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

330 ml green bottle with a green label, simply called "Yanjing Beer", in France. ABV was 4.5%. I presume this is the same beer. Pale golden colour, large fluffy head. Grassy aroma, not unlike Tsingtao and Heineken. Relatively dry pale lager flavour, not offensive.

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

This beer seems to need a split in the BeerPal database - my 330 ml bottle (in France), simply named "Chang Beer", was a typical standard pale lager at 5.0% ABV, and can’t possibly be "the same beer" as a 6.4% "strong lager"??!! Anyhow, my beer pours with a golden colour and a large head. "Neutral" lager flavour, not offensive, moderate sweetness. Okay with a spicy Thai meal.

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

330 ml bottle, in France. ABV is 4.9%. Golden colour, low head. Moderate corn and rice aroma, not unpleasant. Flavour has some alcoholic notes despite the moderate ABV, acceptable hops. Better than I feared.

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

500 ml bottle, now available in Norway in MENY stores. Clear golden colour, decent white head. Filtered without adjuncts. Nice grainy / malty / bready aroma with tolerable aromatic hops. Notes of alcohol, despite only 4.7% ABV. Grainy flavour with a certain malty sweetness, very moderate and "dusty" hops. A drinkable helles, but the style rarely makes me ecstatic.

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

(Bottle, trade with joss in Germany). Organic! Reddish brown colour, very good head. Roasted malts, toast, caramel, oak and pine wood in the aroma, some smokiness. Flavour is all malts + a slight smokiness, nice bitterness, well balanced. This is a good dunkel!

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 4 | Overall: 6

(500 ml bottle, bought in Denmark. ABV was 6.0%). Very dark reddish brown colour, moderate tan head. Moderate coffee aroma. Flavour and aftertaste is lightly roasted coffee and wet cardboard with a hint of damp basement and catpiss. I’m not particularly fond of wet cardboard and catpiss. I’d probably still prefer this beer to Vestfyen’s Pilsner, but that doesn’t take much. As far as stout goes, there are better alternatives.

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

Typical Danish discount "pilsner" / pale lager. I don't know what sets it apart from the Krudtugle Pilsner, but they appear to be different beers. I really can't remember anything special about this one. That probably says it all. Typical run-of-the-mill industrial pale lager, but not remarkably offensive either.

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

Amber colour, moderate head. Corn and hops aroma. Light bodied, but a distinct unpleasant bitterness. Funny name = 'The Night Express Train' probably suggests that this beer is a fine night cap and will put you to sleep nicely. For sure, the flavour is no reason to keep you up. You might as well go to sleep. Good night!

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

Take an American standard with its corn sweetness, add a little more hops + alcohol and just a touch of spicyness (nutmeg?) - and you have this "Yule/Christmas brew". Not nearly as bad as I expected, this is still far from the quality of a Norwegian "klasse F" Christmas beer. I have no idea why they imported this stuff to Norway - in Denmark at least it's cheap, here it's expensive.

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

Bottle, in Denmark. An unremarkable 'Classic' (=slightly darker) pilsener, but not Classic enough to be brewed without maize (corn)! Still, the flavour is not unpleasant - just uninteresting.

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

500 ml bottle, courtesy of "Venner av Nøgne Ø". Like all NØ beers bottle conditioned. This beer has just been released for sale in some pubs, will be for sale in Vinmonopolet stores in May. I might rerate in May, if there is any significant development of the flavour profile by then. Pours (or rather: gushes out of the bottle) with a large white head, beer is hazy pale golden. Very nice fruity (citrus, green apples) and yeasty aroma, hints of spices, oak, leather and barnyard. Flavour is moderately sweet with a distinct spiciness and decent hops. Shouldn’t a saison have slightly more acidity? After a light and refreshing start there is a solid wormwood-like bitterness in the finish, not unlike Saison Dupont.

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

500 ml bottle, courtesy of "Venner av Nøgne Ø". Like all NØ beers bottle conditioned. Pitch black colour, impenetrable for light. Large and thick brown head. Lovely aroma with vinous qualities, also notes of Colombian coffee, liquorice, chocolate and dark dried fruits. Flavour is dominated by strong notes of bitter coffee, mixed with a substantial malty sweetness, hints of molasses. Also some acidic notes, I’m not sure if they are wanted or not. Strong "coffee" bitterness in the long aftertaste.

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

440 ml can. Amber colour, moderate off-white head, poor retention. Weak aroma, faint notes of caramel and hops. Flavour has some toffee notes and acceptable hops. Drinkable beer, but no masterpiece. Allegedly inspired by Ringnes’ sponsoring of Norwegian polar expeditions 1890s - 1920s, but the members of those expeditions drank proper Ringnes dark bock, not this swill!

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

330 ml bottle. Cloudy brownish golden colour, large head. Typical hefeweizen aroma with notes of cloves and ripe bananas. Flavour is also typical hefeweizen, but lacks some of the "freshness" of the best beers of this style. Mouthfeel is a bit watery and bland, probably due to a lower ABV. A hefeweizen should have an ABV around 5.4! - which, however, would have excluded it from the Norwegian grocery store market. Still, this is a drinkable and fairly refreshing beer, not a bad try from Ringnes.

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

440 ml can. A new pale lager from Ringnes (again developed by the marketing department, rather than by a brewer with any self esteem). Allegedly inspired by Asian / Japanese dry lagers. Very pale clear golden colour, large head that soon subsides. Weak sweetish aroma with a faint hint of hops. Bland, watery and extremely boring flavour. A glass of sparkling water would be better. But then, sparkling water has no alcohol ... If you LIKE beer, avoid!

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

440 ml can. Guajiro is a very pale golden new lager from Ringnes, artificial (?) lime and mint flavouring, probably developed by the marketing department rather than by any brewer with some self esteem. Initially decent head that rapidly disappears completely and leaves no lacing. Sweetish artificial aroma of lime and mint candy. Nasty and watery flavour with repulsive notes of "lime and mint" chemicals. Minimal hops. A remarkably bad beer! Avoid!

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 4 | Flavor: 4 | Overall: 4

330 ml clear bottle. This winter lager is slightly darker than your average pils, like a Danish "Classic" or maybe a Vienna. Deep golden to amber colour, decent lingering head. Fairly pleasant but very moderate aroma of hops and some toffee. Flavour is bland and boring, some dusty hops and hints of caramel and wet cardboard. Another weak product from Grans!

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

(500 ml bottle, in Sweden). Ruby (rather: reddish brown) colour, very low head. Vinous aroma, full malty flavour, slightly alcoholic, good bitterness. Despite it being called a "table beer" (with robust foods) by the brewers, I would rather call it a typical "sipping beer". Recommended.

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

Cask conditioned at Mannings, Ipswich. Deep amber colour, pleasant aroma of red fruits. Flavour is malty and fruity with pronounced blackcurrants and blackberries. Dusty finish. Interesting beer!

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

(500 ml bottle, in Helsinki). Dark brown colour, good head, moderate but decent aroma - and then: Bland, boring flavour when you expect the richness of a good dunkel. Short aftertaste. Disappointing. All Norwegian dunkels are better than this Finnish stuff.

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 5 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 6

Draught at Den Tatoverede Enke, Copenhagen, as Celis Wit. Lovely aroma of burnt caramel / treacle and spices. Flavour is not nearly that exciting, this is a fairly watery and bland wit.

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

750 ml painted (mock stoneware) corked bottle, now available in Norway (despite some objections by the humour & morality police). Amber to brown colour, large off-white head with an orangey hue. Malty sweetish aroma with strong notes of caramel, treacle and Christmas spices, also notes of yeast and oak. Flavour is very spicy and sweet (candy sugar) with a pleasant warming mouthfeel. There’s a hoppy and spicy (and slightly alcoholic) bite in the finish. A demanding beer, but not bad.

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

330 ml clear bottle, now available in Norway (Vinmonopolet). Pale golden colour, decent head. The "skunky" whiff when opening the bottle is actually the best thing with this beer - the longer lasting aroma is sweetish and grassy, notes of maize (corn) even though this is a Reinheitsgebot beer. Flavour is very bland, just a little maize-like sweetness and minimal hops. Kulmbacher have obviously been tempted to produce a beer for the younger crowd of swill drinkers, people who really don’t like the taste of beer at all. Shame on you, Kulmbacher - you can do so much better than this!

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

500 ml bottle conditioned. The Trippel is finally for sale in some pubs and restaurants, not yet in Vinmonopolet stores. The beer pours hazy golden with a moderate head which vanishes after a while and leaves very little lacing. Very pleasant yeasty and fruity aroma with notes of oak and spices, hints of barnyard in the background. Flavour is sweet (a bit too sweet?) with an oaky and moderately spicy character. A certain alcoholic punch, not unpleasant. Subtle hops in the finish. I started drinking the beer a little colder than the recommended temperature, but liked it that way. Clearly another craft brew from the good people at Nøgne Ø, but I’d suggest a slightly less generous amount of demerara sugar in the next batch.

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

300 ml white painted bottle, at Cardinal, Stavanger. Colour is typical wit: Hazy, very pale straw coloured. Moderate head. Strong aroma of coriander, yeast and some citrus, and if I’m unkind: even some notes of perfumed shampoo and hints of vomit. Flavour is VERY citrussy / LEMONY, notes of coriander too. A bit too lemony for me, but definitely a refreshing beer for hot summer days. Just a faint bitterness in the aftertaste. The chicks might like it!