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

My 500 ml bottle (brewed and bottled in Slovakia, purchased in Finland) just says Topvar Marina Schwarzbier - with an ABV of 5%. I'm slowly getting the idea that the high % in the Slovakian name of all Topvar beers is NOT the ABV, but the malt content or something. This is a delicious Schwarzbier: Black to mahogany colour, good head, oily garage aroma with coffee notes ("coffee break at the garage"). Well balanced malty roast flavour with just the right sweetness - not very complex, but this proves that a well balanced beer does not necessarily have to be complex to be GOOD. In other words - a very drinkable and refreshing Schwarz. A nice roast finish makes you want another one. Yes, please!

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

500 ml green bottle, as "Golden Pheasant Premium", bought in Riga, Latvia. ABV is 5% - or that’s what the rear label reads. There is also a small white sticker in Latvian on the bottle-neck, reading a.o.: "Alkohola saturs 4%". Is the latter alchohol by weight? - or is one of the labels wrong? Anyway, the beer pours with a golden colour and a large white head. The aroma is very Heineken-like, but somewhat better: Fresh aromatic hops with flowery and fruity notes (most BMC drinkers would probably call it "skunky"). Soft mouthfeel. The flavour has moderate but acceptable hops on a background of mellow and sweet pilsener malts. There’s a hint of honey. I’ve had worse pilseners than this one.

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

500 ml bottle, from the Norwegian importer. I hope this is the right HumanFish S.I.P.A. beer, no vintage nor the word "Harvest is mentioned on the label, which is different from the picture of the ordinary SIPA. ABV is 6.1%. Hops are Dana, Aurora and Cascade. Malts are Pale Ale, Munich and Aroma. Hazy reddish brown colour, large off-white head. Aroma of lightly roasted malts, piney and and grapefruity hops. Slightly dry flavour of roast malts and resinous hops, bitter finish.

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

500 ml bottle, from the Norwegian importer. ABV is 7.7%, 80 IBU. Hops are Dana, Aurora, Cascade, Citra, Amarillo and Galaxy. Malts are Pilsener only. Hazy brownish golden to orange colour (how did they get that colour with pilsener malts only?), large white head. Distinct aroma of piney and grapefruity hops. Fairly dry flavour with loads of piney and grapefruity hops, very bitter finish.

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

330 ml bottle, Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 8.4%. Black colour, minimal tan head. Aroma of roast malts, chocolate and vanilla. Roasty flavour, not too sweet, with chocolate, vanilla and coffee, decent hops. Very good beer.

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

340 ml green bottle, from Høkeren, Copenhagen. ABV is 8.5%. Pitch black colour, large and creamy brown head. The aroma has some roasty notes with hints of coffee, also distinct notes of smoke and old rope, hints of vanilla. Rich mouthfeel. Lovely flavour, medium sweet, roasted malts, coffee, molasses and dark chocolate, hints of liquorice, oak and vanilla, just a touch of smoke. Excellent stuff.

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

Bottle, at RBESG 2007 in Glasgow, Grand Tasting. Golden colour. Nice hoppy and spicy aroma. Hoppy and fruity flavour, a bit unbalanced. Still nice to know that the South Africans can brew better stuff than pale lagers.

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

Bottle, at RBESG 2007 in Glasgow, Grand Tasting. Very cloudy straw coloured beer. Nice fruity / citrussy and hoppy aroma and flavour, also notes of yeast and oak.

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

(330 ml bottle, bought in London). Pale golden colour, large thick head. Fruity melon-like aroma, flavour is typical industrial lager, a bit sweet. Not very interesting.

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

Shared 330 ml clear bottle, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. Pale golden colour, sparkling. Simple but nice apple aroma and flavour, medium dry but still some residual sweetness. Fair enough.

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

330 ml bottle, from Green Peas, Stavanger. ABV is 4.5%. Clear pale golden colour, moderate white head. Sweetish aroma of pilsener malts, starch, grass and candy. Fizzy mouthfeel. Medium sweet flavour with the same elements as the aroma, very moderate hops.

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

Oct. 2019: 330 ml bottle, from Green Peas, Stavanger. ABV is 4.3%. Crystal clear pale golden colour, moderate white head. Sweetish aroma of pilsener malts, grass and maize. Light bodied, citric mouthfeel. Sweet and citric flavour, notes of grass and maize again, a modest bitterness.

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

On tap at Cardinal, Stavanger. Reddish brown colour, off-white head. Fruity aroma and flavour, but in the more subdued British dark berry style (not the American citrus / tropical fruits style). There is also a distinct and sharpish bitterness throughout.

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

On tap at Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 6.5%. Orange colour, large white head. The aroma and the medium sour flavour have unsurprisingly notes of mango, apricot and passion fruit. Fairly refreshing.

Aroma: 5 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 3 | Flavor: 3 | Overall: 3

330 ml can, as San Miguel Especial Radler, from Coop Extra Sauda. ABV is 3.2%. Golden colour, moderate white head. Aroma of pilsener malts and lemonade. Citric flavour, notes of lemonade, a hint of pilsener malts.

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

330 ml bottle, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. ABV is 6.6%. Moderately hazy brownish-orange colour, moderate to small white head. Aroma of ripe yellow stonefruits, hints of dust and humid basement. Flavour of citrus and over-ripe yellow plums, also notes of pine needles and resin, moderate bitterness.

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

On tap at Cardinal, Stavanger. Hazy golden colour, moderate white head. Aroma of lactic acid and pithy fruits. Citric and medium sour flavour, notes of yellow stonefruits, particularly sour apricots. Refreshing.

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

On tap at Cardinal, Stavanger. Dark brown colour, off-white head. Malty and slightly roasty aroma, hints of caramel and nuts. Moderately roasty flavour, burnt breadcrumbs, hints of caramel and nuts again, not too sweet.

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

On tap at Cardinal, Stavanger. Hazy yellow colour, white head. Citric aroma and flavour, hints of yellow stonefruits. Not the usual Simcoe notes of resin and tomcat. Soft mouthfeel, easy drinking, nice.

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

On tap at Cardinal, Stavanger. Hazy pale yellow colour, white head. Citric aroma and flavour, also notes of pine and spruce. Light bodied, refreshing, fairly bitter finish.

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

On tap at Cardinal, Stavanger. Hazy yellow colour, white head. Fruity aroma and flavour, some sweetness but not too much, moderate bitterness. Nice beer.

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

On tap at Cardinal, Stavanger. Hazy golden colour, large white head. Aroma and flavour of citrus, tropical fruits and yellow stonefruits, not too sweet, soft mouthfeel, low bitterness. Good beer.

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

On tap at Cardinal, Stavanger. Pink colour, hardly any head. Aroma and flavour of berries, some lactic acid, but not extremely sour. Thin body. Easy to drink, easy to forget.

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

On tap at Cardinal, Stavanger. Opaque murky yellow colour, large white head. Moderate aroma, spicy hops, hints of apples. Medium dry flavour, spicy hops and apples again.

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

This one (5.4% ABV) is far better than their 4.5% version Premium Lager, The 5.4% version is quite malty, with a barely sufficient hoppiness. An acceptable premium lager, not great but well worth having with (or without) a meal in Spain. This rating is based on a bottle bought in Norway, had travelled well.