Aroma: 10 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 8

500 ml bottle, as "Greene King Strong Suffolk Vintage Ale", vintage 2000, sampled May 2005 at the Champion of the Thames, Cambridge. Served too cold from the fridge. Deep brown to ruby colour, large thick head. Vinous aroma, oak and claret, hints of English pipe tobacco. (One of the punters was smoking his pipe in the pub when I sampled this beer, but I swear the beer had some unsmoked pipe tobacco aroma too.) Vinous flavour (old port wine) with caramel and raisins. A bit too sweet for my taste (or maybe I was too drunk to fully appreciate the sweetness?)

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

Cask conditioned at The Pickerel, Cambridge. (Was also available at the Cambridge Beer Festival.) Deep golden colour. Slightly sulphurous aroma, some fruits (plums, cherries?) too. Very nice moderately hoppy flavour with citrussy elements. A decent session bitter.

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

Cask conditioned at The Pickerel, Cambridge. Deep golden colour. Very nice honey and flowery aroma. Flavour is moderately honey sweet, minimal bitterness. Some malts too. A bit thin mouthfeel, though. Not my favourite this one.

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

Sampled cask conditioned at the St. Radegund pub in Cambridge. This tiny real ale pub is famous for this session ale, brewed specially for them. Golden brownish colour, if my memory serves me right. Malty aroma. Malty smooth flavour, easily drinkable. Nice! Tolerable hops. I could easily have downed a few of these, if it hadn’t been on top of a beer festival session.

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

Cask conditioned at the St. Radegund pub, Cambridge. Dark, nearly black colour. Fruity (plums) and some smoke in the aroma and flavour. Decent. More like a porter than a stout in my book, but who cares?

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

Cask conditioned at The Pickerel, Cambridge (guest beer). Golden brown colour, no head. Comes forward as a standard premium bitter, quite flat. Moderate malty aroma with notes of caramel, hints of malt vinegar. Flavour is .... err, like an ordinary bitter, nothing particular stands out at all. I may have suffered from "palate fatigue" after many hours at the Cambridge Beer Festival earlier that day, but I don’t think this beer rates above the "OKish" category anyhow.

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

330 ml bottles, now available in Norway (Vinmonopolet, bestillingsutvalget). I drank the first bottle at cellar temperature, the second one at fridge temp. Extremely powerful mouthfeel in both cases, you’d think the beer was much stronger than its 6.5% ABV (in a blind test I’d probably say 10-11%). This means that the alcohol dominates, but the malts and hops are evident too. Colour is deep golden / amber, large white head. Moderate aroma of spices, caramel, molasses and hops, some oak and leather too. Moderately sweet with a dry and bitter hoppy finish. I preferred the Einbecker Ur-Bock Dunkel to this one.

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

Cask conditioned at the 32nd Cambridge Beer Festival, gravity dispense. Dark reddish brown colour. Complex aroma of dark fruits, spices and oak, various woodwork, some chocolate. Flavour is spicy, oaky, malty, chocolate, there’s vinous qualities (old sherry, marsala). Nutty / dusty hops finish. A great beer! Rerate, 330 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 8.5%. Dark ruby coloured beer, low off-white head. Nice vinous aroma with notes of dark dried fruits, hints of oak. The flavour is rich, sweet and malty, notes of figs and molasses. Spicy hops and nuts in the finish. Not quite as complex as the cask version, but still a good beer.

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

Cask conditioned at the 32nd Cambridge Beer Festival, gravity dispense. Simply called "Elgood’s Winter Warmer" at the festival, and the ABV was listed as 7.2%, not 7.5%, but I take it that this must be the same beer? No other winter warmer is mentioned at the brewery website. The brewery had kept a cask of this winter seasonal for the festival in May. Brown to mahogany colour, minimal carbonation, no head. Caramel, leather and dark fruits in the aroma. Warming mouthfeel, sweet but not cloying. Spices, dark fruits and treacle in the flavour. Hoppy finish. Not bad.

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

Cask conditioned at the 32nd Cambridge Beer Festival, gravity dispense. Black (= VERY dark brown) colour. Some natural carbonation, zesty, very nice. Pleasant roasty aroma. Flavour has dark chocolate, walnuts and roast barley. Not overdone, easy drinking.

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

(This is, as far as I'm informed, the same beer as A. le Coq Imperial Stout. Harveys changed the name to keep it in line with their other products and avoid confusion with the present Estonian A. le Coq beers). Cask conditioned at the 32nd Cambridge Beer Festival, as "Harvey’s Double Extra Russian Stout". ABV was 9.5%. Gravity dispense. Pitch black colour, low head. LOVELY complex aroma, surprisingly fruity: Plums, cherries, oranges. Roastiness, oak and cigars too. Flavour is extremely roasty and bitter, but also elements of oak and dark fruits. Warming mouthfeel, as expected from a 9.5% ABV beer. The roasty and bitter aftertaste lasts "forever", making it difficult to move on to another beer. Belongs in the top division of beers.

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

Allegedly brewed according to an old Russian porter recipe, with kvas/kwas as one of the ingredients! Contract brewed by Brauerei Locher "im Auftrag der BALIK Räucherei im Toggenberg AG", website www.balik.com . The Räucherei even supplied the smoked salmon I had with this beer (330 ml bottle) at the Seafood Bar at Stansted Airport, London (Norwegian salmon, smoked in Switzerland, sold in England, eaten by a Norwegian - a well travelled fish!) According to the BALIK website the beer should be served cool at 12 degrees C, but I got it served fridge cold. While the coldness must have taken away some of the flavour details, it probably made the beer more drinkable with seafood, taking the edge off the heavy sweetness. The beer has a brown colour with a slight haziness, low head. Aroma and flavour are more like a port wine than a "normal" beer. Very sweet, warming mouthfeel (no surprise at 11% ABV!), spicy, a bit alcoholic, but interesting. Decent hops in the finish.

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

(On tap at Helsinki Airport). An ordinary golden pilsener with a low head, good hoppy (Saaz?) aroma. Light bodied, easily drinkable. You could down a few of these on a midsummer’s day/night. Not unpleasant in any way (= not too much character either). Moderate bitterness in the aftertaste.

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

(500 ml can). Golden, low head, very alcoholic, sweet but at least there are some hops too. Overall boring, but I didn't find it too easily drinkable - which means that I won't get drunk as fast as the tougher Finns who constitute the target group of this beer. Having met this group as they were busy breaking empty bottles, puking and pissing in every doorway in downtown Helsinki on a Friday night (as early as 10 p.m.) - I say: You're welcome!

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

More of a tropical lager than anything you'd expect from Lapland. Sure, there's the 'Arctic water' gimmick - but some flavour would have been nice too.

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

Rerate, 500 ml can, Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 5%. Cloudy / milky yellow colour, large to moderate white head. Strong sweetish and spicy aroma, notes of elderflowers, bananas, bubble gum, citrus, coriander and cloves. The flavour is wheaty and refreshing, notes of banana, cloves and herbs. Very moderate hops. Original rating: I got this served in the Amsterdam Arena restaurant in Holland (from bottle) with a slice of lemon in the glass, but suspect it would have a slightly citrussy aroma and flavour even without the slice. Very refreshing, but not enough to be ecstatic about. A bonus point for the cute hamster on the bottle!

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

(500 ml bottle). Moderate head, dark reddish brown colour. A very flavourful dunkel despite the low ABV - malty, rounded caramelly sweetness, low bitterness. Not bad - would like to try it on tap. Rerate draught in Prague, compared to Krusovice Cerne: Sweeter than KC, smaller head, more carbonation, less hops, less roastiness, lighter body.

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

"Pedigree Pal" - no wait, that's dogfood. Beerhounds will no doubt prefer this standard bitter, which is available all over Britain. Cask conditioned this is a mellow, easily drinkable bitter. Not the very best, but GOOD, to be sure. Moderately sulphurous aroma.

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

500 ml can. Bought by mistake in a London store when I was in a hurry just before closing time - thought it was an unrated beer! Fizzy sourish stuff. Watery mouthfeel. Gave me a heartburn - and I didn’t even finish the can! Industrial ciders like this one seem utterly pointless to me. Avoid!

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

500 ml bottle, now available in Norway. Clear golden colour. Pours fizzy & sparkling, but carbonation in the glass is moderate. No lasting head. Oaky aroma with hints of leather, dominant late harvest fermenting apples, notes of apple cider vinegar. Flavour is oaky, medium dry. Quite pleasant and refreshing. A decent cider

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

330 ml brown bottle, bought at Vaaland Ølutsalg, Bryne. ABV is 4.5%. Crystal clear pale golden colour, sparkling when poured but very little carbonation in the glass. No head. Lovely aroma and flavour of fermenting pears and apples, notes of oak. Quite sweet. I like it, but one bottle is enough. Might buy again though, probably palatable for guests who don’t like beer.

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

(500 ml bottle). Light golden colour, heavy initial carbonation that diminishes rapidly. Aroma of apples (not surprising!), oak and leather + hints of cowshed. Sweet apple flavour with hints of oak. I'm not really a cider man, but this decent oak conditioned stuff is infinitely better tasting than the industrialized crap that normally is marketed as "cider" these days.

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

330 ml bottle, now available in Norway. Golden colour, large foamy head. Strong perfumed aroma of shampoo, flowers, molasses and green apples, not entirely pleasant. Flavour is grassy with lemon notes, some sweetness. Low bitterness. Drinkable, but no masterpiece.

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

330 ml bottle, now available in Norway. ABV is 5.3%. Clear pale golden colour, decent to moderate head. Flowery aroma of aromatic hops, notes of honey, grass and fresh plums. Flavour is less interesting - moderate grassy hops with a certain fruity sweetness. Easy drinking, but no masterpiece.

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

330 ml bottle, now available in Norway. Golden colour, large to moderate head. Strong flowery aroma with notes of honey and butterscotch. Made with "modified hops and hop extract", hmmm .... Clean pilsener flavour with flowery elements and a respectable hoppy bitterness. A solid pilsener in my book.