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

Jan. 2018: 500 ml bottle, from Ales By Mail. ABV is 5.5%. Brown colour, slightly hazy. Huge and lasting off-white head. Malty aroma, hints of lightly roasted malts too, some fruity and piney hops. The flavour has also decent malts, but is rather dry. Fairly distinct piney and grapefruity (American?) hops. Decent beer, but the the style is not very "British", nor very "Christmassy".

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

April 2013: 500 ml bottle conditioned, will soon be available at Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 5.2%. Auburn colour, moderate off-white head. Aroma of caramel, dark died fruits and "dusty" hops. Rich malty and earthy flavour, mild roasty notes, some caramel but not too sweet, dark dried fruits again, reasonably hoppy finish. Nice one.

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

April 2013: 500 ml bottle conditioned, from Vaaland, Bryne. ABV is 4.2%. Plenty of sediment in the bottle. Hazy very pale yellow colour, like a witbier. Large and lasting white head. Moderate wheaty and yeast aroma with some spicy and zesty notes. Refreshing wheaty flavour, with citrussy, herbal and spicy hops. Nice bitterness in the finish and aftertaste. However, this is not a traditional English "bitter" by any stretch of the mind.

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

April 2013: 500 ml bottle conditioned, Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 4.8%. The main label calls the beer a "rich ruby porter", while a side label calls it a "strong mild". Whatever - it is a decent beer anyway. Mahogany coloured beer, clear first, hazy when the yeast is poured in the end. Low beige head. Moderate natural carbonation. Malty aroma and flavour with mild roasty notes, hints of ripe berries, chocolate and mild coffee. Not very sweet, a moderate bitterness in the finish. Not bad, and "very English".

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

April 2013: 500 ml bottle conditioned, from Vaaland, Bryne. ABV is 4.5%. Plenty of sediment in the bottle. Very pale yellow colour, hazy. Moderate white head. Sweetish aroma with notes of grassy and herbal hops. The flavour is crisp and medium dry, with distinct herbal, peppery and citrussy hops throughout. Decent bitterness, refreshing.

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

Feb. 2016: 500 ml bottle, from Vaaland, Bryne. BB date 04.04.14. ABV is 4.2%. Golden colour, nearly clear. Moderate white head. Aroma of malts, dust, bread and some citrus. Soft mouthfeel. The flavour is medium dry, and very drinkable due to a moderate citrussy fruitiness throughout. The malts reveal that the beer is not very fresh, but it is still decent enough. Moderate hops in the aftertaste.

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

April 2013: 500 ml bottle conditioned, from Vaaland, Bryne. ABV is 4.2%. Golden colour, slightly hazy when the yeast is poured in, moderate white head. Aroma of hay, mild herbal spices, chocolate and dust, hints of smoke. The flavour has a mild fruity acidity, followed by chocolate, smoke and moderate hops. Apparently they have used some pale chocolate malt and a little smoked malt here. The smoke is probably there to celebrate the Severn Valley Railway. An unusual bitter, but not bad.

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

April 2013: 500 ml clear bottle, from Vaaland, Bryne. ABV is 3.6%. Very pale golden colour, moderate white head. Typical clear bottle "skunky" and Heineken-like aroma. Sharpish hoppy bitterness throughout, but little hop flavour besides the bitterness. No body to support the bitterness. Not a very nice beer, the poorest I’ve had from Hobsons so far. Won’t buy again.

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

August 2018: Cask half pint at The Lamplighter, St. Helier. Reddish brown colour. Spicy, herbal and malty aroma and flavour, hints of red berries. Very good beer, will buy again when I can.

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

Aug. 2018: Cask half pint at The Lamplighter, St. Helier. ABV was 4.2%. Golden colour, white head. Moderate aroma, some malts, a little fruit. Some fruit / berries and tingling hops in the flavour, much better than the bottled version. Sep. 2016: Shared 500 ml bottle, ABV 4.2%, bought in London. Golden colour, moderate hite head. Aroma of artificial candy / pear drops / crappy Swedish "pear" cider. Slightly sweet flavour, moderate hops, but the bad aroma ruins the drinking experience.

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

April 2015: Cask pint at the Sand Martin, Cardiff. Copper colour, lasting moderate head, slightly off-white. Moderate malty aroma, hints of toffee. Very smooth mouthfeel and flavour, moderately malty but not sweet, a slight fruitiness makes it very drinkable. Decent hops in the aftertaste.

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

Aug. 2013: 500 ml bottle, shared by a neighbour. ABV is 6.0%. Copper colour, moderate white head. Pleasant malty aroma and flavour with fruitcake, stewed fruits and some caramel. The hops are moderate, but nicely balanced. A typical English ESB / strong pale ale, much to my liking.

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

May 2016: 500 ml clear bottle, bought in London. ABV is 4.7%. Clear deep golden colour, large white head. Aroma of toffee and malts, hints of nuts. Smooth mouthfeel. The flavour has a moderate fruitiness which makes the beer very drinkable, again notes of toffee, malts and nuts. Some very moderate hops in the finish - would like some more hops, please.

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

June 2019: Cask halfpint, as Salem Ernest, at The Minster Tavern, Ely. ABV 3.8%. Golden colour, white head. Very moderate malty aroma. Fairly bland flavour, grainy and moderately malty, a hint of malt vinegar in the finish, modest and "dusty" hops.

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

April 2015: Cask half pint at Wetherspoons, Victoria Station, London. Reddish brown colour, small off-white head. Moderate fruity aroma. Very nice fruity and wheaty flavour, notes of blackcurrants, lime, lemons and grapefruit, some medium dark malts in the background. Moderate hops in the finish.

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

May 2016: 500 ml bottle, from Vinmonopolet Verksgt., Stavanger. ABV is 5.0%. Hops are Challenger, Bobek and Aurora. Deep golden colour, moderate to low white head. Pleasant aroma of herbal and fruity hops, also hints of toffee. The flavour has herbal and earthy hops, also some fruity, nutty and toffee notes. Enjoyable.

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

Oct. 2016: Cask 1/3 pint, gravity dispense, at the 16th Twickenham Beer & Cider Festival, Dark ruby / cola black colour, small beige head. Moderate roasty aroma, notes of mild coffee and dark chocolate. Pleasant and lively mouthfeel. Roasty flavour, coffee and dark chocolate again. Roasty aftertaste, some hops.

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

May 2019: Cask 1/3 pint at the 46th Cambridge Beer Festival, 2019 (not in the festival programme). Black colour, tan head. Roasty aroma and flavour, mild coffee notes.

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

April 2015: Cask half pint at The City Arms, Cardiff. Dark ruby colour, small beige head. Malty aroma, some mild roasty notes. Pleasant flavour of moderately roasted malts, some fruity notes too. A very drinkable dark mild! Would buy again.

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

Jan. 2018: 500 ml bottle, from Ales By Mail. ABV is 4.7%. Malts are Golden Promise, Malted Wheat, Roast Barley. Hops are Admiral, Northdown, Phoenix (all UK). Ingredients include orange peel, molasses and spices. Dark amber to copper colour, moderate head, slightly off-white. Aroma of spices, cloves, allspice and nutmeg come through. There might also be some cinnamon and ginger in there. Also hints of orange peel and caramel. The flavour is malty with a hint of caramel, but is not very sweet. It is also distinctly spicy (said spices, also hints of white pepper), with fruity notes of orange peel and dark dried fruits. Earthy English hops. Good beer.

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

Feb. 2018: 330 ml can, from Ales By Mail. ABV is 4.9%. Deep golden colour, slightly hazy. Large white head. Moderate aroma of fruity and piney American hops, some dust and grain. Refreshing flavour, fruity and piney hops, softened by oats. Nice bitterness.

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

Oct. 2013: 500 ml bottle, Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 5.6%. Hops are Cascade and Summit. Golden colour, large to moderate white head. Strong aroma of grassy hops, a hint of apricots. Moderate carbonation in the glass, smooth mouthfeel. The flavour is not too sweet, and distinctly hoppy throughout. Some toffee first, followed by a distinct grapefruity and resinous bitterness. The finish and aftertaste are very bitter. A decent IPA.

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

March 2020: Cask pint at Wetherspoon's, Victoria Station. Golden colour, white head. Moderate aroma, some citrus. Distinctly citrussy and bitter flavour, decent malt body for a 3.5% beer.

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

March 2014: Sample from bottle at hotel room tasting. ABV is 3.7%. Dark brown colour, moderate off-white head. Mild roasty notes in the aroma. Smooth and pleasant flavour, mild roasty notes, hints of mild coffee and chocolate, but not sweet. I could easily drink a few pints of this one. Will buy again.

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

March 2014: Shared bottle, as Ilkley Dinner Ale, at hotel room tasting. ABV is 3.3%. Deep golden colour. Aroma of malts, toffee and dust. Surprisingly hoppy flavour for a beer of this low ABV, quite nice, also noticeable malts. Might sample again.