aroma, oaky and sherry notes. Oaky flavour, brandy notes. Could have been even more complex, though. Still, this is another fine and strong Belgian ale.

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

December 2014: 750 ml corked & caged bottle, vintage 2012, from Vinmonopolet. ABV is 10%. Golden colour, huge white head. Sweetish and sugary aroma, with notes of ripe yellow fruits (esp. plums), flowers, white kandij sugar syrup and malts. Medium sweet flavour with the same elements as in the aroma, also mild spicy notes. Pleasant enough to drink.

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

330 ml bottle, as Gouden Carolus Whisky Infused, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. ABV is 11.7%. Deep reddish brown colour, moderate beige head. Aroma of malts, caramel, brown sugar, mild spices, dark dried fruits and Scotch whisky. Rich mouthfeel. Medium sweet flavour with the same elements as the aroma.

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

December 2014: 750 ml bottle, from Vinmonopolet. BB date 15/02/2013. ABV is 10.5%. Beautiful chestnut colour, huge beige head. Aroma of brown kandij sugar, caramel and spices, including anise. The flavour has the same elements as the aroma. Minimal hops. Skip the anise please, and I might buy the beer again.

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

330 ml bottle (Vinmonopolet, bestillingsutvalget), ABV is 8.0%. Ingredients include maize and sugar. Pale golden colour, slightly hazy, huge white head. Lovely complex fruity, sweetish and spicy aroma - fruitiness both from the yeast and the hops. The flavour is sweet and spicy with yeasty and fruity notes, and a distinct hoppy bitterness in the finish. High level of carbonation. Alcohol is noticeable.

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

750 ml bottle, from Vinmonopolet. ABV is 9.3%. Clear golden colour, large white head. Aroma of pilsener malts, Belgian ale yeast and white kandij sugar syrup, also spicy and herbal hops. Light bodied for its strength. The flavour has the same elements as the aroma, distinct herbal and spicy notes, hints of alcohol.

Aroma: 10 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

750 ml bottle, corked "champagne" style. ABV is 10.5%. Deep chestnut colour, large light tan head, nice lacing. Malty sweet and spicy aroma - aniseed, cardamom, ginger, nutmeg, cloves(?) Notes of oak and leather too. Flavour is also dominantly malty sweet (too sweet) with caramel and spices, a certain hoppy bite too. Alcohol is evident, but not overwhelming. A fairly complex beer, but too much malty sweetness keeps me from giving it a top rating.

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

750 ml corked and wired bottle, from Vinmonopolet. ABV is 9.0%. Very pale yellow colour, huge white head. Strong fruity, yeasty and spicy (cloves a.o.) aroma. The flavour is spicy with some fruit and white kandij sugar, but the sweetness is nearly too much. Still a good beer, but if it is worth the high price in Norway is debatable.

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

660 ml brown bottle, courtesy of Cardinal pub, Stavanger. Also available in Norway at Vinmonopolet. ABV is 10.5%. Deep copper colour, large tan head. Interesting aroma, sweet and malty, but also notes of various berries, esp. blackberries, and molasses, caramel and bakery. Intense flavour, very malty and sweet with loads of caramel, partly balanced by a distinct hoppy bite. Spices and alcohol are present too (alcohol maybe more than I appreciate). Quite good, but not easy drinking - the bottle is for sharing!

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

500 ml bottle, bought in Denmark. ABV is 5.0%. Crystal clear extremely pale straw colour, moderate white head. Fairly decent aroma of fruity (yes, apricots) and floral hops. The flavour is clean, crisp and refreshing with a moderate sweetness, but the hops are too moderate. The name "Blanche" makes you expect a witbier / bière blanche, but this is just another pilsener - not a bad one, but far from exciting.

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

660 ml bottle, bought in Denmark. ABV is 6.5%. Very dark brown colour, nearly black. Big beige head. "Dusty" aroma with notes of coffee, hints of chocolate. Moderately roasty flavour with notes of coffee and dark chocolate (which indeed are among the ingredients), not very sweet. The hops are fairly subdued. Light mouthfeel, the alcohol is well hidden. Decent enough to drink, but not the greatest stout I’ve had.