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

On tap at Cardinal, Stavanger. Hazy yellow colour, large to moderate white head. Aroma of butterscotch, over-ripe pineapple and yellow plums. Flavour of citrus, pineapple and butterscotch (diacetyl), moderate bitterness.

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

440 ml can, from Gulating Ølutsalg. ABV is 4.6%. Hazy pale yellow colour, small white head. Aroma of tropical fruits, citrus and yellow stonefruits. Citric mouthfeel, light bodied, moderate carbonation. The flavour has the same elements as the aroma and is not too sweet, low bitterness. A nice refreshment, but there are many competitors in this heat ...

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

Cask at Cardinal, Stavanger, sample at "Mandag i Annen". Brown colour, moderate head. Aroma and flavour of toffee, blackcurrant leaves and earthy hops. Nice.

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

Cask at Cardinal, Stavanger. Black colour, beige head. Nice roasty aroma and flavour, dry, with notes of mild coffee and chocolate, hints of roasted nuts and prunes.

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

12 fl. oz. bottle, at Olympen, Oslo. ABV is 6.5%. Deep golden colour with "cooling fog", moderate creamy head. Distinct aroma of American hops, also notes of toffee. Distinctly hoppy flavour too. Hints of Scotch orange marmalade and alcohol.

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

355 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 9.4%. Pours very fizzy. Deep copper to mahogany coloured beer, moderate off-white head. Aroma of Belgian ale yeast and brown sugar, some vinous notes. Fizzy mouthfeel. The flavour is malty sweet with strong notes of brown sugar, also some spicy notes, moderate but distinct hops in the finish. The high ABV is noticeable.

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

750 ml corked cottled, as North Coast Le Merle Saison (Belgian Style Farmhouse Ale), courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 7.9%. Slightly hazy golden colour, huge white head. Sweetish aroma of syrup, farmhouse yeast and rotting fruits / stale berries. High level of carbonation in the mouth. The flavour is better than the aroma, medium sweet and moderately spicy, decent hops in the finish. Quite nice to drink, should also go well with many foods.

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

Bottle, courtesy of gunnfryd, who supplied it to our tasting. The ABV was 9.0%. Served at room temperature - I would prefer it just a little cooler, but not cold. Pitch black colour, moderate head. Heavily roasty aroma and flavour, with notes of liquorice and coffee. A very robust and tasty imperial stout, but not too extreme.

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

12 fl. oz. bottle, 2007 vintage, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 11.7%. Dark reddish brown colour, slightly hazy, big beige head. Strong aroma of sweet sherry, oak, malts and caramel. The flavour is very sweet and malty, again with strong notes of sweet sherry and caramel, ending in a hoppy bitterness. Powerful stuff, a beer to sip slowly. Should not be drunk too cold.

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

Sampled RBESG 2006, bottle - available at Systembolaget, Sweden. ABV is 5.6%. Reddish amber colour. Very nice hoppy aroma, vinous notes. Moderately hoppy flavour. Rerate: 355 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 5.6%. Amber to copper colour, pours very fizzy, big to moderate off-white head. Lovely hoppy aroma with strong notes of red berries and tropical fruits. Fizzy mouthfeel. The flavour has a great balance between the malts and the distinct and fruity hops, notes of red berries and blackcurrants. Moderately bitter finish and aftertaste. Good beer!

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

Cask (hand pump) at the Darlington Spring Thing Beer Festival 2011. ABV is 3.8%. North Riding Hotel has won numerous awards as one of Scarborough’s best pubs, and they have recently taken to brewing their own beer. (I visited once, before they commenced brewing. They still serve additional beers from other breweries, as demand is outstripping their own production.) Golden colour, moderate white head. Moderate aroma, hints of fruity and grassy hops, hints of sulphur. The flavour is quite dry, ending in a very sharp bitterness.

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

440 ml can, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. ABV is 6.5%. Opaque yellow colour, moderate white head. Distinct aroma of tangerine and other citrus fruits, also notes of apricots and tropical fruits. Flavour also of said fruits, but not quite as distinct. Malts and grain in the background. Low bitterness.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 10 | Mouthfeel: 3 | Flavor: 3 | Overall: 4

440 ml can, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. ABV is 10%. Pitch black colour, large to moderate creamy tan head. Aroma of vanilla, chocolate, brown sugar, caramel and roast malts. Sickly sweet flavour of salted caramel (which I hate), and otherwise the same elements as the aroma. A slight hop bitterness in the finish. Won't buy a gain.

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

440 ml can, from Vinmonopolet Kvadrat. ABV is 9%. Pitch black colour, moderate brown head. Aroma of roast malts, cocoa, cherries, lactose and vanilla. Fizzy mouthfeel. Sweet flavour (too sweet) with notes of roast malts and said adjuncts, moderate bittering hops in the finish. Would have been a better beer without the adjuncts.

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

November 2020: Shared can, from Vinmonopolet Hillevåg. The best beer of the annual Yule beer tasting 2020 at Lilland Bryggerihotell. "Riskrem Festive Porter" - now, that's something for you! Black (or very dark brown) colour, small head. And the brewers are not lying: Both aroma and flavour have notes of cherries, vanilla, almond, cream and cinnamon. Sweet, but not too much. The roastiness is very subdued. A delightful beer. *2023 vintage, on tap: Mainly the same, but the vanilla seems a bit overdone this year.

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

440 ml can, from Vinmonopolet Kvadrat. ABV is 7.0%. Pitch black colour, large to moderate tan head. Aroma of molasses / dark syrup, ginger, custard, chocolate, vanilla, pastry / bakery. The flavour is medium sweet, not quite as extreme as I feared, with the same elements as the aroma, also fruity notes of prunes. Low bitterness.

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

440 ml can, from Vinmonopolet Kvadrat. ABV is 7.0%. Opaque dirty yellow colour, moderate white head. Pleasant aroma of tropical fruits, spruce and spicy hops. Fruity and spicy hops in the flavour too, pithy yellow stonefruits, moderately sweet, moderate to low bitterness. Good beer.

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

440 ml can, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. ABV is 10%. Deep ruby to black colour, moderate to small tan head. Aroma of chocolate, vanilla and strawberries. The flavour is way too sweet and sticky for me, notes of sweetened coffee, chocolate, lactose, vanilla and strawberries. Unbalanced, won't buy again.

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

440 ml can, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. ABV is 6.66%, IBU 20. Hops are Cashmere, Idaho 7, Cascade, Talus and Ekuanot. Murky golden to orange colour, large to moderate white head. Strong aroma of peaches and mango, a hint of sprucetips. Flavour of peaches and some mild piney notes, low bitterness.

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

330 ml can, from Vinmonopolet Kvadrat. ABV is 6.0%. Hops are Centennial, Simcoe and Strata. Hazy orange colour, moderate white head. Aroma of oranges / orange marmalade, some piney notes. Citric flavour, distinct piney / resinous and grapefruity bitterness, "dusty" malts in the background.

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

Cask at the Ipswich Beer Festival 2004, gravity dispense. Interesting aroma of barnyard and sheepshed - very befitting, as the Bedlington terrier (the dog, that is!) looks like a newborn lamb. Flavour is dusty malty. Oh, and it’s vegan - no terriers are used as actual ingredients in this beer.

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

310 ml can, kindly shared by gunnar at local tasting. ABV is 4.5%. Pale golden colour, low white head. Minimal aroma, just a hint of sewage. The flavour has a hint of citrus, and is otherwise very bland, with a metallic finish.

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

Shared 500 ml bottle, from Donslund Vine, as Novopacké pivo Granát, at local tasting. ABV is 5.0%. Dark reddish brown colour, moderate off-white head. Aroma of caramel malts and brown bread. Nice flavour, not too sweet, malty and mildly roasty notes, dark brown bread, chocolate and a hint of mild coffee. Very drinkable.

Aroma: 5 | Appearance: 5 | Mouthfeel: 3 | Flavor: 3 | Overall: 3

330 ml bottle, as Hemp Bräu Czech, from Vyrobce Pivovar Nova Paka, shared by gunnar. ABV is 4.5%. Golden colour, moderate white head. Sweetish aroma of nettles and citrus, hints of catpiss. Flavour of hemp and wood, nettles and citrus. Sharp bitter finish. Not good.

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

Shared 500 ml bottle at local tasting, from Donslund Vine. Very dark brown colour, moderate beige head. Aroma of caramel malts and sourish brown bread, hints of chocolate. The flavour is malty and slightly sweet, mild roasty notes with notes of mild coffee and toasted brown bread. Dry finish.