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

Bottle, at Den Tatoverede Enke, Copenhagen. Sweet wort aroma, verging on "sickly". Malty sweet flavour too, not much to make me happy here. A cute label and decorated original glass did not help.

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

330 ml gusher bottle, as Urthel Vlaemse Bock, from Voldby Købmandsgård, Denmark. ABV is 7.5%. Cloudy dark brown colour, large to moderate off-white head. Malty and slightly sickly sweetish aroma, notes of molasses, oak and dark dried fruits. Rich malty flavour, sweet but not extreme, notes of caramel, molasses and brown kandij sugar. Minimal hops.

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

11. 2 fl. oz. bottle, from Vinmonopolet. ABV is 6.0%. Very pale yellow colour, huge white head. Typical aroma of saison yeast, fruity and spicy notes. The flavour is fairly crisp and spicy, not too sweet. Distinct bitterness in the finish.

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

Cask conditioned at Mannings, Ipswich. Deep amber colour, pleasant aroma of red fruits. Flavour is malty and fruity with pronounced blackcurrants and blackberries. Dusty finish. Interesting beer!

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

(500 ml bottle, in Sweden). Ruby (rather: reddish brown) colour, very low head. Vinous aroma, full malty flavour, slightly alcoholic, good bitterness. Despite it being called a "table beer" (with robust foods) by the brewers, I would rather call it a typical "sipping beer". Recommended.

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

500 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal pub, Stavanger. ABV is 5%. Pale golden colour, large head. Moderate sweetish aroma with notes of pale lager wort, hints of maize (corn) too, some fruity aromatic hops. Moderate carbonation in the glass, soft mouthfeel. The flavour has some malty sweetness and tolerable hops in the finish. Not too bad for a standard pale lager, but I preferred their Pilsener.

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

500 ml bottle, bought at Ole Simon, Sandnes. ABV is 4.6%. Pale golden colour, large and lasting head. Flowery and sweetish aroma, okay. Fairly hoppy flavour. Deserves the name "pilsener" - I’ve had many a "pils" that was far worse than this one. This is a quite good one, actually.

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

500 ml bottle, bought in Denmark. Deep reddish brown colour, not as dark as many other Baltic porters, large light brown head. Malty sweet aroma, hints of roastiness, dried dark fruits and bakery. Very sweet and malty flavour, verging on "cloying" but is not over the hilltop. Just enough hops to keep my interest. Mellow and rounded mouthfeel, again associations of something out of a bakery. Faint hints of roastiness and coffee in the background. I’m not quite sure what to make of this beer - maybe too sweet, but still pleasant enough to convince me to buy it again on a day my "sweet tooth" needs to be satisfied.

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

750 ml clear screwcap bottle, from Vinmonopolet. ABV is 11.5%. Pale yellow colour, sparkling, no head. Aroma and flavour of bitter cider apples and sweet eating apples, notes of sulphur and oak. The alcohol is noticeable in this strong cider. Fizzy mouthfeel. Not too bad.

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

Shared bottle at local tasting. ABV 8.5%. Deep reddish brown colour, off-white head. Aroma of chocolate malts. Malty flavour, notes of chocolate again, not very "Belgian" in style. I also bought a 500 ml bottle in Denmark, might re-rate.

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

Shared 500 ml bottle, at a local tasting. Black colour, beige head. Nice aroma and flavour with mild roasty notes. Might well sample again, decent enough porter.

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

Bottle, RBNAG 2009 in Vatlandsvåg. Dark brown colour, nearly black, low head. Strange aroma and flavour of smoked beef, peat and tar. The flavour has also some roastiness and a very moderate sweetness.

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

750 ml "champagne" bottle, as Valderance Cidre de Bretagne Bouché Brut, from Vinmonopolet. ABV is 5%. Like all ciders from this cidery it is made of 100% pure juice from cider apples. Contains sulphites. Golden colour. Pours very fizzy with a very short-lived white head. Moderate to low carbonation in the glass. Nice aroma of oxidised cider apples, farmhouse kitchen, sulphur and oak. The flavour has again notes of oxidised cider apples, with a relatively low acidity, fairly dry, slightly tart and woody in the finish. Easy drinking.

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

330 ml brown bottle, now available in Norway (Vinmonopolet, bestillingsutvalget). ABV is 7%. Hazy brown colour, huge head. Okay fruity aroma (orange peel and dark fruits) with notes of spices and oak. Flavour is moderately spicy and fruity with a fairly soft mouthfeel. Not the most complex Belgian I’ve had, but decent enough. Over-priced in Norway, though.

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

330 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal pub, Stavanger. Also available in Norway at Vinmonopolet. ABV is 6%. Brewed in the abbey. Secondary fermentation in the bottle. Hazy golden colour, no head, minimal carbonation. The bottle cap can’t have been air tight - a part of the glass rim was missing. The aroma and flavour were okay, though. Yeasty, sweetish, fruity and spicy aroma, notes of leather and oak too. Fruity and spicy flavour, quite nice. Soft mouthfeel, due to lack of carbonation. Will need to try another bottle.

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

330 ml bottle, from Voldby Købmandsgård, Denmark. ABV is 8%. Brown colour, large off-white head. Strong sweetish malty aroma, notes of caramel and brown kandij sugar, hints of dark fruits and chocolate. The flavour is also malty with notes of caramel - sweet, but not too much. Also notes of brown kandij sugar, and a very moderate spiciness in the finish. Very moderate hops. Smooth and pleasant to drink.

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

1 liter brown PET bottle, kindly shared by gunnar. ABV is 4.8%. Upon opening the beer gushes out of the bottle, and continues to do so. Apparently infected. Cloudy golden colour, huge white head. Strong lemon aroma. Very lemony flavour, acidity galore, some spicy notes. Might be said to be "good" in a perverted way, but is too sour, and being obviously infected does not help much.

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

Draught at Gladmatfestivalen 2004, Stavanger. Served cool, not ice cold. Low head, low carbonation. Hazy brown colour. Lovely aroma of juniper and wet fir trees. This is a modern rendition of traditional Norwegian farm ales, where juniper was used for flavouring and better preservation of the beer, at a time when hops were unknown or hard to get this far north. Flavour is all juniper and malts, quite lightbodied and refreshing. Not very complex, but darn good all the same. In order to fully appreciate a beer like this, you should spend a day of hard work stacking hay on a small Norwegian farm on one of our (rare) warm summer days. If you, on such a day, after tasting this beer say "I’d rather have a Budweiser", you’re a very sick person, and need to seek professional help. Or you could offer prayers to St. Judas, the patron saint of Hopeless Cases.

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

Draught, sampled at Gladmat festivalen, Stavanger, served too cold. This is a light bodied golden ale with a low head, obviously brewed to satisfy the majority of Norwegian beer drinkers who believe that beer = pilsener. This will be the first ale that many of them have ever tasted, and as an introduction to the world of ales for "the ignorant multitude" this is acceptable. But the experienced ale drinker will find that "Kvek" (Valdres dialect for being quick, bright, alert, vigilant) has just too little of everything, even though there’s nothing wrong or offensive about it. Light maltiness and fruitiness in aroma and flavour. If given the choice, I’d prefer this ale to most pilseners, but if you have access to the products of the Valdres farm brewery, their "Staut" dark ale is the one you’ll want. Also sampled bottled, even more boring than from draught.

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

Draught, sampled at Gladmatfestivalen, Stavanger. Unfortunately served far too cold. This is a good dark amber/brown ale (and Norwegian ales are rare!), not a stout as the name implies. Slightly cloudy appearance. Moderately hopped, malty well balanced rounded flavour. Hints of yeast. Caramel malts must be among the 5 types used. This "farm brewery" is about 7 years old, built in an old sheepshed! Their 3 ales are mainly available in Valdres, mostly draught but some of their production is bottled too. They also have a tiny pub at the brewery that's open only Friday nights, or at other hours for groups by appointment.

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

750 ml swingtop bottle, Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 4.7%. Despite the name, this is not a stout by any stretch of the mind, but a "Christmas spiced" version of their ordinary Staut, which is listed at RateBeer as a brown ale (English session style porter might be more appropriate). Dark brown colour, moderate off-white head. Moderate aroma of malts and Christmas spices, hints of liquorice. Smooth and soft flavour and mouthfeel - malts, caramel and Christmas spices (incl. cinnamon).

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

April 2015: Cask half pint at the Queens Vaults, Cardiff. Copper colour, small head, slightly off-white. Malty aroma and flavour, hints of English malt vinegar. Very moderate hops. Nothing special going on here.

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

500 ml bottle, bought in Edinburgh. Brewed by Park & Bellheimer AG since March 2005. ABV is 5.3%. Hazy pale golden colour, huge white head. Lovely hefeweizen aroma, the usual notes: cloves, banana, bubblegum. Soft moutheel, sweeter than many other h.w.s, moderate flavour of banana and cloves.

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

500 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. Like all bottled beers from this brewery, it is filtered to remove all remaining yeast (but possibly not pasteurised?). ABV is 4.5%. Dark brown colour, low head. Nice aroma of chocolate, mild coffee and lightly roasted malts. The flavour is moderately fruity (dark fruits) and roasty, fairly dry, notes of mild coffee, hints of dark chocolate and resin. Pleasant to drink. Pretty close to an English porter, I'd say.

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

500 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. Like all bottled beers from this brewery, it is filtered to remove all remaining yeast (but possibly not pasteurised?). ABV is 4.2%. Brewed with "bere", traditional wild barley. Deep golden colour, low white head. Malty and distinctly "dusty" aroma, weak hints of fruit. The flavour has much of the (lack of) character of a standard English bitter, "dusty" notes again, quite dry, with a very moderate fruitiness in the finish. The aftertaste has a distinct hoppy bitterness, with a hint of resin. I’ve had better, I’ve had worse.