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

500 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 4.8%. Deep golden colour, moderate white head. Moderate but pleasant fruity aroma of Challenger(?) hops, also notes of butterscotch and fudge, hints of candy. Light bodied, thin mouthfeel. The flavour belongs to a standard bitter (in a blind test I would probably have guessed that the ABV was closer to 4.0% than 4.8%), moderate malts and hops, slightly fruity - but the hops are certainly not plentiful enough to justify the label "IPA". The troops in India in Victorian times would probably not recognise this as an IPA - but the average bitter drinker in a modern English pub will probably be satisfied with this one as a "somewhat-stronger-than-average" session bitter.

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

330 ml bottle, bought at ICA Middelthon. ABV is 4.1%. Golden colour, moderate white head. Moderate hoppy aroma, notes of new-mown grass, a hint of honey. Soft mouthfeel, moderate carbonation. The flavour is distinctly hoppy throughout, with a resinous bitterness in the finish and aftertaste. Can’t detect the "passion fruit" though. OK beer.

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

500 ml bottle, now available in Norway (bought at Vaaland, Bryne). ABV is 4.2%. Amber coloured beer, moderate off-white head. Aroma of malts, English malt vinegar, fruits and silage. The flavour is malty but also very fruity, hints of berries and malt vinegar, "dusty" hops in the finish. Not really brilliant.

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

330 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 4.9%. Golden colour, moderate white head. Moderate carbonation in the glass. Pleasant aroma of fruity and grassy hops, notes of grapefruit. Zesty flavour with fruity hops (Amarillo), citrussy notes, ending in a formidable burst of bitterness, lingering into the long aftertaste. An excellent lager!

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

Cask at the Bishop’s Arms, Järntorget, Göteborg. Golden brown to copper coloured beer, moderate head. Nutty and moderately hoppy aroma. Nutty and hoppy flavour, also notes of toffee. "Frightfully English" - nice!

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

330 ml bottle, at Olympen, Oslo. ABV is 5.5%. Deep golden colour, moderate head. Very nice aroma of hops and caramel, hints of butterscotch. Fairly sweet, malty and fruity flavour, hints of toffee and butterscotch.

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

500 ml brown bottle, courtesy of Cardinal pub, Stavanger. ABV is 6.5%. Pours rather fizzy with a short-lived head, moderate carbonation in the glass. Clear golden colour. Moderate but pleasant aroma of cider apples and oak. Medium sweet apple flavour with a slightly tart finish. Distinct acidity.

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

500 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 6.5%. Contains sulphites. Pours very fizzy with a shortlived white head, the cider is pale golden, crystal clear. The initially aggressive carbonation soon subsides in the glass, and the mouthfeel is fairly soft. Aroma of cider apples and farmhouse kitchen, hints of oak. The flavour is of course dominated by cider apples and oak, sulphites are noticeable. Slightly astringent finish. Easy drinking.

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 5 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

500 ml clear screwcap bottle, now available in Norway at Vinmonopolet. ABV is 6.7%. Hazy with some sediment in the bottle. Pours hazy deep golden, no carbonation. Very nice aroma of cider apples, farmhouse kitchen and oak, hints of sulphites. The flavour is fairly dry, tart cider apples dominate, hints of spices, oak and sulphites. I must admit I’d like just a little carbonation for a "fresher" mouthfeel, but this is still a nice and drinkable cider, if your preferences are on the dry side. Personally I wouldn’t mind a bit more sweetness.

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

500 ml brown bottle, now available in Norway at Vinmonopolet. ABV is 6.3%. Pours very fizzy with a moderate white head that soon disappears. Golden colour. Moderate aroma of cider apples and oak. The flavour is very dry and tart, astringent finish. Notes of cider apples of course, hints of oak. Noticeable acidity with a hint of lemons. I can imagine this cider would go well with a dish of fat fish (salmon, trout, mackerel etc.) - on its own it is nearly too astringent for me.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 3 | Mouthfeel: 4 | Flavor: 5 | Overall: 4

500 ml clear bottle, bought at Systembolaget, Sweden. ABV is 5.2%. Deep golden to amber colour, moderate white head. Fairly strong artificial banana aroma, not very pleasant, kind of sickly actually. The flavour is somewhat better than the aroma, notes of artificial "banana" candy throughout, but the sweetness is not overpowering, and there are notes of malts, toffee and hops too. The finish is reasonably hoppy. Would I drink it again, if for free, in order not to insult the host? Yes I would. Will I (ever again) pay good money for it myself? No way!

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

330 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 6.0%. This is Old Tom blended with Fentimans Ginger Beer (the latter is actually not a beer at all, but a softdrink like "ginger ale" - only with REAL ginger as an ingredient). Mahogany coloured beer, big beige head. Distinct aroma of ginger, also fruity and slightly vinous notes, hints of caramel. The flavour is rich and sweet, a bit too much on the sugary side, with distinct notes of stem ginger in syrup. Some hops and a ginger burn in the finish. I definitely prefer the "ordinary" Old Tom to this one - and also Chocolate Tom if I need a change. However, Ginger Tom is far from undrinkable, if you happen to like ginger - which I fortunately do.

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

330 ml can, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. ABV is 9.5%. Reddish brown colour, moderate off-white head. Nice aroma of grapefruity and piney American hops, on a background of malts and toffee. The flavour is bitter and fairly sweet, notes of grapefruit and pine / resin again, also caramel and toffee. Hints of over-ripe stonefruits.

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

On tap at Cardinal, Stavanger. Hazy pale yellow colour, large white head. Pleasant aroma of citrus / lime and tropical fruits. Flavour with the same elements, moderate bitterness, refreshing and nice.

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

500 ml bottle conditioned, as St. Austell Hicks Traditional Strong Cornish Ale, from Vinmonopolet Sandnes Kvadrat. ABV is 5.0%. Clear reddish brown colour, small off-white head. Aroma of malts, toffee, caramel, roasted nuts, blackcurrants and prunes. Flavour with the same elements, and fairly distinct earthy hops, medium bitter finish.

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

May 2012: 500 ml bottle conditioned, new at Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 5%. Beautiful copper colour, moderate off-white head, nice lacing. Lovely aroma of fruity hops (Styrian Goldings and Cascade), also hints of spruce, caramel and ripe berries. The medium sweet flavour has a nice balance between the malts and hops, notes of caramel, toffee, sweet biscuits and ripe berries. A little more bittering hops in the finish would not hurt, but this is a very enjoyable ale as it is.

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

March 2020: Cask pint at the Argyll Arms, Soho. Deep copper colour, white to off-white head. Moderate aroma. Malty flavour, with some tingling fruity hops on the tongue. Nice beer.

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

500 ml bottle, from Vinmonopolet Sandnes Kvadrat. ABV is 5.2%. Copper colour, moderate head, slightly off-white. Aroma of malts, toffee and caramel. Flavour of malts, toffee, citric and earthy hops, not too sweet, well balanced, satisfying. Would buy again.

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

440 ml can, as Sureshot Milson Pale Ale, from Vinmonopolet Sandnes Kvadrat. ABV is 5.2%. Hazy / murky yellow colour, moderate white head. Pleasant aroma of mixed tropical fruits, also some citrus and sprucetips. Light bodied. More distinct citrus in the flavour, also hints of apricot, sprucetips and tropical fruits. Not too sweet, but the bitterness is too low.

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

Oct. 2020: 440 ml can, from Seven Cellars. ABV is 6.7%. Pale golden colour, only the slightest haziness. Large white head. Aroma of citrus and spicy trappist ale yeast - an unexpected but nice combination. The mouthfeel is maybe a bit thin for its strength. The flavour has again citrus and spicy Belgian ale yeast, also hints of tropical fruits. Slightly sweet start, dry finish - and the bitterness is moderate.

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

Sep. 2020: 440 ml can, from Seven Cellars. ABV is 5%. Dry hops are Ekuanot and Mosaic. Cloudy and very pale yellow colour, large white head. Distinct and pleasant aroma of citrus fruits and spruce, hints of tropical fruits and pine. Dry flavour, citric and piney, but the bitterness is too moderate.

Aroma: 3 | Appearance: 5 | Mouthfeel: 4 | Flavor: 4 | Overall: 3

440 ml can, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. ABV is 6.0%. Hazy orange to reddish colour, moderate but shortlived off-white head. Sickly sweetish aroma of vomit, cherries, over-ripe raspberries and heather flowers. Medium sour flavour of lactic acid and sour berries, a hint of honey. Low bitterness. Won't buy again.

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

500 ml bottle in cardboard box, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. ABV is 8.5%. Hops are Opus, Archer and CF185. Clear copper to amber colour, large off-white head. Aroma of malts, caramel, toffee and peach candy. The flavour has the same elements, also notes of caramelised marmalade, and decent bittering hops in the finish. Good beer, but not the very best vintage in this series. The mouthfeel is a bit fizzy, might profit from a year or two in the cellar.

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

Cask at Cardinal, Stavanger, sample at "Mandag i Annen". Brown colour, moderate head. Aroma and flavour of toffee, blackcurrant leaves and earthy hops. Nice.

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

On tap at Cardinal, Stavanger. Opaque and very pale yellow colour, moderate white head. Distinct fruity aroma with notes of peaches, apricots, citrus and tropical fruits, hints of sprucetips. Smooth and pleasant flavour with the same elements as the aroma, not too sweet. Enjoyable.