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

375 ml gold waxed bottle, at Cardinal, Stavanger. ABV is 13.3%. Pitch black colour, small brown head disappears instantly. Aroma of salted peanuts, hints of roast malts, caramel, molasses, vanilla and bourbon. Minimal carbonation, sticky mouthfeel. Very sweet flavour (way too sweet), with the same elements as the aroma. Would not buy again.

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

330 ml can, at Cardinal, Stavanger. ABV is 7.7%. Gluten free. Opaque "dirty" pale yellow colour, small white head. Pleasant aroma of pineapple, mango, passionfruit and other tropical fruits, a hint of sprucetips. Citric and juicy mouthfeel. The flavour is medium sweet, with notes of tropical fruits and citrus, a very moderate bitterness in the finish. Nice to drink.

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

Small sample, on tap at Mandag i Annen at Cardinal, Stavanger. Moderately hazy golden colour, white head. Fresh aroma of kveik and lemons, hints of juniper and yellow plums. The flavour is sour, but still fresh (and refreshing), with the same elements as the aroma.

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

330 ml can, from Vinmonopolet Herbarium or Madla. ABV is 7.4%. Opaque yellow colour, small white head, some lacing. Aroma of tropical fruits (mango, lychee, pineapple), also hints of crushed white grapes and green gooseberries, some citrus too. There might be a certain fruitiness from the kveik too, but it drowns in all the fruity hops. Flavour of citrus and said tropical fruits, also notes of pine needles and sprucetips. Pleasant to drink.

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

375 ml bottle, waxed top (black metallic wax), Cardinal Pub, Stavanger. ABV is 13.3%. Pitch black colour, moderate to small tan head. Aroma of molasses, dark malts, oak, maple syrup, vanilla, dark rum and bourbon. Rich and warming mouthfeel, low carbonation. Very sweet and rich flavour with the same elements as the aroma, Dessert in a bottle!

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 2 | Flavor: 2 | Overall: 2

330 ml can, at Cardinal, Stavanger. ABV is 11%. Pitch black colour, large to moderate tan head. Sweetish aroma of malts, dark syrup, chocolate, vanilla and almonds. Sickly sweet and sugary flavour, the same elements as the aroma, but the beer is so revoltingly sweet that it is undrinkable for me. Totally unbalanced.

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

330 ml can, from Vinmonopolet Herbarium. ABV is 8.2%. Moderately hazy golden colour, small white head. Aroma of malts, yeast and over-ripe honeydew melons. The flavour has the same elements, some citrus too, unfresh character.

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

500 ml can, as Lervig & Bin Day Shuffleboard Mexican Rice Lager, Cardinal Pub, Stavanger. ABV is 5.3%. Slightly hazy golden colour, moderate white head. Sweetish aroma of malts, maize and floral hops. The flavour is drier and crisper than the aroma made me expect, and fairly refreshing. Moderate malts, rice and maize, with moderate herbal and "spicy" hops.

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

330 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 10.0%. Deep brown colour, big off-white head. Pleasant malty aroma with notes of dark dried fruits, bourbon whiskey, vanilla and oak. The flavour is malty and medium sweet, balanced by decent hops. Again notes of dark dried fruits, bourbon and oak. Good bitterness in the aftertaste. Another excellent beer from Lervig’s head brewer Mike Murphy.

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

330 ml can, from Helgø MENY, Hundvåg. ABV is 4.7%. Mahogany colour, moderate to small beige head. Aroma of brown bread, faint hints of caramel and chocolate. The flavour is not too sweet, but has the same elements as the aroma, also hints of burnt breadcrumbs. Moderate hops.

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

Shared bottles at the release, Lervig’s tent at Gladmatfestivalen, Stavanger. Dark brown colour, creamy beige head. Moderate aroma, notes of malts and chocolate. The flavour has strong notes of chocolate malts, also hints of caramel and nuts, but is never too sweet. Balanced by distinct notes of NZ Pacific Gem hops, which, with their blackberry-like character, is an interesting choice for a brown ale. As Betty Brown is very flavourful and has a decent mouthfeel, you’d easily believe it was stronger than it actually is. This is definitely a beer I’ll buy frequently. In Norway, only Nøgne Ø Brown Ale can compete.

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

375 ml waxed bottle, batch #1390, 2020 vintage (Rackhouse series), Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 13.5%. Pitch black colour, large to moderate tan head. Lovely aroma of roast malts, bourbon whiskey, oak (or maple) and vanilla. Rich and warming mouthfeel. The sweet flavour has the same elements as the aroma, also notes of caramel, liquorice and chocolate, moderate bittering hops. An excellent beer!

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

On tap at Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger, unfiltered and unpasteurised. ABV is 6.5%. Will possibly be available in a filtered and pasteurised version later on? Deep red to dark brown colour, low tan head which leaves a nice lacing. The aroma has distinct notes of butterscotch, also notes of malts, dried fruits and sherry, quite nice. The flavour is malty and very fruity with vinous notes, also notes of caramel, low bitterness. The fruitiness is quite a surprise in a bock, and will probably be less distinct in a pasteurised version. I’d like a more pronounced hoppy bitterness, though.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 5 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 6

330 ml bottle, Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 6.8%. Copper to brown colour, large off-white head. Spicy aroma, notes of star anise, ginger and brown kandij sugar. A hint of vomit. Fairly light bodied for its strength. The flavour is rather sweet with notes of caramel, brown kandij sugar, anise and ginger. Too moderate hops. As I hate star anise in beer (if not used with the utmost moderation), this beer starts with a real handicap in my book. And if you use ginger, a slight ginger burn in the finish would be nice. But hey, Lervigs Jul is drinkable - just not Mike Murphy’s best.

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

On tap at Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. Very dark reddish brown colour, creamy beige head. Woody and ashy aroma, hints of tobacco. The fairly dry flavour has malty and woody notes, roasty notes too. Ashes and medium bitter hops in the finish. Bitter aftertaste.

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

On tap at Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. Golden colour, moderate white head. Aroma of grassy hops and a touch of elderflowers. Refreshing flavour, decent hops throughout, but never too bitter. A hint of citrus, again just a touch of elderflowers. Moderately bitter aftertaste. A beer I could drink a lot of!

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

On tap at Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. Cloudy brown colour, moderate beige head. Moderate aroma of brown candi sugar, leather and spices. The flavour has notes of (Belgian?) ale yeast, brown malts, brown candi sugar (without being very sweet), spices and alcohol. Moderate hops in the finish, fairly bitter aftertaste.

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

On tap at Cardinal, Stavanger. Hazy golden colour, white head. Both aroma and flavour have a nice hoppy character, with citrus and tropical fruits, but of course you can't get an impression of each of the 40 different hop varieties that are used. Still pleasant and nice to drink. Might well buy again.

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

On tap at Cardinal Pub & Bar. Golden colour, creamy white head. Distinct hoppy aroma, notes of pine neeedles, tropical fruits, citrus and crushed gooseberries, a hint of tomcat. Fairly light bodied for its strength. The flavour is full of luscious hops throughout, notes of pine needles and grapefruit. The bitterness is solid, but the oats still lend a touch of smoothness to the beer. Definitely moreish!

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

500 ml can, at Cardinal, Stavanger. ABV is 4.7%. Cloudy and very pale yellow colour, moderate white head. Aroma of tropical fruits, yellow stonefruits, citrus, sprucetips and lactose. The flavour has the same elements, not too sweet despite the lactose. Citric mouthfeel.

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

On tap at Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. Reddish brown colour, moderate head, slightly off-white. Strong aroma of fruity hops, also notes of spruce, a hint of caramel malts in the background. The flavour is distinctly hoppy throughout, but not extreme, notes of spruce and some fruit again. There might be some caramel malt (and / or Munich malt) and chocolate malt in here, but they do not dominate, the beer is fairly dry, no more residual sweetness than necessary. Very drinkable, must pair well with many foods too. Another good one from Lervig and Mike Murphy!

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

330 ml can, from Vinmonopolet Madla. ABV is 6.5%. "Ancient pink" to purple colour, moderate off-white head. Aroma of lactic acid, raspberries and blackberries. Medium sour flavour, distinct notes of raspberries, the blackberries are more subdued. Also lactic acid, a hint of vanilla, low bitterness.

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

330 ml bottle, at Cardinal, Stavanger. ABV is 4.7%. This is not a Bock, but a Munich Dunkel. Deep reddish brown colour, moderate off-white to beige head. Aroma of caramel, medium roast malts, brittle, raisins and prunes. Smooth flavour, with the same elements as the aroma. Moderate hops. Nice to drink.

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

330 ml bottle, from my local grocery store. ABV 4.7%. This is a completely new recipe this year, from Lervig’s head brewer Mike Murphy. Dark brown colour, moderate beige head. Moderate malty aroma, some caramel. Easy drinking Münchener dunkel flavour, some caramel but not too sweet, some mild roasty notes, hints of brown bread. Has not the body of stronger Yule beers, of course, but should satisfy the average Norwegian’s need for a beer to go with his traditional pork rib dinner, especially with a dram of aquavit at the side.

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

330 ml can, at Cardinal, Stavanger. ABV is 15.6%. Deep reddish brown colour, moderate off-white to beige head. Aroma of malts and dark dried fruits, some vinous hints. Flavour with the same elements, also distinct bittering hops. The alcohol is not as dominant as I feared.