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

500 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 4.0%. Deep golden to amber colour, big to moderate and slightly off-white lasting head. Moderate aroma of malts with some herbal and spicy notes (probably from the First Gold hops), hints of orange marmalade and caramel. The flavour has moderate malts with some notes of caramel, and fairly nice spicy and herbal hops again. Moderately bitter aftertaste.

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 3 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 5 | Overall: 4

500 ml yellow can, from REMA 1000, ABV is 4.7%. Crystal clear very pale yellow colour, big to moderate white head. Moderate carbonation in the glass. Sweetish aroma with notes of boiled vegetables and maize grit, hints of artificial candy and citrus. Soft mouthfeel. The flavour is fairly fresh with moderate notes of pilsener malts, weak hints of citrus. Very moderate hops in the finish. Not undrinkable.

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

500 ml bottle, kindly brought home from Copenhagen by my wife. Brew #199, ABV is 5.9%. Hazy deep golden colour, huge white (slightly off-white?) head. Lovely fruity aroma of Amarillo hops, notes of citrus, hints of resin and tropical fruits. The zesty flavour has distinct and fruity Amarillo hops from start to finish, on a decent malty background - well balanced. Not too sweet. Moderate but sufficient bitterness. A pleasant drop.

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

500 ml bottle, kindly brought home from Copenhagen by my wife. Brew #208, ABV is 5.7%. Cloudy golden colour, big white head. The aroma has the typical hefeweizen notes of banana and cloves, also notes of other undefined spices, and some less pleasant notes of rotting fruits. Typical hefeweizen flavour, zesty, fruity and refreshing with notes of cloves and banana, noticeable hops in the finish.

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 2 | Mouthfeel: 3 | Flavor: 3 | Overall: 3

330 ml clear bottle, bought at ICA Middelthon, Stavanger. ABV is 0,0%. Pale golden colour, big white head. Moderate carbonation in the glass. First a fresh "skunky" whiff, then the usual n/a beer aroma of over-boiled vegetables, maize grit and baby porridge. The mouthfeel is watery and soft, the flavour is fairly dry with a hint of citrus, moderate and slightly metallic hops in the finish. Not completely undrinkable.

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

500 ml bottle, kindly brought home from Copenhagen by my wife. Brew #213, ABV is now 7.5%. Hazy golden colour, big white head. Strong sweetish and "perfumed" aroma, "wheaty" notes (despite wheat not being one of the ingredients), notes of bananas and citrussy hops (Cascade), hints of spices. The flavour is sweet and fruity, again with hints of spices, alcohol is noticeable. A moderate but distinct hoppy / grapefruity bitterness in the finish. Okay.

Aroma: 10 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 9 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 8

500 ml bottle, kindly brought home from Copenhagen by my wife. Brew #201, ABV is 7.0%. Black colour, huge chocolate brown creamy head. Very nice roasted aroma, dark malts, chocolate, coffee. Hints of dark dried fruits as the beer warms up. Creamy mouthfeel. The flavour has distinct notes of coffee and roasted malts, also notes of chocolate and English liquorice, with a firm roasty and hoppy bitterness in the finish. Good stuff!

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

750 ml "champagne" bottle, from Vinmonopolet (bestillingsutvalget). ABV is 11%. Pale yellow colour, slightly hazy, big white head. The aroma is yeasty and spicy, hints of fermenting fruits and horse blanket - good, but not as great as I expected. The flavour is moderately sweet, certainly not "brut", notes of white candi sugar and spices, with noticeable alcohol. Moderate hops. Again: good, but I hoped for more complexity. Probably worth the price in Belgium, but not in Norway (NOK 219).

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

500 ml bottle, batch #195, from Vinmonopolet. ABV is 11.0%. Pitch black colour, one of the darkest beers I’ve ever seen. Chocolate brown medium-sized creamy head, does not last forever. Unusual aroma of dark malts, coffee, chocolate, liquorice, prunes - some vinous notes too. The mouthfeel is first surprisingly light for such a strong and dark beer, probably due to the acidity. The flavour is very acidic and lemony, which is crashing completely with the other flavour elements: smoke, tar, coffee, liquorice. I’m sorry, but adding wild yeast to this brew was not a good idea. Without the wild yeast it would have been a great beer, now it’s too much on the weird side. Nice try, but won’t buy again.

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

500 ml bottle, from Vinmonopolet. ABV is 5.1%. "Naturtrüb und ungefiltert". Like all Pinkus beers, it is organic. Pale golden colour, big and lasting white head. Moderate carbonation in the glass. Fairly unremarkable but not unpleasant sweetish aroma, hints of flowery hops and honey. Soft mouthfeel. The flavour is delicate and tender, with a neat balance between the malts and hops. No "flavour bomb", but still much better than most of the industrial "fizzy and yellow" stuff.

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

330 ml bottle (Vinmonopolet, bestillingsutvalget), ABV is 8.0%. Ingredients include maize and sugar. Pale golden colour, slightly hazy, huge white head. Lovely complex fruity, sweetish and spicy aroma - fruitiness both from the yeast and the hops. The flavour is sweet and spicy with yeasty and fruity notes, and a distinct hoppy bitterness in the finish. High level of carbonation. Alcohol is noticeable.

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

500 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & bar, Stavanger. Also available at Vinmonopolet. Organic, ABV is 5.0%. Dark reddish brown colour, big and lasting beige head. Distinct rustic aroma of roasted malts, bakery and coffee, hints of liquorice. Very "lagerish" mouthfeel (well, this IS a lager beer), a bit watery. The flavour is fairly bland for a schwarzbier, some roasted notes, very little residual sweetness, too modest hops. Improves a little as the beer warms up, the malts come through. Drinkable? Yes. Will I buy again? Perhaps, but not very likely - there are better beers available both at Cardinal and Vinmonopolet now.

Aroma: 4 | Appearance: 2 | Mouthfeel: 3 | Flavor: 2 | Overall: 2

500 ml can. Pale golden colour, fizzy shortlived head. Moderate carbonation in the glass. Sweetish unpleasant aroma of artificial candy / pear drops. The flavour is "empty", not very sweet - but the little sweetness there is, actually constitutes most of the flavour. Pear drops in the finish. Hardly any hops. Even for a Lite-beer, this is really bad!

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

375 ml green "champagne" bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 12.0%. Cloudy dark reddish brown colour, big to moderate off-white to beige head. Strong and intense sweetish aroma of dark malts, brown sugar and caramel, hints of oak and fortified wine. The flavour is very sweet and malty, with the same elements as the aroma - but it barely escapes the "cloying" category by a partial balance of American hops (Nugget, Cascade and Centennial). Not an "easy drinking" beer, but who expects a barley wine to be? A great "sipping beer", on a day when your "sweet tooth" needs to be satisfied.

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

330 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 4.5%. Extremely pale yellow colour, big white head. Strong yeasty and spicy aroma, with distinct notes of fermenting fruits and brettanomyces (farmhouse / barnyard). The flavour is very crisp and moderately acidic with some lemony and spicy notes, very refreshing. The mouthfeel is a bit thin, but I’m not really complaining - it’s nice to have a Mikkeller beer that doesn’t get you drunk by the first bottle - for once.

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 3 | Mouthfeel: 3 | Flavor: 3 | Overall: 3

330 ml green bottle, as Grans FRI Alkoholfritt ØL, from REMA 1000. Pale golden colour, big to moderate white head. Aroma of malts, baby porridge and cooked vegetables. Thin mouthfeel. The flavour has some malts and baby porridge again, minimal hops. Not quite as bad as some other n/a beers though, and not entirely undrinkable when cold.

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

750 ml "champagne" bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 8.0%. Deep golden colour, huge and lasting off-white head. Very nice aroma of fermenting fruits, herbs, spices and farmhouse. The flavour is dominated by pleasant fruity hops (Hallertauer and Styrian Goldings) on a background of malts and brettanomyces elements, with spicy notes. Not too sweet, not too bitter, not sour. Alcohol is well hidden. In short, not as "wild" as I expected, should be palatable even for "tame" beer drinkers.

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

12 fl. oz. bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 8.7%. Golden colour, big white head. Lovely aroma of Belgian yeast, fruity esters, spices and floral and fruity hops. The flavour is spicy and yeasty with a sweet and fruity body, and a distinct hoppy bitterness in the finish. Only drawback is that the alcohol is not particularly well hidden, so if you get drunk on this beer, you understand why. Still a beer I’ll be happy to drink again!

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

500 ml bottle, batch #100, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 11%, 26 P, 50 IBU. Very dark brown colour, nearly black, with a moderate but lasting tan head. Aroma of salt water, tar, smoke and some coffee. Full and rich mouthfeel. Excellent flavour, lots of chewey malty sweetness, roasted notes, coffee, tar, some liquorice, pine needles, salty finish, noticeable hops with just the right bitterness. Very well balanced. Another great achievement from Nøgne Ø.

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

330 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 6.9%. Some sediment in the bottle. Deep golden to orange colour, slightly hazy. Big and lasting off-white head. Pleasant aroma of Warrior hops, not quite as strong hop aroma as in the Cascade Single Hop IPA, but nice, with some complexity. Notes of various fruits (incl. citrus) and mild spices. The flavour lets first some cara-crystal malts come through with a moderate sweetness, then the hops take over with notes of citrus, herbs, spices and some resin. A firm and peppery bitterness in the finish, but not overdone. I’d say this is a fairly well balanced IPA, and it has certainly made me interested in using the Warrior hop variety in homebrew.

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

330 ml bottle, as Mikkeller Cascade Single Hop IPA, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 6.9%. Deep golden to orange colour, big and lasting off-white head. Lovely aroma of Cascade hops, with the typical grapefruity and pney notes. The flavour is again typical Cascade (in plentiful quantities) from start to finish, lots of grapefruit, pine needles and resin. A nearly Campari-like (wormwood) bitterness in the finish. Some malty sweetness does its best to balance some of the hoppiness. Has enough hops to satisfy hardcore hopheads - I would have been satisfied with less, even though I love Cascade.

Aroma: 10 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

375 ml "champagne" bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 13.1%. The beer is pitch black, impenetrable for light (hence the name). Nice brown head. Intense aroma of malts, alcohol, coffee, burnt sugar and vanilla. The flavour is intense and overwhelming: an aggressive malty sweetness, backed up by honey and dark sugars, with distinct notes of roasted barley (but not quite as extreme in that respect as I expected ), the coffee is distinct, and the vanilla is also noticeable. Distinct hoppy bitterness in the finish. Warming mouthfeel. This is a "sipping beer", to be savoured slowly - definitely not a "refreshment beer". Not for the squeamish or faint hearted.

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

1 pt. 9.4.fl. oz. corked "champagne" bottle, as Mikkeller Monk’s Brew, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 10%. Very dark brown colour, slightly hazy, huge tan head. Malty and vinous aroma, notes of brown sugar, oak and spices. Rich and warming mouthfeel. The flavour is sweet and malty, again notes of brown sugar, oak and spices, nicely balanced with the hops. Hints of chocolate and coffee. Maybe not quite a trappist, but nearly there. If Mikkel is as skilled at paternosters and avemarias as he is at brewing, he may sign up as a trappist monk any day!

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

500 ml bottle, bought at Vaaland, Bryne. "Grocery store version" at 4.7% ABV. Mahogany coloured beer (I’ve never seen "amber" this dark!), moderate but lasting creamy head. Moderate but pleasant aroma of Cascade hops, hints of malts and caramel too. The flavour has dominant Cascade on a (barely) sufficient malty background, hints of burnt caramel but the beer is not sweet. Bitter aftertaste. The mouthfeel is slightly thinner than the stronger version. This is one of the better non-bottle-conditioned beers on the Norwegian grocery store market, well worth sampling.

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

On tap at Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger, unfiltered and unpasteurised. ABV is 6.5%. Will possibly be available in a filtered and pasteurised version later on? Deep red to dark brown colour, low tan head which leaves a nice lacing. The aroma has distinct notes of butterscotch, also notes of malts, dried fruits and sherry, quite nice. The flavour is malty and very fruity with vinous notes, also notes of caramel, low bitterness. The fruitiness is quite a surprise in a bock, and will probably be less distinct in a pasteurised version. I’d like a more pronounced hoppy bitterness, though.