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

500 ml bottle conditioned, as Durham Magic IPA, only the side information reveals that this is White Magic. ABV is 7.0%. Bought at The Cheese & Wine Shop in Darlington. Pale golden colour, huge and lasting white head. Moderate aroma, notes of herbal hops and mild spices. High level of carbonation. Distinct spicy and hoppy flavour, some sweetish fruity notes too, and solid and rather sharp hoppy bitterness in the finish. The alcohol is not particularly well hidden. Would benefit from less carbonation and a more pronounced malty backbone to balance the bitterness, but is well worth sampling as it is.

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

330 ml bottle, from Selfridge’s food store, London, as Whitstable Oyster Stout. ABV is 4.5%. Pitch black colour, moderate to low tan head. The aroma is roasty with notes of smoke, tar and salt water, hints of coffee and dark chocolate. Smooth mouthfeel, light bodied. Dry flavour, roasty notes with coffee and smoke, moderate bitterness, slightly salty finish with a hint of liquorice. Pleasant to drink.

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

330 ml bottle conditioned, bought at The Cheese & Wine Shop, Darlington. ABV is 7.7%. Pitch black colour, big to moderate brown head. Roasty aroma with strong notes of coffee, hints of liquorice and ashes. The flavour is roasty and quite dry, again strong notes of coffee, hints of liquorice and dark bitter chocolate. Good stuff.

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

500 ml bottle, from Selfridge’s food store, London. ABV is 4.6%. Brown to copper colour, large off-white head. Aroma of malts, toffee and caramel. The flavour is medium sweet and malty with toffee, caramel and a little fruit. A sharpish hoppy bite in the finish.

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

500 ml bottle, from Selfridge’s food store, London. ABV is 5.5%. Very dark brown colour, large to moderate beige head. Nice malty aroma and flavour, notes of caramel, dark dried fruits and nuts, hints of chocolate. Rich mouthfeel. Moderate but noticeable hops in the finish. Well balanced and very enjoyable.

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

500 ml bottle conditioned, from Selfridge’s food store, London. ABV is 4.8%. Clear golden / yellow colour (not clouded at all), large white head. Fairly strong and nice aroma of grassy and herbal hops, also spices. The flavour is spicy and herbal, but not overdone - still quite interesting. Fairly light bodied and easy drinking.

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

500 ml bottle conditioned, from Selfridge’s food store, London. ABV is 5%. Cloudy amber colour, large white head. Nice aroma and flavour of piney, resinous and grapefruity American hops throughout. Medium sweet, good bitterness in the finish. Quite enjoyable.

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

250 ml bottle conditioned, 2010 Vintage, will soon be available at Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 12.9%. Cloudy brown colour, minimal beige head, minimal carbonation. Intense and extremely malty and sweetish aroma, notes of oak, and molasses, hints of dark dried fruits. Warming mouthfeel. Intense flavour, strong notes of molasses, oak and extremely thick malt extract, also notes of cough syrup, liquorice and cigar tobacco. Some hoppy biterness in the finish. This a beer that probably requires 5 - 10 years’ cellaring to (hopefully) obtain a rounded and harmonious character. As "raw" as it is now, it is just too extreme.

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

500 ml bottle, Vintage 2009, bottle No. 070845, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 8.5%. Amber to copper colour, large to moderate off-white head. Nice vinous aroma, strong notes of raisins, also hints of other dark dried fruits and toffee. Lovely vinous flavour, notes of raisins, figs and oak, malts including some caramel, moderate hops.

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

Cask at The Hogshead, Ipswich (while it was still brewed by Gale's). Deep amber to brown colour. Moderate aroma of English malt vinegar and plums. The flavour is dusty malty with notes of malt vinegar and sour fruits. Dusty hops finish.

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

Bottle conditioned, 500 ml. ABV is 5.3%. Bought in Sweden at Systembolaget. BB date 23/Mar/11. Deep golden colour, big to moderate white head. Pleasant aroma of hops, wood and rum-raisin. Lovely flavour, very well balanced between a distinct malty and fruity sweetness and equally distinct hops. Just the right bitterness in the finish. Brilliant stuff.

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

500 ml bottle, Vintage 2010, bottle No. 036761, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 8.5%. Beautiful clear amber colour, large to moderate off-white head. Surprisingly moderate aroma, notes of "dusty" hops, some oaky and vinous notes in the background. The flavour is oaky and medium sweet, with hints of dark dried fruits, but also with distinct notes of Target and Goldings hops. Highly drinkable as it is now, but will no doubt mellow and mature with time.

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

500 ml bottle in cardboard box, as Fuller’s Brewer’s Reserve No. 2 Limited Edition Oak Aged Ale. Matured in Cognac casks. ABV is 8.2%. Will soon be available at Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. Bottle No. 01886. Copper colour, large off-white head. Fine vinous and oaky aroma, notes of cognac and old sherry, also notes of raisins and other dark dried fruits, some caramel. The flavour is distinctly oaky, with an initial slight acidity on the tip of the tongue. Notes of cognac, hints of dark dried fruits, chocolate and vanilla, but the beer is not too sweet. Moderately bitter finish. Good stuff!

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 6

355 ml bottle, from Voldby Købmandsgård, Denmark. ABV is 5.1%. Deep red colour, large pink head. Strong aroma of ripe raspberries and raspberry jam. The sweet and sour flavour has loads of raspberry extract / concentrate throughout, slightly astringent finish, with a hint of hops. Certainly not my everyday beer, but drinkable on a day you’re in for "something completely different".

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

355 ml bottle, from Voldby Købmandsgård, Denmark. ABV is 5.1%. The colour is more brown than red, with a moderate off-white head. Strong aroma of strawberry jam and artificial "strawberry" candy, not fresh strawberries. The flavour has also notes of strawberry jam, but is not quite as sweet as I feared, and there are actually some hints of malts and hops to remind you that this is a beer. Refreshing when cold.

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

500 ml bottle conditioned, from Voldby Købmandsgård, Denmark. ABV is 5.2%. Deep golden colour, large to moderate head, slightly off-white. Fairly nice aroma, malts, toffee, ripe fruits. The flavour is fairly dry, some malts, biscuits and a little fruit, moderate "dusty" English hops in the finish. Drinkable, but not exceptional in any way.

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

500 ml can, from Dagli’brugsen Skødstrup, Denmark. ABV of the pasteurised bottled/canned version is 4.7%. This is a premium bitter, not an Old Ale. Amber to copper colour, large off-white head. Moderate but nice fruity aroma, also notes of toffee. The flavour is fruity, with some caramel and decent hops in the background. Much better than I feared.

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

500 ml clear bottle, from Voldby Købmandsgård, Denmark. ABV is 7%. Black colour, large tan head. Roasty aroma with notes of coffee, hints of dark chocolate and woodwork, also an initial hint of fruity acidity. Fairly smooth mouthfeel. The flavour is medium sweet with notes of dark malts, coffee, chocolate and molasses. Some fruitiness too, but the bitterness is quite moderate. Pretty good stuff.

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

330 ml bottle, as BrewDog Hops Kill ? Imperial Red Ale, from Vinmonopolet. ABV is 7.8%. Mahogany coloured beer, moderate but creamy off-white head. Lovely aroma of fruity hops, notes of crushed gooseberries, citrus and tropical fruits, hints of herbs. The flavour is distinctly hoppy throughout, with fruity and piney notes, bitter but not too much. There is also a sufficient malty sweetness to balance the hops. This is one of BrewDog’s better beers.

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

500 ml bottle, from Vaaland, Bryne. ABV is 4.1%. Crystal clear pale golden colour, large to moderate white head. As the beer is hopped with Nelson Sauvin, Amarillo, Styrian and Cascade, I expected the aroma to be something special, but it isn’t - just grassy notes on a background of malt sugar. Soft mouthfeel. The flavour is clean, medium sweet and tolerably well hopped for a pale lager - yes, this is a lager, and not much of a "hybrid". At 33 IBU it is hardly an IPA by any stretch of the mind. Grassy finish. Drinkable, but won’t buy again.

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

500 ml bottle, from Vaaland, Bryne. ABV is 4.3%. Reddish brown colour, moderate white (or slightly off-white) head. Malty aroma (munich and dark crystal are noticeable), also fruity notes (red fruits jam). The flavour has noticeable munich malts, but is not very sweet. Notes of brown bread toast. Also fruity notes and decent hops throughout. I like it - might well buy again.

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

500 ml bottle, from the importer. ABV is 4.1%.Crystal clear / very pale yellow colour, moderate white head. Grassy and floral aroma, hints of honey. Light bodied. Fairly refreshing and dry flavour with decent hops throughout.. An acceptable summer ale.

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

On tap at HaandBryggeriet Beer Festival, Drammen. Pitch black colour, low tan head. Roasty aroma and flavour, coffee and some malty sweetness, notes of oak / bourbon barrel (more in the flavour than in the aroma). Good beer.

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

On tap at HaandBryggeriet Beer Festival. Reddish brown colour, moderate white head. Strong aroma of piney and resinous American hops, hints of grapefruit and catpiss. The flavour is also hoppy with resinous and piney notes.

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

On tap at HaandBryggeriet Beer Festival. Golden colour, moderate white head. Aroma of piney and citrussy American hops. Piney and resinous flavour. Quite good beer.