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

On tap at Cardinal, Stavanger. ABV is 11.4%. Black colour, minimal tan head. Aroma of roast malts, raspberries and vanilla. Sweet flavour, notes of chocolate, raspberries and vanilla. What the heck are raspberries doing in a stout?

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

On tap at Cardinal, Stavanger. Hazy golden colour, large white head. Aroma and flavour of citrus, tropical fruits and yellow stonefruits, not too sweet, soft mouthfeel, low bitterness. Good beer.

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

On tap at Cardinal, Stavanger. Hazy ancient pink to red colour, small off-white head. Aroma of redcurrants, over-ripe raspberries and blackcurrants, also lactic acid. Fairly refreshing flavour of said berries, also tropical fruits, some lactic acid, a hint of salt.

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

On tap at Cardinal, Stavanger. Black colour, small tan head. Aroma of roast malts, coffee, dark chocolate, a hint of liquorice. Dry flavour with the same elements as the aroma, moderate and well balanced bittering hops. Straight up indeed, and moreish. Simply a good beer.

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

330 ml can, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. ABV is 6.5%. Nearly clear golden colour, large to moderate white head. Moderate aroma of piney and fruity hops. The flavour has sufficient malts but is not too sweet, with moderate piney and orangey hops, fairly bitter aftertaste.

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

Jan. 2016: 750 ml capped and corked green bottle with yellow foil, Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 6.0%. Golden colour, pours very effervescent with a large white head that soon dies out. Lovely and intense aroma of cowshed, horse stable, farmhouse kitchen, oak and old gooseberry jam, hints of white wine vinegar and over-ripe peaches. Sour, tart and moderately astringent dry flavour, notes of brettanomyces and oak, hints of over-ripe lemons and white wine vinegar. Impressive stuff.

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

March 2013: 250 ml bottle, from Voldby Købmandsgård, Denmark. ABV is 3.5%. Dark red colour, moderate pink head. Intense aroma of blackcurrant juice. Intensely sweet and sour flavour, with loads of sweetened blackcurrant juice. A beer to be had with a fruit dessert, perhaps. You really have to be partial to blackcurrants to drink more than one bottle. I know some people like to mix this in a porter. I haven’t tried that, but it might work.

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

June 2018: Shared 750 ml bottle, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. ABV is 6%. Deep golden colour, small white head. Strong floral (elderflower) and farmhouse aroma, a hint of catpiss. Elderflower and brettanomyces flavour, medium sour.

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

April 2018: 375 ml capped & corked green bottle, from Gulating Ølutsalg, Stavanger. ABV is 3.5%. Deep golden colour, moderate white head. Aroma of apples and artificial "apple" candy. Very sweet flavour, apples and apple candy galore. I'd prefer a decent cider, if you please. Might be better with ice cubes. Won't buy again.

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

750 ml bottle, shared with my son, from Vinmonopolet Stavanger Verksgata. ABV is 8%. Golden colour, large white head. Lovely aroma of farmhouse / brettanomyces, aged white wine, oak and lemons. Moderate carbonation in the glass. Medium sour flavour of brettanomyces and oak.

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

440 ml can, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. ABV is 6%. Nearly clear golden colour, moderate white head. Aroma of spicy Belgian ale yeast, some fruit and hay. Spicy flavour with a distinct bitterness in the finish.

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

330 ml can, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. ABV is 10%. Black colour, large tan head. Aroma of roast malts, brown sugar, almond oil, lactose, vanilla, a hint of oranges. Very sweet flavour, with the same elements as the aroma, also a hint of pine needles. Warming alcohol throatfeel.

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

440 ml can, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. ABV is 10%. Nearly clear golden colour, moderate white head. Aroma of piney hops, hints of orange marmalade. Medium sweet flavour, distinct notes of piney hops throughout, also hints of orange marmalade, a solid bitterness in the finish, still fairly well balanced. Might well buy again.

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

750 ml clear bottle, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. ABV is 7.1%. Shared with my son. Slightly hazy orange colour. Pours sparkling with a shortlived white head. Aroma and flavour of cider apples, distinct tannins, fairly dry.

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

440 ml can, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. ABV is 8.8%. Shared with my son. Hazy golden colour, moderate white head. Aroma of citrus, tropical fruits and yellow stonefruits, hints of sprucetips. Medium sweet flavour with the same elements as the aroma, moderate to low bitterness. Good beer.

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

750 ml clear bottle, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. Imported to Norway by Holst Wines. ABV is 7%. Slightly hazy golden colour, pours moderately sparkling with a shortlived white head. Aroma and flavour of cider apples, some tannins.

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

July 2017: On tap at Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. Cloudy deep yellow to orange colour, large to moderate white head. Aroma of tangerine, hints of spruce. The flavour is mid between dry and sweet, with fruity notes of tangerine, but also solid piney hops. Bitter finish. Good beer.

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

440 ml can, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. ABV is 8%. Very cloudy / opaque orange colour, large to moderate off-white head with an orangey hue. Intense aroma of tangerine, and nothing else. Sweet flavour of tangerine juice, and tangerine zest. Nothing here to remind you that this is a beer.

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

440 ml can, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. ABV is 6.0%. Hazy dirty yellow colour, large white head. Aroma of yellow stonefruits, some citrus and hints of sweet red peppers (paprika). The flavour has the same elements as the aroma, low bitterness.

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

330 ml can, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. ABV is 6%, IBU 28. Hazy yellow colour, moderate white head. Aroma and flavour of citrus, yellow stonefruits, tropical fruits, sprucetips and pine needles. Decent bitterness. Very good beer.

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

500 ml test bottle from the brewery. Batch #9, ABV is 4.7%. Slightly hazy and pale golden colour, huge white head. Nice aroma with distinct notes of cloves, hints of cinnamon and banana. Refreshing flavour with cloves and citrus, hints of banana. Light bodied. Okay.

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

500 ml bottle, ABV 4.5%, from Rema 1000, Mandal. Beautiful amber colour, large off-white head. Nice aroma of citrussy and piney hops. Citric mouthfeel. The flavour has some notes of "raw" homebrew, also piney and grapefruity hops.

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

Shared 500 ml bottle. Golden colour, low white head. Piney hops in the aroma. Smooth flavour and mouthfeel for an IPA, tolerably well hopped but far from extreme.

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

Shared 500 ml bottle. Very dark brown colour, nearly black. Large beige head. Sweetish aroma with moderately roasted malts, hints of liquorice. Medium sweet flavour too, again with some liquorice, nice enough to drink, but lacks the heavy roastiness and bittering hops you expect from something called an "imperial stout".

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

Rerate, 500 ml bottle, as Nua Svart Jul Porter, vintage 2019, batch #137, from Vinmonopolet Lyngdal. ABV is 6.5%. Black colour, large beige head. Aroma of dark malts, chocolate and coffee, hints of aquavit spices. Slightly sweet flavour with the same elements as the aroma. Very moderate hops. I'm upping the score quite a bit. Original rating: Shared 500 ml gusher bottle, from 2017. Brown colour, off-white head. Malty aroma and flavour, some caramel, fairly distinct hops for a bock, but probably not as fresh as it should be.