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

The Norwegian Hansa beers have no connection with Namibian or German (DAB) Hansa beers. This one is a fairly malty pilsener of acceptable quality, IMO one of the better Norwegian macro pilseners. There's actually a bit of flavour here. The Hansa Borg brewery group has 3 breweries: Hansa Bryggeri in Bergen, Christianssands Bryggeri (CB) in Kristiansand and Borg Bryggeri in Sarpsborg.

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

Like all Norwegian pilseners aggressively carbonated. Not the best Norwegian brand. It's brewed according to the Reinheitsgebot and is drinkable, but really not much more. There's a bread-dough character that I don't like much. Lacks the crisp hoppiness that a good pilsener should have. Slightly better on tap than bottled IMO.

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

(500 ml bottle). Golden brown colour, good head, moderate but pleasant hoppy aroma with some caramel; malts and heavy bitterness in the flavour and aftertaste, perhaps too bitter in the finish. Not very complex. Decent effort, but the English do it better!

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

(330 ml bottle). A "Swedish profile Bohemian pilsener" - whatever that may be, this is supposed to be it. Typical pils golden colour, moderate head. Above average hoppy aroma, good but not remarkable flavour, well above average bitterness. Not as good as the best Czech pilseners, but far better than the average "neutral" swill.

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

(500 ml bottle). Beautiful dark reddish brown colour, low head. Interesting strong aroma, initially it's overwhelming horse stable / fresh horse droppings(!), later the caramel, molasses and malts come through. Malty sweetness is well balanced by the hops, pleasant mellow aftertaste. I'll leave it to the "style police" to discuss if this is Vienna or Munich dunkel - IMO the Swedes have done a reasonably good job with this beer.

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

(500 ml bottle). Pitch black (= very dark brown) colour, low head. Aroma of liquorice, coffee and roasted malts. Extremely dry (not even a hint of sweetness) roasted and well rounded flavour, good bitterness - perhaps slightly too tart and salty in the finish. Not easy drinking, but a good beer.

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

(500 ml can). Golden colour, moderate head. Sickly sweetish chemical aroma, flavour dominated by a revolting alcoholic sweetness. Not good. Rerate: I started writing before I had finished the beer. As it turned out, I was unable to finish the glass. That very rarely happens to me. Congratulations, Kopparbergs!

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

(500 ml can). Golden lager, leaning towards light brown. Chemical fruity aroma. Excessively sweet flavour, rather alcoholic, at least there are some hops too. Drinkable, but not much more.

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

(Bottle, bought in Sweden, where this much weaker Carnegie version is sold in grocery stores. The ordinary 5.6% ABV Carnegie (Stark) Porter is sold in Systembolaget stores only). Remarkably different from the stronger version - slightly paler colour, weaker aroma, considerably thinner body, flavour seems sweeter, lacks bitterness. Of course it's drinkable - but the full strength version is the way to go!

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

I had the 2001 'vintage', it probably would have developed its character if it had been cellared a few years like the brewery recommends, but as I personally have an extremely weak character, I was unable to wait! Even as fresh as this Carnegie is a fine porter. It may be tiresome repeating that porters have coffee-like qualities - actually, a good porter like this one has a lot better flavour than any cup of coffee! The aftertaste is moreish, this is definitely a beer I'll buy again. Good to experience that Pripps are able to brew something far better than their shitty lagers. Same recipe since 1836, great! Now if I just could find someone with an iron will and a huge padlock who would cellar a few bottles for me...

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

(500 ml bottle). The Swedish 3.5% weak grocery store version of Pripps 1828 Export (5%). Deep golden colour. Moderate hops in the aroma. Acceptable hops in the flavour and aftertaste. Not too bad for a weak Pripps beer (you don't expect much!)

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

I got this pale swill lager in a 4.7% grocery store version in Norway some years ago, ABV in Sweden is now 5.2% (only available at Systembolaget). According to other reviewers, the slightly increased alcohol hasn't helped much. Typical pale lager colour, aroma is weak and unpleasant. Nasty metallic and watery flavour. Not to be recommended!

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

Surprisingly weak aroma, pleasant flavour that won't offend anyone, moderate hops in the aftertaste. Slightly sweet. Rather low ABV for a "gulløl", or "eksport" as the style of strong pale lagers traditionally has been called in Norway.

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

In Norway it's only 4.5% ABV. Regarded as an average pils here, but it's actually quite clean tasting and decent as far as Norwegian pilseners go. Crisp, refreshing. The somewhat stronger export version is of course more powerful and probably slightly better.

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

Why do they call it "fatøl" (="draught beer") when it actually comes out of a bottle or can?? Anyway, the flavour is quite acceptable. A reasonably drinkable average lager, just slightly darker than their pilsener.

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

ABV in Norway is 4.5%. I'm sure the (slightly stronger) export version is even better, if you get it fresh. This beer is basically a pilsener (Saaz hops), but brewed with a certain amount of Munich malts to give it some of the rounded flavour of a Munich dunkel. Not a bad marriage, I'd say.

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

(Also known as Aass Dark.) A quite acceptable Norwegian Bayer, but not as rich flavour as I expected. Rerate: This beer grows on you - the bitterness and burnt tastenotes make this beer probably the best all-year Norwegian beer for the grocery store market (ABV < 4.75%) there is.

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

(500 ml bottle, bought in Norway.) Pours with the typical large & lingering weissbier head, colour of the beer is brown, not black as the name suggests. Slightly hazy. Pleasant aroma of fresh baked bread and weissbier yeast, hints of dark syrup and caramel. Flavour has a slight roastiness and some farmhouse bread character, smooth and pleasant to drink, but not very complex. Just enough hops to leave a pleasant aftertaste, but like most weissbiers the aftertaste does not last "forever". This is a decent but unpretentious beer, a nice accompaniment with a meal or as a refreshment on its own.

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

(500 ml can, bought in Denmark). Beautiful amber colour, good head. Some corn sweetness, fairly neutral flavour, moderate to low bitterness. No foul taste, but far from being a great beer.

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

"Fad" means "draught" (or really: "keg"), but the name is used on bottles and cans too. This is an acceptable Danish lager - nothing special, but not bad either. Very average, no reason to search it out.

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

500 ml bottle. Looks like a very pale Hefe-Weissbier, and for some reason I hoped a N/A Weissbier would be much better than other N/A beers. I was disappointed. Sickly "boiled" smell and flavour of wort, overdone vegetables and wet cardboard, just like Clausthaler. None of the Hefe aroma and "freshness" I hoped for. Avoid.

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

The bottle I had (bought in Norway) was outdated 2 weeks ago, and was not stored cool at my retailer’s like it ought to be. Cloudy brew with a far-from-appetizing lumpy sediment. Unpleasant aroma. A major disappointment.

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

(500 ml bottle). Large head, like the name says crystal clear, pale golden colour. This is a decent and thirst quenching summer beer (available all year) from Erdinger - but their Hefe has a little more of everything! Like all "Kristall" Wessbiers: Why filter away the goodies?

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

Cask conditioned at the Ipswich Beer Festival 2004, gravity dispense. The IBF programme description: "Biscuity malt and earthy hop flavours" seemed spot on to me. Decent.

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

Sampled cask conditioned at the Ipswich Beer Festival 2004, gravity dispense. Amber colour. Malty ale, reasonable bitterness. Not brilliant, but good!