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

Shared 330 ml bottle at local tasting. ABV is 6.5%. Dark reddish brown colour, moderate off-white head. Unusual aroma, marzipan / artificial almond flavouring, some caramel and rice. The flavour has some caramel malts, but is not very sweet. Hints of almond essence again. Esoteric, but not a great beer.

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

375 ml "champagne" bottle, from Vinmonopolet. ABV is 6.0%. Pours with an enormous white (possibly slightly off-white) head, which slowly reveals a beer of hazy deep golden colour. Lovely complex aroma of farmhouse and fermenting fruits, hints of oak and spices. The flavour is fairly sour and tart, with a dry finish. Some hops in the aftertaste. Good stuff!

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

Aug. 2013: 375 ml corked & caged green bottle, from the Norwegian importer. ABV is 6.5%. Beautiful deep red colour, large pink head. Interesting aroma of sour cherries, farmhouse, dust and almond essence. Sour flavour, sour cherries galore, tart and slightly astringent. Moreish.

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

August 2019: 330 ml green bottle with tear-off cap, probably from Det Gode Brygg, Sandnes. ABV is 4.6%. Clear pale golden colour, huge white head. Fresh Heineken-like aroma of lightstruck hops, notes of newmown grass. Some grain and wort in the background. Acceptable pilsener flavour, some citric notes, followed by grain and very moderate bittering hops.

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

Feb. 2017: Shared 650 ml bottle at local tasting. Slightly hazy golden colour, white head. Aroma of piney and fruity hops, pineapple and coconut. The flavour is very fruity with pineapple and coconut, but also with a distinct hop bitterness.

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

355 ml bottle, from Vaaland, Bryne. ABV in Norway is 4.7%. Copper coloured beer, large to moderate off-white head. Strong aroma of caramel and treacle, some fruity hints too. The mouthfeel is fairly light. The flavour is moderately malty with notes of caramel, but is not very sweet. Some roasted malts and fruity hops in the finish. I don’t know why this particular beer was chosen for import to Norway, but it is nice enough to drink. Just not America’s best, though.

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

330 ml green bottle, as Belga Star (Martens is not mentioned on the label), produced in the EU, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. ABV is 4.9%. Crystal clear pale golden colour, moderate to small white head. Sweetish aroma of pilsener malts, and floral and grassy hops. Citric mouthfeel. Fairly crisp flavour, a little sweetness, and moderate bittering hops in the finish. Could have been worse.

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

330 ml green bottle, as "Classic Gingers Beer / Piwo Imbirowe". Courtesy of Cardinal pub, Stavanger. Original gravity 11.8%, ABV is 4.1%. Admixtures: E300 anti-oxidant, caramel E150c-colour, apple acid E296 acidity regulator. Contains barley malt, sugar and sweetening substances: glucose syrup, E950, E951. Contains a source of phenylalanine. In other words: not quite "Reinheitsgebot" .... Good grief! Crystal clear pale golden colour, with relatively big bubbles. Fizzy and foamy head that dies out completely after a while. Strong sweetish aroma of ginger, glucose syrup and disgusting chemical stuff. The flavour is also very sweet, but not really disgusting - it has a lot in common with the softdrink / mixer ginger "ale". There’s just a weak notion that the basis of this drink is actually a beer. People who really like "ginger ale" might like this beer too. I’ll pass, thank you.

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

330 ml stubby bottle, thanks to oh6gdx and chris_o. ABV is 6.6%. Contains barley malt, wheat malt, oats and spelt, hops, yeast, coriander and orange peel. Hazy golden colour, huge head. Typical "Belgian" aroma: ale yeast, spices, fermenting fruits. The flavour is spicy but also very refreshing for a beer of this strength, moderately sweet with decent hops in the finish. Just a touch of citrus. Well balanced and pleasant to drink.

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

Oct. 2019: On tap at Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. Orange colour, very little carbonation. Aroma and flavour of earthy English hops. This is a classical British pale ale / bitter in my book, nothing "perfectly modern" about it. A bit more carbonation would help. Quite drinkable though.

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

500 ml clear bottle, as Belhaven Black Scottish Stout, from a potential importer. ABV is 4.2%. Very dark ruby to mahogany colour, moderate beige head. Weak aroma but not unpleasant, hints of fruit and weak coffee. Fizzy mouthfeel, light bodied. The medium dry flavour has mild roasty notes, mild coffee and grain. Again: not unpleasant, but too little of everything. The 7% Scottish Stout is far better.

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

Cask halfpint at Old Blackfriars, Aberdeen. ABV was said to be 4.0%. Golden colour, white head. Malty aroma, some toffee. The flavour is fairly dry, hints of toffee, fairly distinct bittering hops, but hardly any fruitiness.

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

Cask conditioned at the 32nd Cambridge Beer Festival, as "Belhaven Classic Fruit Beer". Dark amber colour. Strong fruity aroma of blackcurrants, blackberries, boysenberries and maybe some redcurrants too. Flavour is extremely fruity, raspberry, blackberries and redcurrants abound. A tolerable maltiness and a decent hoppy finish makes this an above-average ale. From the ratings of the pasteurized and bottled version it seems apparent that the cask version is superior.

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

Cask half pint at The Grill, Aberdeen. 4.0% ABV. Deep golden to copper colour, white head. Very moderate aroma, some malts. Malty flavour, medium dry, with "dusty" and earthy hops. Fairly distinct and sharpish bittering hops in the finish.

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

Cask, as Old Blackfriars Ale, in the Old Blackfriars pub (Belhaven) in Aberdeen. ABV is 3.9%. Copper colour, white (or slightly off-white) head. Nice malty aroma, notes of toffee. Malty flavour, toffee and nuts, some dark fruits in the background.

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

Keg halfpint, as Belhaven Old Blackfriars Drookit Lager, in the Old Blackfriars pub (Belhaven) in Aberdeen. ABV is 4.0%. Golden colour, white head. Aroma and flavour of butterscotch, some bittering hops.

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

330 ml clear bottle, from Voldby Købmandsgård, Denmark. ABV is 4.1%. Mahogany coloured beer, large and creamy beige head. Nice malty aroma, with a moderate roastiness, notes of mild coffee and a touch of wood and ashes. The flavour is malty and sweet, with more caramel than roastiness, minimal hops. Not your typical stout, but nice enough.

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

500 ml bottle, as Belhaven Robert Burns Scottish Ale, bought in Denmark. ABV is 4.2%. Copper coloured beer, big and lasting off-white head. Predominantly malty aroma, but also some fruity hops and vinous notes, hints of berries, oak and honey. The flavour has notes of the same elements, but the hops are very moderate, and do not leave much bitterness for the aftertaste. Still a decent and very drinkable beer.

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

330 ml bottle, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. ABV is 5.2%. Beautiful clear copper colour, moderate head, slightly off-white. Pleasant malty aroma, notes of caramel, fresh bread and pastry, hints of dark berries. Malty flavour too, some caramel but not too sweet, very moderate earthy hops. A true Scottish Ale. Will buy again.

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

500 ml clear bottle, from Voldby Købmandsgård, Denmark. ABV is 7%. Black colour, large tan head. Roasty aroma with notes of coffee, hints of dark chocolate and woodwork, also an initial hint of fruity acidity. Fairly smooth mouthfeel. The flavour is medium sweet with notes of dark malts, coffee, chocolate and molasses. Some fruitiness too, but the bitterness is quite moderate. Pretty good stuff.

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

330 ml bottle, from Vinmonopolet, nettbutikken. ABV is 6.5%. Deep golden to copper colour, moderate white (or slightly off-white) head. Moderate aroma of malts, whisky, oak and vanilla. Medium sweet flavour of malts, caramel, toffee, fudge, whisky, oak, raisins and vanilla, some very moderate hops in the finish.

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

(500 ml bottle, now available in Norway). Colour is yellowish brown, good thick head. Aroma has first some fruity hops, then dusty malts. Flavour is malty with hints of caramel and dust. There is too much carbonation for my taste. OKish beer, but not remarkable.

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

500 ml bottle, now available in Norway (Vinmonopolet). The European version is 5.3% ABV, while the US version is 6.1% (the two versions need a split). Clear deep golden colour, moderate head. Very nice hoppy aroma (Cascade and Challenger), hints of toffee too. The flavour has a distinct hoppy bitterness throughout, but the moderate malty base has a tad too much sweetness for my taste, and I also get some "alcoholic" notes, despite only 5.3% ABV. Not very complex, but not bad either. Bitterness lingers in the long aftertaste.

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

500 ml clear bottle, from Voldby Købmandsgård. ABV is 6.5%. Drunk a bit too cold. Ruby colour, moderate off-white head. Nice malty aroma, notes of caramel and treacle, a hint of oak and mild spices. Malty and sweet flavour, low bitterness. Strong notes of caramel and treacle. Quite nice beer, if you want to satisfy your sweet tooth.

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

Shared bottle at local tasting, as Bell’s 25th Anniversary Ale. Hazy amber colour, low off-white head. Strong sweetish aroma, bordering on "sickly". Sweet and alcoholic flavour, also resinous hops. Not my favourite this one.