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

Bottle conditioned, 500 ml. ABV is 5.3%. Bought in Sweden at Systembolaget. BB date 23/Mar/11. Deep golden colour, big to moderate white head. Pleasant aroma of hops, wood and rum-raisin. Lovely flavour, very well balanced between a distinct malty and fruity sweetness and equally distinct hops. Just the right bitterness in the finish. Brilliant stuff.

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

500 ml bottle, Vintage 2010, bottle No. 036761, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 8.5%. Beautiful clear amber colour, large to moderate off-white head. Surprisingly moderate aroma, notes of "dusty" hops, some oaky and vinous notes in the background. The flavour is oaky and medium sweet, with hints of dark dried fruits, but also with distinct notes of Target and Goldings hops. Highly drinkable as it is now, but will no doubt mellow and mature with time.

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

500 ml bottle in cardboard box, as Fuller’s Brewer’s Reserve No. 2 Limited Edition Oak Aged Ale. Matured in Cognac casks. ABV is 8.2%. Will soon be available at Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. Bottle No. 01886. Copper colour, large off-white head. Fine vinous and oaky aroma, notes of cognac and old sherry, also notes of raisins and other dark dried fruits, some caramel. The flavour is distinctly oaky, with an initial slight acidity on the tip of the tongue. Notes of cognac, hints of dark dried fruits, chocolate and vanilla, but the beer is not too sweet. Moderately bitter finish. Good stuff!

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

750 ml capped bottle, Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. Brew #61, ABV is 9,5%. Hazy golden colour, huge white head. Very nice sweetish fruity and spicy aroma, typical notes of Belgian ale yeast. A hint of farmhouse too. The flavour is still fairly sweet (maybe too sweet), will probably benefit from a few years’ cellaring. Typical spicy and yeasty triple notes, some bitterness in the finish.

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

500 ml bottle, Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 7.3%. Amber to brown colour, large off-white head. Fruity aroma, notes of marmalade, also malts and caramel. The flavour is malty and fairly sweet, some fruity hops, but not nearly as much as you expect in an American inspired IPA. Not unpleasant in any way, it’s just the "IPA" label that leaves you slightly disappointed. Hopheads should look to Midtfyns Double IPA in stead.

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

500 ml bottle, Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 10.0%. Copper colour, large off-white head. Malty aroma, also strong notes of dark dried fruits and caramel, hints of oak. The fairly sweet flavour has notes of dark dried fruits, brown syrup and plenty of caramel, hints of oak. The bitterness is quite moderate, a little more wouldn’t hurt. Still a decent barleywine. I hate myself for not having some Blue Stilton cheese to go with it.

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

250 ml bottle conditioned, 2010 Vintage, will soon be available at Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 12.9%. Cloudy brown colour, minimal beige head, minimal carbonation. Intense and extremely malty and sweetish aroma, notes of oak, and molasses, hints of dark dried fruits. Warming mouthfeel. Intense flavour, strong notes of molasses, oak and extremely thick malt extract, also notes of cough syrup, liquorice and cigar tobacco. Some hoppy biterness in the finish. This a beer that probably requires 5 - 10 years’ cellaring to (hopefully) obtain a rounded and harmonious character. As "raw" as it is now, it is just too extreme.

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

On tap at Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. Orange to amber colour, moderate off-white head. Lovely aroma of American hops and brettanomyces / farmhouse. Nice flavour of fruity and resinous American hops, medium sweet with notes of caramelized orange marmalade, hints of brettanomyces in the background. Fairly bitter finish.

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

500 ml bottle, bought by my wife on the DFDS ferry Oslo - Copenhagen. ABV is 6.0%. Opaque black colour, big tan head. Nice aroma of liquorice (no surprise), moderately roasted malts and coffee, also distinct notes of smoke. The flavour has distinct notes of liquorice, but the beer is not too sweet. Also notes of moderately roasted malts and mild coffee, just a hint of smoke. A hint of chili in the finish. A quite nice and drinkable stout, but if you hate liquorice, this is obviously not the beer for you.

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

500 ml bottle, bought by my wife on the DFDS ferry Oslo - Copenhagen. ABV is 7.5%. Spiced with lemon balm, lavender, rosemary, juniper berries and anise. Deep copper to mahogany coloured beer, big off-white head. Spicy aroma, unfortunately anise (which is not my favourite herb) comes up front. Also hints of caramel malts. The flavour is also spicy and herbal, with moderate notes of caramel malts. Again the anise ruins much of the pleasure for me. This would be a better beer without it.

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

500 ml bottle, bought by my wife on the DFDS ferry Oslo - Copenhagen. ABV is 6.5%. Beautiful copper colour, big off-white to beige head. Fairly strong and nice aroma of malts, caramel, mild spices and Belgian ale yeast. Malty flavour, medium sweet, some caramel and dark dried fruits. Bland finish, minimal bitterness.

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

500 ml bottle, from Voldby Købmandsgård. ABV is 5.3%. Deep golden to amber colour, large head, slightly off-white. Moderate aroma of anise and rowanberry jelly, a hint of grassy hops and crystal malts. The flavour has also notes of anise (of which I am not a big fan), just a hint of rowanberries. Fairly dry, but with hints of crystal malts, and the hops are too moderate. I’m sorry, but this is not a beer that got me excited.

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

500 ml bottle, bought at Voldby Købmandsgård. ABV is 6.0%. Amber to copper colour, large off-white head. Nice fruity aroma (dark fruits/berries), also notes of caramel, brown kandij sugar and mild spices. Sweet and malty flavour with plenty of caramel and brown kandij sugar, also mild spicy notes. The bitterness is moderate, so the wormwood must have been use sparingly. Nice enough to drink.

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

500 ml bottle, bought by my wife on the DFDS ferry Oslo - Copenhagen. ABV is 6.3%. Unfiltered and unpasteurised. Brewed with Maris Otter malts, hop varieties unknown. Golden colour, large white head. Aroma of sweetish malts and grassy hops. The medium sweet flavour has strong notes of grassy hops, with a distinct and sharpish bitterness in the finish. Not much complexity here. Drinkable, but this is no match for first class American IPAs - nor for the best (real) English IPAs. Wouldn't buy again.

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

500 ml bottle conditioned, from Selfridge’s food store, London. ABV is 5%. Cloudy amber colour, large white head. Nice aroma and flavour of piney, resinous and grapefruity American hops throughout. Medium sweet, good bitterness in the finish. Quite enjoyable.

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

500 ml bottle conditioned, from Selfridge’s food store, London. ABV is 4.8%. Clear golden / yellow colour (not clouded at all), large white head. Fairly strong and nice aroma of grassy and herbal hops, also spices. The flavour is spicy and herbal, but not overdone - still quite interesting. Fairly light bodied and easy drinking.

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

500 ml bottle, from Voldby Købmandsgård. ABV is 5.2%. Some sediment in the bottle. Deep golden to orange colour, hazy when the yeast is poured in. Large cream-coloured head. Nice aroma of fruity and resinous hops, hints of elderflowers and caramel. The flavour is medium sweet and fairly refreshing, some caramel and hints of orange marmalade, moderate resinous hops, hints of elderflowers. Decent beer.

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

500 ml can, from Voldby Købmandsgård. ABV is 5.0%. Ascorbic acid is an ingredient. Brown colour, large off-white head. Strong aroma of over-ripe bananas and cloves. The flavour has moderate notes of brown malts, banana and cloves. Minimal bitterness (a little more wouldn’t hurt, even in a dunkelweizen).

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

750 ml corked and wired bottle, from Vaaland, Bryne. Batch #46. ABV is 4.7%. 11.2 degrees P, 15 IBU. Pale yellow colour, slightly hazy, huge white head. Nice and typical witbier aroma of coriander, orange peel and Belgian ale yeast. The flavour is spicy (coriander) with hints of citrus, strong notes of Belgian ale yeast.

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

500 ml bottle, from Selfridge’s food store, London. ABV is 4.6%. Brown to copper colour, large off-white head. Aroma of malts, toffee and caramel. The flavour is medium sweet and malty with toffee, caramel and a little fruit. A sharpish hoppy bite in the finish.

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

500 ml bottle, from Selfridge’s food store, London. ABV is 5.5%. Very dark brown colour, large to moderate beige head. Nice malty aroma and flavour, notes of caramel, dark dried fruits and nuts, hints of chocolate. Rich mouthfeel. Moderate but noticeable hops in the finish. Well balanced and very enjoyable.

Aroma: 10 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

330 ml bottle conditioned, bought at The Cheese & Wine Shop, Darlington. ABV is 7.7%. Pitch black colour, big to moderate brown head. Roasty aroma with strong notes of coffee, hints of liquorice and ashes. The flavour is roasty and quite dry, again strong notes of coffee, hints of liquorice and dark bitter chocolate. Good stuff.

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

250 ml bottle, from Selfridge’s food store, London. ABV is 5%. Hazy straw coloured beer, huge white head. Typical witbier aroma of wheat, citrus and coriander. The flavour is also wheaty and very refreshing, but the citrus and coriander elements are quite moderate. Low bitterness.

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

Sample from keg, courtesy of the brewery. Amber colour, moderate head. Distinct aroma and flavour of Citra hops, with the expected notes of citrus fruit, but also more complexity and better balance than you expect from a single hop ale. Nøgne Ø should make this a permanent brew IMO.

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.