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

750 ml bottle, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. ABV is 8.5%. Deep mahogany colour, small beige head. Moderate aroma of lightly roasted malts, chocolate / cocoa and mild coffee. Flavour with the same elements, more distinct cocoa now, but the beer is not very sweet.

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

750 ml waxed and corked bottle, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. ABV is 8.5%. Very dark brown colour, small beige head. Distinct aroma of malts and roasted nuts, particularly hazelnuts. Also hints of dark dried fruits. Medium sweet flavour, malty (some caramel) with notes of said nuts, hints of dark dried fruits again, low bitterness.

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

July 2019: Shared 750 ml corked and waxed bottle, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. ABV 9.0%. Deep brown colour, off-white head. The aroma has moderate but still distinct notes of liquorice, also malts with a hint of caramel. The flavour is malty but not too sweet, notes of mild spices and discrete liquorice, hints of brown sugar and dark dried fruits. Moderate hops. Well balanced and enjoyable.

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

November 2012: Shared 750 ml bottle from Vinmonopolet, at Cardinal Yule beer tasting. Ruby colour, off-white head. Aroma of malts, caramel and vanilla, hints of oak and dark dried fruits. The flavour is malty and medium sweet, but has also a nice fruitiness. Mild oaky hints, vanilla, caramel and dark dried fruits again. Pleasant to drink.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 5

750 ml corked and waxed bottle, Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 6.8%. Hazy deep golden to amber cour, large white head. Very interesting spicy and exotic aroma, notes of incense, does indeed fulfill the brewer’s intentions of bringing some the smells of the Middle East. Also notes of yeast. Interesting flavour too, complex spicy notes, fairly refreshing. The spiciness is never sharp nor burning. Intentionally lightly hopped to bring the spicy notes up front, but a little more hops would not hurt. The finish is too perfumed and "soapy", and ruins much of the pleasure for me.

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

330 ml bottle, as Baladin Rock'n'Roll, Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 7.5%. Hazy golden colour, large white head. Interesting and pleasant aroma of spices / pepper and yuzu fruit. The flavour is medium sweet with spices / pepper, citrus and herbal and earthy bittering hops. The alcohol is noticeable.

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

330 ml can, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. ABV is 6%. Pale golden colour, large to moderate white head. Sweetish aroma of malts, honey and newmown grass, hints of herbal hops too. The flavour is too sweet, notes of malt sugar, honey and herbal hops. Not bad though, but not a beer I'll buy again.

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

330 ml bottle, as Baladin Rock'n'Roll, Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 7.5%. Hazy golden colour, large white head. Interesting and pleasant aroma of spices / pepper and yuzu fruit. The flavour is medium sweet with spices / pepper, citrus and herbal and earthy bittering hops. The alcohol is noticeable.

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

330 ml clear bottle, from Gulating ølutsalg, Stavanger. ABV is 4.7%. Clear and extremely pale yellow colour, pours sparkling with a shortlived white head. Aroma of apples, apple peel and kernels, a hint of sulphites. Medium sweet flavour of yellow apples, again a hint of sulphites. Nice enough.

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

330 ml can, as Birra Baladin Sud, from Vaaland, Bryne. ABV 4.5%. Slightly hazy and very pale golden colour, moderate to small white head. Aroma of wheat and very stale jam / marmalade, not good. The flavour is on the sweet side, again unfresh notes of stale jam and citrus, drainpour. Baladin should be ashamed of this one.

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

250 ml bottle, from Vinmonopolet Kvadrat. ABV is 8%. Murky brown colour, large off-white head. Moderate aroma of malts, yeast and banana. The flavour is very sweet (too sweet), with notes of brown malts, caramel and squashed bananas, minimal bitterness. Drinkable if you have a sweet tooth, but not a beer I’ll buy again.

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

Baladin Super Bitter. 330 ml bottle, Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 8%. Hazy orange to brown colour, large white (or slightly off-white) head. Pleasant aroma of mild spices, brown sugar and malts, hints of dark fruits. The flavour is mid between dry and sweet, with the same elements as the aroma. Moderate bittering hops in the finish. Nice beer.

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

750 ml bottle, as Baladin Suzi Dry, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. ABV is 6%. Hazy golden colour, moderate but shortlived white head. Pleasant aroma of plums, oak and brettanomyces, possibly also lactic acid. Medium sour flavour with the same elements as the aroma, moderate fruity sweetness, hardly any bitterness.

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

500 ml corked and waxed bottle in cardboard cylinder, Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 12.0%. Hazy very dark reddish brown colour, hardly any head, nor any carbonation in my bottle. I think there was somewhat more carbonation in the bottles opened at the Teo Musso / Cardinal tasting. Strong aroma of oak / red wine barrel and raisins, hints of fusel alcohols that are softened after a while in the glass. In the mouth the beer is completely flat / lifeless. Oaky flavour / dominant red wine barrel, medium sweet. Moderate hops. Will rerate if I get a new bottle with carbonation.

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

Rerate, 330 ml bottle, Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 5.8%. Pale yellow colour, slightly hazy. Small white head of poor retention. Aroma of spicy saison yeast, also citrus rind and various spices. Citric mouthfeel, light bodied. The flavour has citrus and various spices. Nice to drink. A slight spicy burn in the aftertaste. Original rating: 750 ml corked and waxed bottle, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. Probably 2 y.o. when consumed. ABV is 5.8%. Golden colour, lightly hazy. White head goes rapidly from moderate to none. Aroma of saison yeast, but also less pleasant notes of over-ripe and decaying fruits, moldy wet grain, compost and solvent. Fairly refreshing flavour, medium dry, a little fruit, not very complex but nice enough to drink. Less spicy than expected. Might sample again from a fresher bottle, hopefully the aroma will be better then.

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

Shared 500 ml bottle, vintage 2014, at Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 14%. Dark brown colour, no head, low carbonation. Intense oaky aroma, notes of molasses too. Extremely sweet and rich flavour, notes of oak, vanilla, caramel, raisins and dark dried fruits.

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

330 ml bottle, from Vinmonopolet Odda. ABV is 5.2%, IBU 10. Slightly hazy golden colour, moderate white head. Aroma of malts, caramel, butterscotch and seaweed. Flavour with the same elements, also hints of yellow plums. Minimal bitterness.

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

(330 ml bottle). This beer is contract brewed by Aass by the initiative of Mr. Arvid Ystad. I had a nice conversation with him about the background of his initiative. He also sent me a memo about the use of herbs in Norwegian traditional brewing. However, this beer is not an ale like traditional Norwegian farmbrew, it is based on a standard Aass pale lager with juniper berries, caraway/cumin and tarragon (estragon) added in the brewing process. These are herbs recognizable by modern Norwegians from the flavouring of aquavit, and Mr. Ystad emphasizes that they were already well known in Norway from the art of brewing, when aquavit was invented at a much later stage. Balders Brygg (named after Odin’s son Balder, Norse mythology) looks like a standard pale lager with a moderate head, but the aroma and flavour are much better due to the herbs used. The tarragon and caraway (to some degree reminiscent of aniseed) dominate both aroma and flavour, while the juniper berries are more subdued. Mr. Ystad himself thinks that the tarragon is more dominant than he intended, I would also like the juniper berries to stand out more than they do. But these herbs can't hide the fact that the basis of this beer is a pale lager with a rather thin mouthfeel. Props to Mr. Ystad for his initiative, but Aass Bryggeri should clearly have taken a leap forward and made an ALE with these herbs. As it is, Balders Brygg is at least a nice change of pace from the standard pilseners / pale lagers that dominate the Norwegian beer scene.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 5 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 6

500 ml bottle, bought in Denmark. ABV is 4.6%. Clear brown colour, big off-white head. Fairly nice aroma of toffee, caramel and biscuits. The flavour has also toffee and biscuit notes, not very sweet. Minimal hops, not very exciting, even for a brown ale.

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

December 2018: 500 ml bottle, from Vinmonopolet. ABV is 14%. Brewed on apple juice, honey and meadowsweet. No water added. Golden colour, pours moderately sparkling. Strong medicinal aroma of meadowsweet and alcohol. Sweet flavour of honey, dessert apples and alcohol, with bitter notes of the meadowsweet. Too boozy for me, really. Still drinkable.

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

500 ml clear bottle, from Vinmonopolet, bestillingsutvalget. ABV is 19%. The label does not say anything about this being a fortified cider / apple wine (with distilled alcohol added), nor anything about the "ice cider" method being used, but it is rather amazing if it has fermented to 19%. Yes, I added it to the BeerPal database, but I am prepared that it might have to go. Golden colour, no carbonation. The aroma is first boozy / alcoholic, after a minute in the glass the aroma is surprisingly moderate - dusty, with notes of apples of course, but not nearly as intense as I expected. The flavour, on the other hand, is definitely intense and concentrated, loads of sweet apples, oak and alcohol, hints of young sherry. Okay to accompany apple pie and ice cream for dessert, I guess - but I doubt that I will buy this apple wine again.

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

750 ml clear screwcap bottle, vintage 2010, from Vinmonopolet. ABV is 8.5%. This is a still cider from the first Norwegian cidery using primarily homegrown French and English cider apple varieties, not only sweet eating apples. Golden colour, no carbonation. Moderate but nice aroma of cider apples. Dry and nutty flavour of oxidised and bitter cider apples. Interesting, and better with food than on its own.

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

330 ml can, from a Bali supermarket. ABV is 5%. Pale golden colour, large to moderate white head. Strong grassy aroma, also notes of flowers and artificial candy. Fairly sweet flavour, bordering on "sugary", some malts, some fruit, minimal bitterness. Not undrinkable when cold - certainly not something to search out, but as it seems to be available in every supermarket in Bali, you take what you can get ...

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

330 ml can, as Bali Hai Bir Lager / International Premium Lager Beer, a gift from my Indonesian-born sister-in-law. ABV is 5.0%. Pale yellow colour, big to moderate head. Strong "industrial" sweetish pale lager aroma, maize or other adjuncts galore. The flavour is also sweet with plenty of adjunct cereals, minimal hops, just a weak metallic bitterness in the finish. Not good.

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

Allegedly brewed according to an old Russian porter recipe, with kvas/kwas as one of the ingredients! Contract brewed by Brauerei Locher "im Auftrag der BALIK Räucherei im Toggenberg AG", website www.balik.com . The Räucherei even supplied the smoked salmon I had with this beer (330 ml bottle) at the Seafood Bar at Stansted Airport, London (Norwegian salmon, smoked in Switzerland, sold in England, eaten by a Norwegian - a well travelled fish!) According to the BALIK website the beer should be served cool at 12 degrees C, but I got it served fridge cold. While the coldness must have taken away some of the flavour details, it probably made the beer more drinkable with seafood, taking the edge off the heavy sweetness. The beer has a brown colour with a slight haziness, low head. Aroma and flavour are more like a port wine than a "normal" beer. Very sweet, warming mouthfeel (no surprise at 11% ABV!), spicy, a bit alcoholic, but interesting. Decent hops in the finish.