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

500 ml bottle, Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 10.0%. Cloudy dark brown colour, moderate but lasting off-white head. Moderate aroma of sultanas, oaked fortified wine, rum-raisin and liqueur-filled chocolates. The flavour is oaky / woody with notes of sultanas / raisins and other dark dried fruits, but not nearly as sweet as I feared. The hops are very moderate. Nice and drinkable, but has not quite the complexity of best Belgian ales in the abt / quadrupel style. Still well worth sampling.

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

330 ml bottle, from Ales By Mail. ABV is 5.5%. Brewed with coffee, lactose and vanilla beans. Black colour, small tan head. Aroma of roast malts, coffee and dark chocolate, only hints of vanilla and lactose. The flavour is mid between dry and sweet, again roast malts and distinct coffee. some dark chocolate, hints of vanilla and lactose, moderate hops.

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

Shared 500 ml bottle at local tasting. ABV is 11%. Pitch black colour, moderate tan head. Strong roasty and salty aroma, notes of tar, seaside and old rope, hints of smoke, also notes of oak / vanilla and coffee as expected. The flavour is fairly dry and very roasty with distinct notes of coffee, hints of smoke and oak / vanilla.

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

330 ml bottle, from Ales By Mail. ABV is 10.0%. Pitch black colour, moderate brown head. Aroma of roast malts, coffee, dark chocolate, vanilla, exotic woodwork. Rich mouthfeel. The medium sweet flavour is roasty with notes of strong coffee and dark bitter chocolate, some vanilla, and distinct bittering hops. Impressive.

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

500 ml bottle, as 8 Wired Super Conductor Double IPA, from the Norwegian importer. ABV is 8.8%. Crystal clear golden colour, apparently filtered. Moderate white head. Intense aroma of fruity NZ and US hops, a remarkable blend of lychee and other tropical fruits, citrus and white grapes. Also hints of spruce and caramel. The flavour is very hoppy, fruity, resinous and bitter, but also quite sweet. Far from "perfectly balanced", but still damned good and tasty.

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

Shared 500 ml gusher bottle at local tasting. Nearly black colour, large off-white head. Dryish and "thin" smokey aroma, notes of smoked meat, woody hints too. Too much carbonation. Smokey and dry flavour too, mild roasty notes in the background.

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

440 ml can, as Deep Creek Dusty Gringo Imperial Brown Ale, from Vinmonopolet Jørpeland. ABV is 6.8%. Deep brown colour, large beige head. Lovely aroma of fruity and resinous hops, some malts and brown bread in the background. Malty flavour with some roast and toast and caramel, hints of chocolate, followed by resinous hops, with a fairly bitter finish.

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

Can from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. ABV is 6.5%. Cloudy / opaque brownish-yellow to orange colour, moderate white head. Distinct aroma of mango, passionfruit, lychee and other tropical fruits. Good mouthfeel. The flavour is fruity but not too sweet, with the same elements as the aroma. Some citrus too, hints of sprucetips, but the bitterness is low.

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

440 ml can, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. ABV is 6.0%. Dark brown colour, moderate off-white to beige head. Aroma of citric hops and brown malts, hints of tropical fruits and pine too. Pleasant flavour, notes of brown malts but not sweet despite hints of caramel and brown bread, nice citric / fruity and spicy hops, well balanced.

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

440 ml can, from Vinmonopolet Jørpeland. ABV is 6.0%. Hazy golden colour with some sediment floaties, small white head. Aroma of tropical fruits, citrus and yellow stonefruits. Citric / fruity flavour with the same elements as the aroma, decent bitterness. Refreshing and enjoyable beer, slightly peppery finish.

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: 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: 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: 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 conditioned). Deep golden / amber colour, large & lingering fluffy head. Lovely flowery and grapefruity aroma, all from the hops, no doubt. Flavour is dominated by the grapefruity and resiny hoppy bitterness, which is a tad too rough for me in the finish. Long lasting aftertaste. A beer well above average.

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

330 ml bottle, London. Pale golden sparkling beer, poor head. Moderate hops and grass in the aroma. A tolerable amount of hops in the flavour makes this beer A LITTLE better than the average swill lager. Won’t buy again, though. I you want a good NZ lager, look for Emersons in stead!

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

Nov. 2019: Shared bottle at local tasting. ABV is 13.75%. Reddish brown colour, small off-white head. Distinct aroma and flavour of bourbon and oak, hints of coconut.

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

May 2014: 650 ml bottle, from the Norwegian importer. ABV is 7.5%. Ingredients include lemongrass, coriander, kaffir lime, lemon and grapefruit peel. Hazy golden colour, moderate white head. Aroma of lemongrass, coriander and citrus fruits / citrus peel. Spicy and citrussy flavour, with distinct notes of said ingredients. Hoppy and spicy finish. Refreshing and enjoyable. Would buy again.

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

Oct. 2015: 650 ml bottle, from the Norwegian importer. ABV is 8%. Cloudy deep golden to brownish colour, moderate to low white head. Strong hoppy aroma, notes of pine, spruce and tropical fruits. Distinctly hoppy flavour too, medium dry, notes of pine and grapefruit, hints of crushed white grapes and tropical fruits. Bitter aftertaste. Very good. Would certainly buy again.

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

April 2020: 330 ml can, from Vinmonopolet (Kvadrat or Nettbutikken). ABV is 7.5%. Orange to copper colour, slightly hazy. Moderate white head. Aroma of mint, citrus and chili. Peppery flavour, again with chili, mint and citrus, not too sweet. Moderate but fairly distinct bittering hops.

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

Sep. 2018: 440 ml can, from Vinmonopolet. ABV is 7.5%. Slightly hazy pale yellow colour, moderate white head. Lovely aroma of fruity American hops, notes of tropical fruits and citrus, a hint of spruce. Fruity and piney flavour, medium sweet, with a bitter finish.

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

March 2016: 330 ml can, from Vinmonopolet Verksgata, Stavanger. ABV is 5.8%. Cloudy orange colour, large white head. Strong aroma of various fir trees, citrus fruits and tropical fruits. Fizzy mouthfeel. Very hoppy and medium dry flavour, pine needles and resin galore, also grapefruit, very bitter finish.

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

Nov. 2012: 500 ml bottle, nicked by hand from the rightful owner (who got it as a gift from New Zealand). ABV is 6.0%. Golden colour, moderate white head. Lovely aroma of Nelson Sauvin hops (and probably other NZ hops), notes of white grapes and crushed gooseberries. Light bodied for its strength. The flavour has distinct notes of NZ hops, "herbal" and dry white wine and green gooseberries up front, pine in the finish. Good stuff.

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

Shared bottle at local tasting. ABV is 4.6%. Pale golden colour, low white head. The aroma has some sweetish malts, maize, dust and grass. Bland flavour, some grainy notes, a little sweetness, hardly any bitterness. Utterly forgettable.

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

330 ml bottle, from Asia Matbutikken, Jørpeland. Made in Nigeria. Black colour, tan head. Aroma of malts, grain and caramel. Sweet flavour, lots of malts / malt sugar and caramel.