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

500 ml bottle, bought at Pivni Galerie, Prague. Golden colour, large lasting head. Strong fruity and flowery hops aroma, some malts in there too, faint hints of leather and camphor. Flavour is a hoppy bitter explosion from start to finish, verging on being too much, but there also is a delicate malty sweetness below which makes the bitterness acceptable. Long, bitter and dry aftertaste. Who said pilseners don’t taste of anything?

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

500 ml brown bottle, courtesy of Cardinal pub, Stavanger. ABV is 7.0%. Deep golden colour, large head. Sweetish and slightly fruity aroma. The flavour is alcoholic and reasonably malty, there’s a noticeable sweetness, some fruit, moderate hops in the finish.

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

Sampled RBESG 2006 Grand Tasting, as Svyturys Baltas Kvictinis Alus. ABV is 5.2%. Golden colour, hazy, large head. Typical weissbier aroma and flavour: cloves and ripe bananas. An okay weissbier.

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

500 ml brown bottle, pasteurised, ABV is 6.0%. Courtesy of Cardinal pub, Stavanger. Ingredients include caramel malts and rice. Dark amber to copper colour, large head. Pleasant aroma with caramel and aromatic hops, hints of oak and alcohol. The flavour has dominant notes of caramel and alcohol, hints of rye bread and oak, moderately bitter finish.

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

330 ml bottle, now available in Norway. Golden colour, large foamy head. Strong perfumed aroma of shampoo, flowers, molasses and green apples, not entirely pleasant. Flavour is grassy with lemon notes, some sweetness. Low bitterness. Drinkable, but no masterpiece.

Aroma: 5 | Appearance: 3 | Mouthfeel: 2 | Flavor: 2 | Overall: 3

500 ml brown bottle, courtesy of Cardinal pub, Stavanger. Very pale golden colour, large head. Typical n/a beer aroma - sweetish "boiled" notes. Watery and thin mouthfeel. Bland flavour with some sweet and salty notes. Utterly boring.

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

500 ml bottle, at Gladmatfestivalen 2008, Stavanger (Pushkin restaurant). ABV was 5.0%. Golden colour, decent head. Moderate aroma, some malts. The flavour is slightly alcoholic (a bit of a surprise, the ABV is fairly moderate), but the beer is also quite well hopped, which makes it slightly-above-average for European golden lagers.

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

330 ml bottle, from Selfridge’s food store, London, as Whitstable Oyster Stout. ABV is 4.5%. Pitch black colour, moderate to low tan head. The aroma is roasty with notes of smoke, tar and salt water, hints of coffee and dark chocolate. Smooth mouthfeel, light bodied. Dry flavour, roasty notes with coffee and smoke, moderate bitterness, slightly salty finish with a hint of liquorice. Pleasant to drink.

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

Cask conditioned at The Three Judges, Glasgow. Very dark ruby colour, nearly black. Moderate roasty and malty aroma, hints of liquorice. The flavour is moderately roasty and fairly dry, notes of thin coffee.

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

Cask (hand pump) at the Darlington Spring Thing Beer Festival. ABV is 6.0%. Brown to copper colour, low head. Malty aroma, some caramel, nuts and dust. Dry flavour, tolerably hopped, but not as much as expected. Some fruit in the finish.

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

500 ml bottle, thanks to my beerpal Olav who brought it home from the Orkneys. ABV is 3.6%. Crystal clear golden colour, big to moderate white head. Pleasant aroma of fruity hops, notes of tropical fruits. Light bodied. Decent hoppy flavour, some fruitiness first, dry and "dusty" finish. Very nice for its moderate ABV.

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

500 ml bottle, thanks to my beerpal Olav who brought it home from the Orkneys. ABV is 6%. Deep golden colour, big to moderate white head, some lacing. Fairly nice aroma, fruity and herbal hops, also noticeable malts, hints of toffee. The flavour has acceptable malts but is not very sweet, with distinct herbal and "dusty" English hops in the finish. Okay.

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

500 ml bottle, thanks to my beerpal Olav who brought it home from the Orkneys. ABV is 4.8%. Golden colour, big white head. Nice aroma of fruity and herbal hops, notes of tropical fruits, hints of pine. Light bodied, fairly dry. The flavour has fruity and herbal hops throughout, but the bitterness is fairly moderate. "Dusty" finish, long aftertaste.

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

275 ml nip bottle, vintage 2009, thanks to my beerpal Olav who brought it home from the Orkneys. ABV is 9.0%. Black colour, dark brown in the highlights, big to moderate tan head, some lacing. Lovely aroma of dark malts, molasses, oak and dark dried fruits, hints of old sherry. The flavour has roasty coffee notes, also notes of malts and molasses (medium sweetness) and liquorice, with a hoppy and roasty bitterness in the finish. Solid stuff.

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

500 ml bottle, thanks to my beerpal Olav who brought it home from the Orkneys. ABV is 4.4%. Golden colour, big to moderate white head. Moderate but nice aroma of fruity and herbal hops. Fairlyt light bodied. The flavour has herbal notes throughout, with a dry and "dusty" finish. Moderate bitterness in the aftertaste.

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

500 ml bottle, thanks to my beerpal Olav who brought it home from the Orkneys. ABV is 4.5%. Deep golden to amber colour, moderate white head, decent lacing. Moderate but nice aroma with fruity and malty notes, hints of nuts and toffee. Moderately malty and nutty flavour with "dusty" English hops throughout. Okay, but not remarkable.

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

August 2020: 500 ml bottle, from Det Gode Brygg, Sandnes. ABV is 3.9%.Golden colour, moderate white head. Moderate but nice fruity aroma, hints of yellow plums and pineapple. Light bodied. Medium dry flavour, notes of citric and earthy hops, resinous in the medium bitter finish.

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

April 2021: 500 ml bottle, as Swannay Magnus Blonde Extra Pale Viking Ale, from Gulating Ølutsalg, Stavanger. ABV is 4.3%. Pale straw colour, slightly hazy, large white head. Moderate grainy and malty aroma, a hint of honey. Moderate malty flavour, moderate earthy hops. A very slight fruitiness, again a hint of honey.

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

October 2020: 500 ml bottle, from Gulating ølutsalg, Stavanger. ABV is 4.7%. Deep golden colour, moderate white head. Malty aroma, crystal malts and hints of caramel. Malty and grainy flavour, fairly dry, hints of citric hops, medium bitter finish. Not really great.

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

March 2017: Cask half pint at The Grill, Aberdeen. 3.8% ABV. Golden colour, thin white head. Moderate aroma of fruity / citrussy hops. Zesty flavour with tingling fruity hops on the tongue. Medium bitter finish. Good beer.

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

May 2018: 500 ml bottle, from Gulating Ølutsalg, Stavanger. ABV is 4.2%. Orange to amber colour, moderate off-white head. Arpma of grain, ripe and over-ripe yellow fruits, caramel. Grainy and malty flavour, notes of brown bread and caramel, hints of dark fruits, moderate earthy hops. Decent beer.

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

April 2018: 500 ml bottle, from Gulating Ølutsalg, Stavanger. ABV is 4.2%. Black colour, moderate tan head. Aroma of moderately roast malts, chocolate and mild coffee. The slightly dry flavour has also roast malts, coffee and dark chocolate, hints of tar and liquorice.

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

October 2020: 500 ml bottle, from Gulating ølutsalg, Stavanger. ABV is 4.5%. Nearly black colour, large beige head. Moderate roasty aroma, hints of chocolate, prunes and mild coffee. The flavour is medium dry and smooth, still with decent malts, and the same hints as in the aroma. Moderate hops. Easy drinking.

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

355 ml bottle, from the Norwegian importer. ABV is 5.7%. Slightly hazy pale golden colour, moderate white head. Pleasant aroma of citrus, tropical fruits and flowers, hints of honey. Slightly sweet flavour, citrus notes, hints of tropical fruits, decent bittering hops.

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

355 ml bottle, from the Norwegian importer. ABV is 6.3%. Deep golden colour, moderate white head. Pleasant aroma of citrus / oranges, also notes of flowers and spruce. Slightly dry flavour, grapefruity and resinous hops with a bitter finish, sufficient malts.