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

Ex Vaux beer, now brewed by Robinsons for "The Double Maxim Beer Company Sunderland", website www.dmbc.co.uk . 550 ml bottle, straight from the fridge (= served too cold) at The Shipwrights, North Hylton, Sunderland. Deep brown colour, darker than Newcastle Brown. Decent head. Malty and nutty aroma and flavour, hints of toffee, low bitterness. Fuller flavour than NBA, but not remarkable.

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

Cask conditioned at The Cricketers, Ipswich. This beer is brewed with organic hops and malts. Colour is golden, slightly hazy. Moderate hoppy/fruity aroma. Relatively light bodied, grapefruity hoppy bitterness from start to finish. Nice.

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

Bottle, at RBESG 2007 in Glasgow, Grand Tasting. Black colour, ruby in the highlights, brown head. Malty and roasty aroma, hints of tobacco and liquorice. Sweet, malty and roasty flavour, quite nice.

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

330 ml can, as Dragur Bragda Blonde Ale, from Gulating Ølutsalg, Stavanger. Now being brewed at Berentsens Brygghus, not Arendals Bryggeri. ABV is 4.7%. Clear golden colour, moderate to small white head. Grassy and herbal aroma. Medium dry herbal flavour, notes of "spicy" Belgian ale yeast. Refreshing.

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

330 ml can, from Gulating Ølutsalg, Stavanger. ABV is 4.7%. Contract brewed for Dragur at Berentsens Brygghus. Beautiful clear chestnut colour, moderate beige head. Aroma and flavour of malts, caramel and brown bread. Minimal bitterness.

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

330 ml can, as Dragur Mykr Brown Ale, from Gulating ølutsalg, Stavanger. ABV is 4.7%, IBU 23. Brewed for Dragur by Berentsens Brygghus. Mahogany colour, moderate to small off-white head. Aroma of chocolate, caramel, brittle, brown malts and brown bread. Moderate carbonation. Flavour of caramel malts and brown malts, also brown bread, not too sweet. The hops are too moderate, even for a brown ale.

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

October 2019: 330 ml bottle, from Bris Ølutsalg, Jørpeland. ABV is 4.7%. Black colour, small tan head. Aroma of roast malts and burnt breadcrumbs, a hint of liquorice. Flavour of roast malts, lactose and mild coffee, hints of chocolate, liquorice, prunes and burnt breadcrumbs. Moderate hops. Easy drinking. Okay.

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

June 2021: 500 ml bottle, Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 4.7%. Moderately hazy golden colour, moderate white head. Aroma of fresh bread, hints of newmown grass and yellow plums. Refreshing flavour, medium dry, hints of bread and yellow plums again, moderate herbal hops in the finish.

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

330 ml bottle, as Drum Brew The Gathering Stout, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. ABV is 7.5%. Black colour, moderate to small tan head. Aroma of roast malts, caramel, mild coffee, chocolate, liquorice and fennel. Medium sweet flavour, with the same elements. Moderate hops.

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

On tap at Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. Hazy golden colour, moderate head, nice lacing. Pleasant aroma of coriander, citrus and Belgian witbier yeast. The flavour has notes of coriander and also cloves, and is distinctly citrussy throughout. A nice and refreshing witbier.

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

On tap at the Brewery International stand, Smak 09. ABV is 5.2%. Golden colour, low head. Butterscotch in both aroma and flavour. Drinkable, but boring contract brewed pale lager.

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

Draught at Den Tatoverede Enke, Copenhagen. Hazy golden / amber colour, decent head. Not very exciting aroma, just some faint notes of malts, hay and apples. Flavour has some malty sweetness and weak spices. Rather alcoholic. This is no masterpiece to offer a real Norwegian troll - and I should know what I’m talking about!

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

750 ml stylish "champagne" bottle, Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. Amber to brown colour, large cream-coloured head. Nice vinous aroma, notes of oak and "fruits of the forest", hints of farmhouse. Vinous, oaky and well balanced flavour with moderate but sufficient hops. Extremely drinkable for its strength.

Aroma: 10 | Appearance: 10 | Mouthfeel: 9 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 9

(250 ml bottle). Pours with a large thick head, colour is copper. Intense aroma of red fruits, red wine vinegar and horse stable. Lovely sour flavour of fruits, notes of spices. Aftertaste says "more, more!". A great beer.

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

(500 ml bottle, bought in Denmark). Amber colour, moderate head. Lovely hoppy aroma, hints of heather, tobacco and spices. Flavour is nutty and biscuity, a hint of toffee but not really sweet, good bitterness which lingers in the aftertaste. Very nice.

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

500 ml bottle, as Duchy Originals Organic Select Ale, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. Also available in Norway at Vinmonopolet. ABV is 6.2%. Clear and deep amber colour, moderate off-white head. Fairly strong and sweetish aroma with vinous and fruity notes (dates, figs), also notes of malts, pastry and caramel. The mouthfeel is fairly rich and full. The flavour is malty but not very sweet, earthy notes, some toffee and caramel, with fruity hops in the finish, leaving a decent bitterness in the aftertaste. Not bad at all.

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

330 ml can, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. ABV is 6.5%. Opaque yellow colour, moderate to small white head. Lovely aroma of various citrus fruits and tropical fruits, hints of sprucetips. The flavour is citric but not too sweet, hints of yellow stonefruits and tropical fruits, weak piney notes, dull finish.

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

500 ml bottle, as "Duckstein Rotblondes Oberbräu", bought at KaDeWe, Berlin. Seems to be brewed at Holsten Brauerei, Hamburg (my bottle), as well as Feldschlösschen Braunschweig (both Carlsberg owned). Amber colour, large and lasting off-white head, some lacing. Caramel aroma with some flowery aromatic hops, notes of brown bread too. Moderate carbonation, soft malty flavour wth some brown bread notes, decent hops in the finish. Pleasant and easy drinking "altbier" (well, it’s top fermented, and it’s German).

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 5 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

500 ml bottle, bought at KaDeWe, Berlin. Murky brown colour, large off-white head (but relatively moderate for a hefeweizen), does not last "forever". Moderate carbonation. Lovely cloves and banana aroma, hints of dried fruits, oak and fresh brown bread. Flavour is bready and fairly dry, moderate notes of cloves, mouthfeel is relatively watery and bland. Does not quite deliver what the aroma promises. Probably better with food than on its own.

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

330 ml bottle, unfiltered and unpasteurised, at Universitetsbaren, Aarhus. ABV was 7.6%. Served in a Hoegaarden Grand Cru glass. Black colour, big to moderate brown head. The aroma is first fairly fruity for an impy stout, notes of prunes. Also roasty with notes of coffee, dark chocolate and liquorice, hints of tar and smoke. The flavour is roasty with notes of coffee and liquorice. Tar and smoke in the finish. Distinct bitterness, but not extreme for an impy stout. Smoke, coffee and bitter hops in the long aftertaste.

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

330 ml bottle, brewed by Eschweger, ABV in Norway is 4.7%. Bought at MENY Stadionparken. Crystal clear extremely pale yellow colour, big white head. Grainy aroma of unhopped pilsener wort and boiled vegetables, not good. Sweet and sugary flavour, hardly any bitterness. What a stupid idea - brewing a purposely shitty American Standard pale lager in Europe, just because Homer Simpson would have liked it ... Taste is nothing, marketing is everything.

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

500 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 11%. Deep golden colour, slightly hazy / honeyish, with a big off-white head. Very nice aroma of juniper, heather honey and hops. The mouthfeel is rich, warming and alcoholic. The flavour has loads of honey (too much) and malty sweetness. Notes of juniper too, very moderate bitterness. Interesting, but too sweet. A fairly nice sipping beer all the same.

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

June 2016: 330 ml bottle, from Vinmonopolet. ABV is 7.0%. BB date 08.11.2013. Lumpy sediment in the bottle. Cloudy and very dark brown colour, moderate beige head. Pleasant aroma of chocolate, cocoa and mild coffee, hints of vanilla. The flavour is fresh and slightly fruity, fairly dry, again with notes of chocolate / cocoa, hints of vanilla and a whiff of smoke, moderate hops in the finish.

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

330 ml can, at Cardinal, Stavanger. ABV is 4.2%. Hazy yellow to orange colour, moderate white head. Pleasant hoppy aroma: citrus, tropical fruits, sprucetips, mild spices. Decent mouthfeel for its ABV. The flavour has the same elements as the aroma, moderate bitterness.

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

From the tank at the brewery, RBESG 2006. Deep golden colour, slightly hazy, low head. Moderate hoppy aroma with grapefruity notes. Mouthfeel is slightly watery. Hoppy flavour with a peppery finish. Dry.