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

April 2009: Rerate, 500 ml bottle, as Okells Aile Smoked Celtic Porter, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is now 4.7%. My comments are basically the same as for "Branded Drinks Coal Fire Porter", so the two beers must indeed be identical. A lovely drop! Original rating: 500 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal pub, Stavanger, under its alias "Branded Drinks Coal Fire Porter". (Are you sure they are exactly the same beer?) ABV is 4.6%. BB date Oct 08. Pitch black colour, large tan head. Lovely aroma of chocolate, roasted malts and plums, with a hint of liquorice. Distinctly roasty flavour with notes of coffee, hints of peat, smoke and tar, bitter finish. The mouthfeel could have been fuller, but this is still a good beer!

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

Oct. 2016: Cask pint at The Shepherd’s Tavern, Mayfair. Copper colour, off-white head. Moderate malty aroma, some fruit. Slightly sweet, fruity (currants) and malty flavour. Decent enough, but the hops are too moderate.

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

500 ml bottle, bought at ICA Middelthon, Stavanger. ABV is 4.5%. Golden colour, big white head. Fairly strong aroma of hops, first flowery, then more citrussy and lightly spicy. The flavour is distinctly hoppy throughout, with grapefruity notes, and has just enough malts to balance it. Pleasant (if somewhat sharp) bitterness in the finish and aftertaste. I don’t know which variety(ies) of hops they have used here - possibly Progress? A nice and refreshing ale this one - will buy again.

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

Nov. 2013: Cask halfpint at JDW, Victoria Station, London. Reddish brown colour, moderate off-white head. Moderate but nice fruity and malty aroma. Rich flavour of ripe berries, malts and fruity hops, soft and smooth to drink, but not too sweet. Pleasant beer.

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

Cask conditioned at The Golden Lion, York. Served at correct temperature. Golden colour. Creamy head, nice lacing. Moderate wheaty and citrussy aroma. Pleasant wheaty and lemony / grapefruity flavour, soft mouthfeel, refreshing. Rerate, 500 ml bottle, bought at ICA Middelthon, Stavanger (also available at Vaaland, Bryne). ABV is 4.4%. Crystal clear pale golden colour (like a pilsener), big to moderate white head. The aroma is hoppy with grassy and citric notes. Refreshing hoppy flavour, ending in a grapefruity and slightly resinous bitterness, there is some malty sweetness but it is quite subdued. I thought the cask version had more of a wheaty character than the bottle. Well, the bottles are pasteurised, so that probably explains it. More of a "well hopped pilsener" character here. Not bad though.

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

330 ml can, from the minibar in my room at Hotel Føroyar, Torshavn. ABV is 5.8%. Deep golden to amber colour, moderate white head. Moderate and unexciting aroma, some malts, just a hint of grassy hops. Fairly refreshing and well balanced flavour, where both the malts and acceptable hops come through nicely, no offensive side-flavours.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 5 | Flavor: 5 | Overall: 4

On tap at the Faroe Islands tent at the ONS fair, Stavanger. Served too cold for a Classic, but I fear a slightly higher temperature would not have helped much. Brown colour, moderate creamy white head. The aroma has notes of grassy hops, hints of caramel. Bland flavour, dry and "dusty", just a hint of caramel but not very sweet. Very moderate hops in the finish.

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

330 ml bottle, from a grocery store in Klaksvik. ABV is 2.6%. Antioxidant E300 and E223 added. Golden colour, low coarse white head. The aroma has notes of pilsener wort and citrus. Medium dry flavour, light bodied of course, boring, but some hints of malts and hops make the beer not undrinkable if you have to drive. Sourish finish.

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

On tap at The Irish Pub, Torshavn. Pale golden colour, slightly hazy, minimal head. Aroma of diacetyl / butterscotch, not unpleasant though. The flavour has also one-dimensional notes of diacetyl / butterscotch (but is not too sweet), moderate hops in the finish. No masterpiece this one.

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

330 ml can, at Etika, Torshavn. ABV is 5.8%. Red colour, moderate beige head. Nice hoppy aroma (American hops?), hints of orange marmalade. The flavour has moderate but pleasant American hops throughout. A nice surprise from Okkara!

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

On tap at the Faroe Islands tent at the ONS fair, Stavanger. Golden colour, moderate creamy white head. Moderate aroma of floral and grassy hops. The flavour is fairly malty for a pilsener, and the hops are noticeable, if not as plentiful as desired.

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

330 ml bottle, from the brewery store in Velbastaður, where you are allowed to buy single bottles. ABV is 5.8%. Dark brown to ruby colour, nearly black. Moderate beige head. Roasty aroma, notes of cold coffee, distinct smoke and ashes, hints of liquorice. Relatively light bodied. Dry roasty flavour, some smoke, too moderate hops, hints of liquorice. Not bad, but could have been better.

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

500 ml bottle, from Rúsan, Torshavn. ABV is 5.8%. Brewed with Faroese volcanic rocks that are heated to 800 degrees C before they are placed in the wort. Reddish amber colour, pearly carbonation, low off-white head. Nice aroma of malts, caramel and some grassy hops. Fizzy mouthfeel. The flavour has some malts and caramel, without being sweet, but the body is too thin for its strength, and the hops are too moderate. Still a drinkable beer.

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

500 ml bottle, in Poland. Golden colour, large head. Pleasant aroma of aromatic hops, fruity. Flavour is malty and slightly alcoholic, but nice. OKish strong lager.

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

500 ml bottle, bought in Poland. Beautiful dark mahogany colour, large and lasting creamy tan head. Aroma of rye bread, caramel and toasted malts, hints of leather. Flavour is very rich and malty sweet, you might say VERY sweet. Notes of caramel and plenty of lightly toasted malts. Hints of coffee. Just enough hops in the finish to balance the sweetness. Interesting beer!

Aroma: 3 | Appearance: 5 | Mouthfeel: 3 | Flavor: 4 | Overall: 4

500 ml bottle, as Okocim Piwo Jasne 0,0%, from EKO Market, Stavanger. Clear pale golden colour, moderate white head. Very moderate aroma, some malts. Soft mouthfeel. Moderate flavour, a little malts but not sweet, a hint of citrus, very moderate hops in the finish. Bland, but there are no offensive off-flavours.

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

Bottle, at RBESG 2007 in Glasgow, Grand Tasting. Amber to orange coloured beer. Lovely Amarillo hops aroma. The flavour is also dominated by Amarillo hops, some oaky and "raw" alcoholic notes too.

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

RBESG 2006 Grand Tasting. Pale golden colour. Dry hopped. Pleasant hoppy aroma and flavour, light bodied. Nice refreshment beer with a very moderate ABV.

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

Bottle, at RBESG 2007 in Glasgow, Grand Tasting. Beautiful amber colour, large head. Fruity and spicy aroma, notes of damp cellar. Oaky and musty flavour, unusual, interesting.

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

Bottle, at RBESG 2007 in Glasgow, Grand Tasting. Amber to orange colour. Lovely hoppy aroma, hints of oak and barnyard too. Oaky flavour, well hopped. Good beer!

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

Bottle, at RBESG 2007 in Glasgow, Grand Tasting. Hazy amber colour. Moderate "English bitter" aroma and flavour with a farmhouse touch. Fairly decent but not particularly exciting. Still, it is nice to have sampled an ale with Marynka hops.

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

Bottle, at RBESG 2007 in Glasgow, Grand Tasting. Chestnut coloured beer. Fruity and vinous aroma, some smoke. The flavour has oak and smoke - but they say the beer contains no smoked malts. "Raw in the edges". Fairly dry.

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

Cask conditioned at the Ipswich Beer Festival 2004, gravity dispense. A very soft and easy drinking session bitter. Nothing to blow your socks off, but nice enough for an evening in the pub.

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

Cask at the Ipswich Beer Festival 2004, gravity dispense. Deep golden colour. Nice hoppy / fruity aroma. Quite malty for a session bitter. A dusty hoppiness takes over, lasts through the finish. Easy drinking. Pleasant enough.

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

Cask conditioned at the Ipswich Beer Festival 2004, gravity dispense. Aroma is very malty with notes of oak. Flavour is malty and rather boring. Not the highlight of the festival.