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!

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

500 ml can, on the Air Baltic flight from Stavanger to Riga. ABV is 4.8%. Amber colour, large head. Pleasant fruity and malty aroma. Relatively malty flavour with low bitterness. This is supposed to be a "live beer" (= unpasteurised).

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

On tap in Latvia. (I think I brought home a bottle too.) Golden colour. Moderate malty aroma. Relatively malty flavour, moderately sweet, moderate hops. Pretty average beer.

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

500 ml bottle, bought in Riga , as "Lacplesis Tumsais Dzivs Alus - No Lielvardes". This beer operates on the borderline betweeen dunkel, schwarzbier, dunkler bock and Baltic porter - but it sure as hell is no Vienna!!! ABV is now 5.8%. Very dark reddish brown colour, nearly black. Creamy and lasting large head. Lovely malty sweet aroma, strong notes of Danish pastry, chocolate and marzipan. The flavour is also malty with a pronounced roastiness, fairly sweet, but not as sweet as the aroma made me expect. Hoppy finish. Not bad!

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

500 ml can, from Rema 1000, Tau. ABV is 4.7%. Hazy brownish-orange colour, moderate white head. The aroma should carry notes of sea buckthorn, cloudberries and raspberries, but feels messy and artificial. The flavour is fortunately not too sweet, the fruity notes still feels kind of artificial, but not as extreme as the aroma. A slight hop bitterness in the finish. Not a beer I'll buy again though.

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

500 ml can, from Rema 1000 Tau. ABV is 4.7%. Clear golden colour, moderate to small white head, nice lacing. Nice aroma of floral, herbal and citric hops. Fairly crisp flavour, some residual sweetness, but fairly balanced. Herbal hops in the finish, becomes slightly metallic in the aftertaste.

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

500 ml bottle from REMA 1000. ABV is 4.7%. Copper colour, moderate off-white head. Moderate aroma of caramel malts, hints of chocolate. Thin and fizzy mouthfeel. The flavour is slightly acidic, with moderate notes of caramel malt and a hint of chocolate malt, without being very sweet. "Dusty" and empty finish. Not undrinkable, but definitely one of the most boring Yule beers you can get in Norway.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 3 | Mouthfeel: 3 | Flavor: 3 | Overall: 3

500 ml bottle, Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger, as Lade Gaards Juleøl Sterk Type. ABV is 6.5%. (No, this won’t be part of the pub’s regular selection, thank God - it’s just in for the Grand Christmas Beer Tasting.) Very dark brown colour, large beige head. Sourish metallic aroma, some malts and caramel. Thin body. Sourish metallic flavour too, like sucking 5" galvanized nails. The most miserable strong ("Vinmonopolet strength") Christmas /Yule beer you can get in Norway.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 4 | Flavor: 5 | Overall: 5

500 ml bottle, from REMA 1000. ABV is 4.7%. Lade Gaards Brygghus does not exist, this is another fake "craft beer" brewed by Norway's crappiest brewery, Grans. Copper coloured beer, big cream-coloured head. Fairly nice aroma of butterscotch and caramel, hints of spices. Thin mouthfeel. The flavour has a slight acidity which seems totally misplaced in a dunkel, also notes of brown bread and caramel, but the beer is not vey sweet. Very moderate hops. Not much to write home about, but as this is Grans, it is still one of their "better" beers.

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

330 ml bottle, from Rema 1000, Tau. ABV is 4.7%. Crystal clear and extremely pale yellow colour, moderate white head. Fairly decent aroma of banana and cloves. Light bodied. The refreshing flavour has moderate notes of citrus, banana and cloves. No off-flavours.

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

Bottle, at RBNAG 2009 in Vatlandsvåg, thanks to my beer pal Olav. Golden colour, low head. The aroma has notes of Belgian yeast, hints of citrus and spices. Moderate carbonation, soft mouthfeel. The flavour is moderately fruity and spicy, very moderate hoppy bitterness in the finish.

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

Bottle, at RBNAG 2009 in Vatlandsvåg, thanks to my beer pal Olav. Deep sherry-like colour, moderate head. The flavour has notes of caramel but is otherwise fairly dry, moderate hops and hints of burnt caramel in the finish. The mouthfeel is a bit watery.

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

RBESG 2006 Grand Tasting. ABV is 5.0%. Batch #26. Pale lager aroma and flavour, slightly flowery. Nothing to write home about, the aloe vera did not make much of an impression on me.

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

500 ml supermarket can, a gift from my brother, bought in Italy. ABV is 4.7%. Pale yellow colour, large white head. Strong sweetish aroma, notes of maltose, grass and artificial candy. The flavour is sweet and sugary, with very moderate hops. Lacks the crisp flavour of a decent pilsener. Typical industrial supermarket pale lager.

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

355 ml bottle, as Lagunitas The Censored Rich Copper Ale, from Ølkonsortiet, Aalborg. ABV not mentioned on the label. Amber to copper colour, moderate off-white head. Fairly nice aroma of caramel and fruity hops, hints of old orange marmalade. The medium sweet flavour has also notes of caramel and a little fruit, but lacks hops and "freshness". Drinkable, but I expected more from Lagunitas.

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

355 ml bottle, from Coop Extra, Sauda. ABV is 4.6%. Clear pale golden colour, moderate white head. Nice aroma of fruity hops (citrus, tropical fruits). Light bodied. Medium dry flavour with piney and grapefruity hops.

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

650 ml bottle, bought in the brewery store, consumed in Sacramento. Reddish brown colour. Nutty and moderately roasty malts in aroma and flavour, followed by piney American hops, seems somewhat unbalanced. The alcohol is not very well hidden. Not my favourite from Lagunitas this one.

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

650 ml bottle, as Lagunitas Hop Stoopid Ale, Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 8%, OG 1085, IBU 102. Golden colour, large white head. Intense and sweetish aroma of fruity and piney American hops and crystal malts, notes of orange marmalade, pine needles, tropical fruits and grapefruit. The flavour is quite sweet and intensely hoppy, with the same elements as in the aroma. Nearly too much of it all.

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

355 ml bottle, will soon be available at Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 7.8%, OG 1072, IBU 54.2. Red (or reddish brown) colour, moderate off-white head. Pleasant fruity (berries, dark dried fruits) and malty aroma with some caramel notes. The flavour is distinctly malty, again with some caramel notes, without being overly sweet. Fruity and resinous hops with a firm bitterness in the finish.

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

650 ml bottle, Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 9.9%, OG 1092, IBU 72.45. Very dark brown to black colour, ruby in the highlights, large beige head. Moderate aroma, mild coffee notes, hints of dark chocolate. Sweet flavour with plenty of coffee, dark chocolate and liquorice, some bitterness in the finish. Quite good.

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

355 ml bottle, from Ølkonsortiet, Aalborg. Deep golden colour, moderate white head. The aroma is fairly moderate, notes of dust and fruity hops, hints of tropical fruits. The flavour is distinctly hoppy throughout, as expected from an IPA, with fruity notes. Bitter finish, but not too extreme. Not too sweet, refreshing.

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

Bottle, thanks to my son Steinar. Golden colour, large head. Nice aroma of fruity American hops. The flavour is sweet and hoppy with a very bitter finish, but I don’t get much complexity, let alone subtlety. I’m not a big fan of this one.

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

355 ml bottle, from Ølkonsortiet, Aalborg. ABV is 7.5%. 64.2 IBU, OG 1076. Golden colour, large white head. Very nice sweetish and fruity aroma, notes of American hops and pale crystal malts, hints of fresh orange marmalade. The flavour has a nice hoppiness throughout, but is unfortunately a bit too sweet for my taste. Bitter finish. Well worth sampling.

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

Sampled bottle, RBNAG 2007 in Grimstad. ABV was 7.5%. Amber to orange colour, decent head. Nice hoppy aroma, not as strong as expected. Distinctly hoppy flavour throughout, but not really that extreme. Good beer.

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

355 ml bottle, from Ølkonsortiet, Aalborg. Deep golden colour, moderate but lasting white head. Lovely hoppy aroma, notes of tropical fruits, hints of orange marmalade. The flavour is distinctly hoppy throughout, but not too bitter. Notes of grapefruit and tropical fruits up front, pine needles in the aftertaste. Very good and moreish.