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

Cask (hand pump / beer engine) at the GBBF 2008. Deep amber colour, minimal head. Interesting fruity and spicy aroma. Fruity and herbal flavour, slightly spicy, quite nice.

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

Forced draught at the GBBF 2008. Murky brown opaque colour, big head. Very nice aroma of malts, lemons, banana and cloves. Same elements in the flavour, this is the most lemony dunkelweizen I’ve had. Good stuff.

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

Cask at the GBBF 2008. Black colour, dark brown in the highlights, decent tan head. Lovely aroma of cherries on a background of milk chocolate. The cherries are also clearly noticeable in the flavour, but roasted malts, dark chocolate and mild coffee also come up front. Moderate bitterness in the finish. This beer is something out of the ordinary, but I’d still like some more malty sweetness.

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

Bottle at the GBBF 2008. Golden colour, moderate head. Moderate but pleasant and "clean" aroma of hops, a hint of flowers. The flavour is reasonably hoppy (German / Czech hops?) with a moderate sweetness. Nice enough. Added note to self: the hops are certainly not German / Czech. The hops used are Cascade, Fuggles, Nugget, Target and Styrian Goldings.

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

On tap at the GBBF 2008. Beautiful red colour, minimal pinkish head. Very nice cherry aroma. The flavour is also dominant cherries on a moderately sour background. Not too sweet, fairly light bodied.

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

Cask conditioned at the Great British Beer Festival (GBBF) 2008. Deep golden colour, minimal head, minimal carbonation. Aroma and flavour of tamarind and hops, quite nice.

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

Cask at the GBBF 2008, as York Pure Gold (ABV 5.0%). Golden colour, moderate head. Hoppy aroma with notes of grapefruit and tropical fruits. The flavour has distinct notes of grapefruit, but there is also a considerable sweetness. Bitter finish.

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

Bottle, at the GBBF 2008. Golden colour, moderate head. Very nice hoppy aroma, notes of citrus and tropical fruits. Pleasant hoppy flavour but not overdone, well balanced.

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

Forced draught at the GBBF 2008. Cloudy golden colour, moderate head. Typical hefeweizen aroma: cloves, banana, citrus. The flavour is very citrussy / lemony (maybe too much), also notes of cloves and banana.

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

Cask at the GBBF 2008. Golden colour, minimal head. Lovely strong aroma of butterscotch and caramel. The flavour has notes of butterscotch and malts, but is still fairly dry, with a reasonably hoppy finish.

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

Cask at the GBBF 2008. ABV of this English Strong Ale is 9.0%. Deep golden colour, low head. Lovely aroma of oak, rhum-drenched raisins and fortified wine. Warming mouthfeel. The flavour is again full of oak and raisins, also notes of bitter oranges and toffee, with a hoppy bitterness in the finish. Excellent beer.

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

Cask at the GBBF 2008, gravity dispense. ABV was 5.5%. Golden brown colour, no head. Fruity mild aroma and flavour, notes of blackcurrant and raspberry leaves. Low bitterness.

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

Cask conditioned (hand pump) at the Brains bar at the GBBF 2008. Black colour, dark brown in the highlights. Moderate tan head. Moderate roasty aroma, notes of malts and chocolate. The flavour is moderately roasty with a slight acidity.

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

Cask at the GBBF 2008. Golden colour, low head. Lovely aroma of tropical fruits, notes of flowers and honey too. Nice hoppy flavour, moderate malts and fruit, then an assertive bitterness takes over.

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

330 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger, as Menabrea Birra 1846. ABV in Norway is 4.7%. Crystal clear golden colour, big and lasting white head. Strong and sweetish fruity aroma. The flavour is fairly clean and zesty, no unpleasant off-flavours, moderate hops in the finish. Definitely not the worst pale lager I’ve had.

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

500 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 4.8%. Golden colour with a slight chill haze, big white head. Moderate fruity hops in the somewhat sweetish aroma. The flavour is reasonably hoppy with some fruity notes, a moderate sweetness and a bitter and dry finish and aftertaste.

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

Cask at the GBBF 2008, gravity dispense. ABV was 5.5%. Golden brown colour, no head. Moderate aroma of fruity hops, notes of blackcurrants. The flavour is first malty with notes of honey and caramel, then a hoppy bitterness takes over and lasts through the aftertaste - fruity hops first, then a "dusty" finish.

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

Forced draught at the GBBF 2008. Cloudy golden brown colour, big head. Cloves, banana and citrus in both aroma and flavour, some more acidity than in many other hefeweizens.

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

Forced draught at the GBBF 2008, as Trunk Weisse. ABV was 5.5%. Cloudy golden colour, big head. Typical hefeweizen with notes of cloves and banana both in the aroma and the flavour. Nice.

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

On tap at the GBBF 2008. Dark brown colour, low head. Nice aroma of caramel and butterscotch. "Dusty" flavour, malty with a noticeable hoppy finish.

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

Cask conditioned at the Great British Beer Festival 2008, gravity dispense. Copper coloured beer, minimal head. Nice hoppy aroma and flavour, notes of blackcurrants.

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

Cask at the GBBF 2008. Golden colour, low head. Very moderate aroma, just a hint of fruity hops. The flavour has also some moderate fruity hops, leading to a moderate "dusty" bitterness in the finish, but is otherwise relatively bland. The mouthfeel is fairly thin.

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

500 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. Copper coloured beer, decent off-white head. The aroma has a nice blend of malts and fruity hops, notes of prunes, toffee and some chocolate. The flavour has earthy notes, some malts and fruit, hints of caramel, but the finish is "dusty" and dry with noticeable hops. A very nice bitter.

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

Cask at the GBBF 2008, gravity dispense. Nearly black colour (very dark reddish brown). Intense and lovely aroma of various subtropical woods, winey notes. The mouthfeel has lots of alcoholic warmth as expected. The flavour has notes of oak and fortified wine. Very good.

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

Cask at the GBBF 2008, gravity dispense. Black colour, no head. Alcoholic but interesting aroma and flavour, notes of "oak" (actually palo santo wood), coffee and fortified wine. At 12% ABV this is powerful stuff. Good, but not easy drinking.