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

(330 ml bottle). Very pale yellow colour, decent head. Sweet fruity aroma. Flavour is, uh, thin... some alcoholic/fusel notes, like Norwegian "hjemmebrent" (="moonshine"). Might be drinkable ice cold at the beach of Antalya. Anywhere else: Avoid!

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

500 ml bottle. Very dark ruby colour, large thick tan head. Malty aroma with smoked notes, elements of espresso coffee, tar and old woodwork. Flavour is initially a tad sweeter than I appreciate, roasted malts with tar, coffee and prunes. A distinct bitterness from the hops and roasted malts takes over, and lasts through the long aftertaste. The high ABV is well hidden. A solid Baltic porter, but not as good as Sinebrychoff.

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

(Bottled 2003). Deep golden/amber colour, moderate head. Aroma of sugary alcohol and hay. Grossly over-hyped and over-rated beer, mostly by people obviously fascinated by the high ABV. Sorry, I have difficulties respecting the ratings of people who actually LIKE this crap. Flavour is cloyingly & revoltingly sweet, alcohol, molasses, syrup, syrup and more syrup. And alcohol. Did I mention syrup? And alcohol? This is gross. This is REALLY gross. Half of it went down the drain. And I paid nearly US$10 (in Norway) for this bottle! (Sob!) Cellaring it for 30 years might have helped A LITTLE, but why cellar crap? A real drainpour, if I ever saw one. Thank God I drank it in November - "Samichlaus" would have ruined my Christmas completely.

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

(Bottle conditioned, 500 ml. ABV was 4.8%.) Gushes out of the bottle, pours with an enormous light tan head. Aroma is malts, caramel and overwhelmingly fermenting fruits (apples, pears, plums). Flavour is overwhelmingly acidic and fruity, bordering on vinegar. This acidity masks all other flavours, just a hint of hop bitterness on the back of my tongue. Some metallic sidenotes. My beer was still drinkable (2 months left till expiry date), but had clearly set sails for a voyage to the promised land of Vinegaria.

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

(500 ml bottle). Pours with a large to moderate frothy head. Very dark brown colour. Moderate but pleasant aroma of cherry chocolates and coffee. Decent sweetish flavour of roasted malts, oats, coffee and dark chocolates, some fruityness too. Mouthfeel is surprisingly thin for an oatmeal stout. A bit too carbonated for my taste. Acceptable bitterness from the hops and roasted malts in the aftertaste.

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

(Bottle conditioned, 500 ml). Pours with an enormous fluffy lingering head. Cloudy brown colour. Aroma is alcohol, red fruits, leather, caramel and sherry. Flavour is malty with English fruitcake and Christmas pudding elements, but a substantial hoppy bitterness (nearly too much?) takes over and dominates through the long finish. Some alcoholic warmth. Good strong ale, but somehow the hop varieties used seem not to be perfectly balanced with the initial comforting sweetness.

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

(500 ml bottle). Typical hefe cloudy golden, large head. Lovely strong aroma of ripe bananas, bubblegum and cloves. Cloves in the flavour too, light bodied, tasty but could still use some more "bite". Like most weissbiers not too much aftertaste. Good, not outstanding.

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

(500 ml bottle). Nearly gushes out of the bottle, pours with an enormous long lasting fluffy head. Colour is hazy golden. Pleasant hoppy aroma, heather, herbal, hints of cedarwood. Initially some notes of dirty socks too, notes which fortunately soon disappears in the glass. Lovely crisp hoppy flavour on a subtle malty background, hop character reminiscent of a very good golden ale. This is not a sweet beer, but the little sweetness there is reminds me of heather honey. Notes of rambutan and grapefruit too. Excellent mouthfeel, not fizzy. Long lasting hops aftertaste. This is a very good beer, regardless of style - and of course MUCH better than any industrial pilsener.

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

Cask at the Ipswich Beer Festival 2004, gravity dispense. Crouch Vale’s attempt at a red Irish style ale - not a bad try IMO. Reddish colour, malty / toffee / caramel aroma, hints of oak. Malty caramel flavour with a surprisingly hoppy bitterness. Very good. A great combo with burger & chips.

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

(Sampled 0,5 liter bottle) Cloudy light golden beer with sediment, good head. Lovely spicy and fruity aroma that promises more than the flavour keeps. Dry, mildly spicy. Short aftertaste. Not bad, but there are better Weissbiers around.

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

(Draught). Mmmm... this is good stuff. A well rounded altbier IMO. Nutty and malty flavour with a hint of herbs and caramel.

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

(330 ml bottle, fresh from Praha/Prague). Golden colour, moderate head. Initially weak aroma, some alcoholic sweet and flowery notes come along. Flavour is quite malty for a pale lager, rather alcoholic but not unpleasant, warming mouthfeel. Not too sweet. OKish, but not great.

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

Rerate: 500 ml bottle, airborne from Praha/Prague, 5.0% ABV. Golden colour, large head disappears instantly, no lacing, bubbly. Some Saaz aroma, but not nearly as good as Starobrno or Staropramen. Flavour is rather malty for a pilsener, reasonable bitterness. Drinkable, but not my favourite pils. Original rating: I had this beer from a can in Norway, 4.5% ABV. The expiry date was 6 days ago, i.e. the production date was 1 year earlier, and the beer had not been stored cool at my retailer's. This must have impaired the quality, exactly how much I can't tell. A couple other raters had the same impression of the beer as I had, and they probably had a fresher can/bottle. Disappointment is the word,

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

(500 ml bottle, now available in Norway). Colour is yellowish brown, good thick head. Aroma has first some fruity hops, then dusty malts. Flavour is malty with hints of caramel and dust. There is too much carbonation for my taste. OKish beer, but not remarkable.

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

Rerate 500 ml can, May 2024, from Vinmonopolet Sauda. ABV is 4.8%. Pale golden colour, large to moderate white head. Fresh aroma of pilsener malts and herbal hops, a hint of citrus. Soft and slightly citric mouthfeel. Herbal hops in the flavour. Not bad. Rerate 2002: The bitterness of this pilsener (from a can) is more pronounced than I remembered it from draught. I'm taking off 1 point. Still, it's an acceptable beer.

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

Rerate, draught in Newcastle: I found the colour to be darker brown than the bottled version (can that be?), and the flavour was fuller and richer - even though the pub tried to ruin it by serving it ice cold.

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

"(Bottle). A good but somewhat overrated beer. Aggressively carbonated. Better in the Good Old Days when it was stronger. Rerate, draught in Newcastle: I found the colour to be darker brown than the bottled version (can that be?), and the flavour was fuller and richer - even though the pub tried to ruin it by serving it ice cold."

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

(500 ml bottle). Golden colour, moderate head. Moderate but decent hoppy aroma. Hallertau in a bitter? Must be unusual? Mouthfeel is initially quite soft and not very "bitter and twisted", but there's a distinct lemony bitterness in the finish (Styrian Goldings). Leaves a nice aftertaste. Very refreshing. I can see why this beer has a broad appeal to the masses. Not a piece of art, perhaps, but a decent and well made bitter. Looking forward to sampling it cask conditioned. Rerate: This beer has become part of my staple diet, due to its availability here in Norway, and I will readily admit that I LOVE both the aroma and flavour. I’m upping it 1 point. Also sampled cask conditioned at The Cask & Barrel, Edinburgh. Not in the very best condition, and served slightly too warm. Deep golden colour, creamy head. Nice zesty and fruity hop aroma, but should be even better. Distinctly hoppy flavour throughout, but not quite as zesty as it should be in its best condition.

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

(330 ml clear bottle, bought in Denmark). Golden colour, not entirely clear (cold filtered). A whiff of Heineken-like freshness when you open the bottle, disappears in the glass, where the aroma is weak malty with notes of boiled vegetables and wet cardboard, just a faint hint of catpiss (clear bottle?). Flavour is lightly malty with an unpleasant sweetness, notes of boiled carrots and maize (corn). Low on hops. Little aftertaste. The Russians may keep this beer to themselves, as far as I’m concerned.

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

(33 cl bottle, bought in Denmark). Pours cloudy golden with floaties, large head. Strong yeasty and flowery sweet aroma , some spices (pepper) and herbs too. Flavour is fairly malty with a distinct peppery touch, hints of oak. Some alcoholic warmth, not unpleasant. Moderate but sufficient bitterness. Not bad at all.

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

This is a very refreshing witbier, citrus and yeast aroma, pleasant flavour, subtle aftertaste. I liked it better bottled than on tap, should not be served too cold.

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

(500 ml bottle, bought at Systembolaget, Sweden). Dark brown colour, low head. Aroma of malts and ensilage. Flavour has some maltiness, some bitterness - but lacks complexity. Cool bottle and label promises more than the beer keeps. Probably better cask conditioned?

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

This is a nice Irish dry stout, giving Guinness real competition. Best on tap, but nice from the widget can too.

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

This is a nice Irish dry stout, giving Guinness real competition. Best on tap, but nice from the widget can too.

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

(355 ml bottle, bought in London). Pours with a large tan head, colour is very dark, nearly black (= very, very dark ruby when held to the light). Lovely complex aroma where coffee, dark chocolate, prunes, oak and sandalwood shine through. Flavour is initially sweet and mellow, then a distinct bitterness comes through. Coffee notes are dominant. There's something undefined strange in the aftertaste that keeps me from giving it a straight "10". Still, this is a top class porter!