Beer Reviews by SIGMUND

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# Beer Origin Style Score Date
5001 Hopf Weisser Bock Germany Weizenbock 3.7

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

Bottle, RBNAG 2009 in Vatlandsvåg. ABV was 7%. Deep golden colour, big white head. Lovely and intense aroma of cloves and very ripe bananas. The flavour is yeasty and relatively sweet with notes of cloves, some hops in the finish.

Jan 1, 2010
12:00:00 PM
5002 Mühlen Kölsch Germany Kölsch 2.7

Aroma: 5 | Appearance: 4 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 6

Bottle, as Mühlen Kölsch, RBNAG 2009 in Vatlandsvåg, thanks to Gunnar. Golden colour, low head. Boring grainy and dusty aroma. Fizzy mouthfeel. Fairly dry pilsener-like flavour with a noticeable hoppy bitterness.

Jan 1, 2010
12:00:00 PM
5003 Schreckenskammer Wirtz Kölsch Germany Kölsch 2.9

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

500 ml bottle. as Schreckenskammer Wirtz, 4.8% ABV, at RBNAG 2009 in Vatlandsvåg, thanks to Gunnar. Golden colour, low head. Grainy, herbal and slightly spicy aroma. Fairly well balanced pilsener-like flavour, easy drinking, with a slight fruitiness and herbal hints, acceptable hoppy bitterness.

Jan 1, 2010
12:00:00 PM
5004 Karlovacko Croatia Pale Lager 2.6

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

330 ml can, at RBNAG 2009 in Vatlandsvåg, ABV 5.4%. Pale golden colour, low head. Sweetish fruity aroma, hints of butterscotch, not unpleasant. Fairly bland flavour, but not unpleasant, easy drinking.

Jan 1, 2010
12:00:00 PM
5005 Bere Timisoreana Romania Pale Lager 1.9

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

500 ml can, at RBNAG 2009 in Vatlandsvåg, ABV 5%. Pale golden colour, low head. Sweetish aroma, notes of malt sugar and maize. Bland flavour, very moderate "dusty" and slightly metallic hops in the finish.

Jan 1, 2010
12:00:00 PM
5006 Ölvisholt Skjálfti Iceland Lager 3.4

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

Bottle, under Danish name "Skælv", at RBNAG 2009 in Vatlandsvåg, ABV 5%. Deep golden colour, low head. Pleasant aroma of grapefruity American(?) hops and caramel. Fairly rich mouthfeel for a golden lager. The flavour has crystal malts and some caramel, noticeable American hops, but is not very bitter.

Jan 1, 2010
12:00:00 PM
5007 Civale Alica Italy Blonde Ale 3.5

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

Bottle, ABV 4.7%, at RBNAG 2009 in Vatlandsvåg, thanks to KnutAlbert. Cloudy golden/blonde colour, moderate head. Pleasant aroma of Belgian yeast with a mild spiciness, and an inviting fruitiness. Zesty mouthfeel. The flavour has also pleasant notes of mild spices, fruity in the middle, slightly peppery and moderately hoppy finish.

Jan 1, 2010
12:00:00 PM
5008 Lady Beer La Bionda Italy Blonde Ale 3.4

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

Bottle, at RBNAG 2009 in Vatlandsvåg, thanks to my beer pal Olav. Golden colour, low head. The aroma has notes of Belgian yeast, hints of citrus and spices. Moderate carbonation, soft mouthfeel. The flavour is moderately fruity and spicy, very moderate hoppy bitterness in the finish.

Jan 1, 2010
12:00:00 PM
5009 Lady Beer La Rossa Italy Amber Ale 3.5

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

Bottle, at RBNAG 2009 in Vatlandsvåg, thanks to my beer pal Olav. Deep sherry-like colour, moderate head. The flavour has notes of caramel but is otherwise fairly dry, moderate hops and hints of burnt caramel in the finish. The mouthfeel is a bit watery.

Jan 1, 2010
12:00:00 PM
5010 Aspall Classic Organic Suffolk Cyder United Kingdom Cider 3.2

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

500 ml bottle, as Aspall Classic Organic Suffolk Cyder. ABV is 7.0%. Pours very fizzy with a big but very short-lived head. Moderate carbonation in the glass. Nice aroma of cider apples, hints of oak and sulphur. The flavour is crisp and dry, cider apples of course, again with notes of oak and sulphur. Probably best with food.

Dec 13, 2009
12:00:00 PM
5011 Aspall Peronelles Blush United Kingdom Cider 3.6

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

500 ml bottle, as "Aspall Peronnelle’s Blush Suffolk Cyder with a dash of blackberry liqueur". ABV is 5.4%. Rosé wine colour, pours very fizzy with a big but short-lived white head with a pinkish hue. Moderate carbonation in the glass. Pleasant aroma of apples and blackberries. Beguiling flavour of cider apples and blackberries, hints of oak and sulphur. Just the right sweetness and acidity (both moderate). Nice one.

Dec 13, 2009
12:00:00 PM
5012 Aspall Premier Cru Suffolk Cider United Kingdom Cider 3.2

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

500 ml bottle, as Aspall Dry Premier Cru Suffolk Cyder. ABV is 7%. Crystal clear and extremely pale yellow colour, pours very fizzy with a big but short-lived head. Moderate carbonation in the glass. Moderate aroma of apples and vegetables, hints of sulphur. The flavour is crisp and dry, hints of oak and sulphur. Okay.

Dec 13, 2009
12:00:00 PM
5013 Valhalla Auld Rock United Kingdom Scottish Ale 3.8

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.

Dec 13, 2009
12:00:00 PM
5014 Valhalla Sjolmet Stout United Kingdom Stout 3.4

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

500 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 5.0%. All bottled beers from this brewery are filtered to remove all remaining yeast (but possibly not pasteurised?). Very dark brown colour, nearly black. Low beige head of poor retention. Nice aroma and flavour of roasted malts, notes of dark chocolate and mild coffee. Fairly dry, a slight acidity in the finish. A decent enough stout, but not so very special.

Dec 13, 2009
12:00:00 PM
5015 Aspall Draught Suffolk Cyder United Kingdom Cider 3.4

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

500 ml bottle, ABV 5.5%. Crystal clear very pale yellow colour, pours sparkling with a very short-lived head. Fresh and pleasant aroma of cider apples, hints of oak and and sulphur. Crisp and dry flavour, cider apples of course, again notes of oak and sulphur, but not too much. Nice one.

Dec 12, 2009
12:00:00 PM
5016 Ægir Harvest Ale Norway American Pale Ale 3.5

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

On tap at Ølmessen Nærbø, and Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 6.0%. Amber coloured beer, low head. Aroma of moderate fruity American hops - on the second tasting I also found aroma elements of Belgian saison yeast, maybe just my imagination, because I was misinformed about the yeast used here (no saison yeast has actually been used, only Ægir’s normal California ale yeast). The flavour is distinctly hoppy throughout (American hops again, Columbus if I remember correctly), but there are also some faint hints of farmhouse. A quite nice autumn beer.

Oct 31, 2009
12:00:00 PM
5017 Berentsens Oktober Festival Pils Norway Pale Lager 2.5

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 5 | Mouthfeel: 4 | Flavor: 5 | Overall: 5

On tap (1-liter "mass") at Nærbø Oktoberfestival. Golden colour, moderate head. Moderate aroma of pilsener malts. Fairly high level of carbonation, fizzy mouthfeel. Moderate pale lager flavour, no offensive sidenotes, but very little to excite you either. Minimal hops. Boring.

Oct 31, 2009
12:00:00 PM
5018 Søgaard Stout Noire Denmark Stout 4.1

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

500 ml bottle, at the Dalane Brygghus restaurant in Egersund. ABV is 6.3%. Includes some peat smoked malts. Some sediment in the bottle. Black colour, big tan head - good looking. Aroma of liquorice, chocolate and coffee. Roasty flavour with notes of peat smoke, English liquorice, tar and coffee. Good stuff!

Oct 23, 2009
07:54:23 PM
5019 CB 150 Jubileumsøl Norway Vienna / Amber Lager 2.9

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

500 ml can, bought at Vaaland Spesialbutikken, Bryne. ABV is 4.5%. Deep golden to amber colour, big head, slightly off-white. Very moderate aroma, slightly malty, nutty and dusty, hints of caramel. Flavour of a standard lager with some extra caramel malts added, the "dusty" malts dominate the flavour but the beer is not very sweet, fairly dry finish. Moderate hops in the aftertaste. Definitely drinkable, but CB could have come up with something more exciting for their 150th anniversary.

Oct 22, 2009
08:09:22 PM
5020 Efes Dark Turkey Dunkel / Dark Lager 2.7

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 4 | Mouthfeel: 5 | Flavor: 5 | Overall: 5

330 ml clear bottle, brought home from Turkey by my wife. ABV is 6.1%. Dark reddish brown colour, big greyish beige head. Smells "thin" and metallic, also notes of cooked vegetables and wet cardboard. The flavour is first tolerably malty with notes of brown bread and some caramel, without being very sweet. Some fruity acidity in the middle. Dull finish, minimal hops. Clearly drinkable, but boring. Don’t expect to find anything much better than this in Turkey, though.

Oct 22, 2009
02:49:22 PM
5021 Nøgne Ø Imperial Stout Highland Edition Norway Imperial Stout 4.7

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

500 ml unlabelled bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. Pitch black colour, big chocolate brown head. Lovely aroma of whisky barrel (possibly used for sherry before whisky?), but the whisky elements are not overdone - also notes of chocolate, dark dried fruits, vanilla and coffee. Full and rich mouthfeel. The flavour has a pronounced malty sweetness and well balanced roastiness, again notes of oak, sherry, dark dried fruits, vanilla and coffee - also moderate notes of tar. An excellent example of how good oak aged impy stouts can be, when the balance is just right.

Oct 20, 2009
05:01:20 PM
5022 Nøgne Ø God Jul Islay Edition Norway Strong Ale 3.9

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

500 ml unlabelled bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. Very dark brown colour, nearly black. Big to moderate tan head. Intense peaty / smoky aroma of Islay malt whisky, also notes of tar and salty sea air, hints of vanilla and liquorice. The flavour is dominated by an overwhelming peatiness and smokiness, too much actually, as the original qualities of God Jul are kind of blocked out. Hints of tar, vanilla and liquorice again. Definitely interesting, but requires that you really like Islay whisky.

Oct 19, 2009
05:10:19 PM
5023 Williams Brothers Midnight Sun United Kingdom Porter 4.1

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

500 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 5.6%. Black colour, big to moderate tan head. Nice roasted aroma, notes of dark chocolate and coffee. The flavour is distinctly roasty throughout, notes of coffee, hints of dark bitter chocolate. The finish is fairly bitter, both from the hops and the roasted barley. The finish also has a slight spicy "burn", but I am not sure I would identify it as ginger, if I hadn't read it on the label. Hints of resin in the aftertaste. All in all a very enjoyable beer.

Oct 12, 2009
04:23:12 PM
5024 Williams Brothers 80/- (80 Shilling) United Kingdom Scottish Ale 3.8

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

500 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger ABV is 4.2%. Chestnut coloured beer, big to moderate creamy beige head. Moderate aroma of malts, nuts and biscuits, hints of caramel and chocolate. Distinctly malty flavour, probably some caramel malts and chocolate malts have been used here, but the beer is not very sweet. Some fruit and moderate hops in the finish. Definitely a "Scottish Ale" rather than a "Bitter" - you won’t find many English bitters with this character these days, methinks.

Oct 11, 2009
08:04:11 PM
5025 Williams Brothers Joker 5 United Kingdom IPA 3.9

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

500 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger, as Joker IPA, green label. ABV is 5%. Golden colour, big white head. Nice aroma of fruity hops, citrussy and grassy notes, hints of mild spices and herbs. The flavour is fruity with an initial sweetness and noticeable hops throughout, moderate bitterness in the finish and aftertaste. Not quite what Americans would think of as an IPA, but a fairly well hopped premium bitter / golden ale all the same. Nice one. Would buy again.

Oct 11, 2009
03:42:11 PM