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

330 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger, as "Tamamura Honten Nøgne Ø Not So Mild Ale - Harvest Brew Fresh Hop" (the rest of the info on the label is in Japanese). Murky dark brown colour, moderate to low greyish beige head. Nice but moderate aroma of mild ale malts, chocolate malts and some fruity hops. The flavour is fairly fruity, but has also a moderate roastiness with mild coffee and chocolate notes. The finish has sufficient hops to make it "not so mild". No masterpiece perhaps, but highly drinkable.

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

330 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 7.5%. Deep golden to amber colour, slightly hazy, big off-white head. Pleasant aroma of flowery and fruity hops, hints of cedar wood. The flavour has first a substantial malty sweetness with some notes of caramel and wood, followed by a distinct hoppy bitterness in the finish and a wormwoodlike bite in the aftertaste. An unusual balance of the flavour elements, but quite good.

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

330 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 7%. Amber colour, slightly hazy, big off-white head. Nice aroma of fresh ginger and fruity and flowery hops, hints of lemongrass. The flavour is malty sweet with ginger as the dominant element throughout, hints of sweet fruits and candy. The finish is drier, with moderate hops. A fairly good beer if you like ginger (I do) - but if you hate ginger or are allergic to it, you are looking for trouble here.

Aroma: 10 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 10 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 9

330 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 7.5%. Pitch black colour, big brown head. Nice roasty aroma, notes of coffee and chocolate, hints of dark fruits and vanilla. The flavour has a distinct roasty character with strong notes of espresso coffee and dark bitter chocolate, some malty sweetness, bitter finish. Excellent rich mouthfeel.

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

330 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 7%. Pale brown colour with a reddish hue, big off-white head. Aroma of malts and rice, hints of caramel, also some sweetish and somewhat strange notes of undefined fruit. The flavour has a sweet mix of malts and some strange undefined fruit again, low bitterness, alcohol is noticeable. Some hops in the aftertaste. Well worth sampling.

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

330 ml bottle, as Tamamura Honten Miyama Blonde (Harvest Brew - Fresh Hop), courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 7.0%. Pale straw coloured beer, hazy. Decent white head. Moderate but nice aroma of Belgian ale yeast and citrus, hints of mild spices. Fresh and zesty flavour with distinct spicy notes, hints of citrus. Peppery and hoppy bitter finish and aftertaste.

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

330ml bottle, as Tamamura Honten House IPA, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 8.0%. Deep golden to brownish orange colour, moderate white head. Aroma of earth, wood and slightly stale orange marmalade, fruity and resinous hops. The flavour has first a rich malty and fruity sweetness, then powerful American(?) hops take over with loads of resinous and grapefruity bitterness. Enough sweetness remains to balance some of the bitterness. Clearly a real treat for the hopheads.

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

330 ml bottle, as Tamamura Honten Wheat Wine of Shiga Kogen. ABV is 9.5%. Hazy brownish golden colour, moderate white head. Sweetish aroma with notes of marzipan, candy, caramel, alcohol and decaying fruits. The flavour is sweet and alcoholic with notes of caramel, but also strong notes of fruity American(?) hops, with a fairly bitter finish and long aftertaste.

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

330 ml bottle, vintage 2007, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 6.5%. Hazy brownish orange colour, big and lasting off-white head with a pale orange hue. Fairly strong sweetish aroma with notes of candied fruits (figs, actually), caramel and malts, hints of cinnamon. The flavour has notes of cinnamon and other mild spices, figs, caramel and malts, great sweetness nicely balanced by decent hops in the finish. Some alcoholic warmth, but not dominant. Some wood in the aftertaste. An interesting beer, pleasant to drink.

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

633 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 5%. Deep copper coloured beer, big off-white head. Interesting aroma of malts, dark bread, caramel and ripe fruits, hints of wood. The flavour is fruity with a noticeable acidity, also notes of wood and brown bread, hints of caramel. Moderate hops in the finish. I’ve had better, I’ve had worse.

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

633 ml bottle, vintage 2009, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 6%. Deep golden to amber colour, big and lasting off-white head. Interesting and unusual fruity aroma, which probably is due to the biwa fruit, but also fruity hops. The flavour is zesty and fruity, but not very sweet nor sour, with distinct hops in the dry finish. Some woody notes in the aftertaste. A very drinkable beer!

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

633 ml bottle, as Baird Beer Japan Tale Ale 2009, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 6%. Cloudy pale brownish yellow colour, big to moderate white head. Pleasant fruity aroma, notes of plums and citrus, also sweetish malts, hints of caramel and wood. The flavour is very fruity and fairly sweet, notes of plums and citrus again, with a mild spiciness in the finish.

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

330 ml bottle, bought in Norway at Vinmonopolet. ABV is 5.0%. Brewed by "Wells & Young’s Brewing Co. Ltd., Bedford, UK for and under license from Kirin Brewery Co. Ltd., Tokyo, Japan". Website www.kirineurope.com . Crystal clear very pale golden colour, large and lingering head. Fairly strong sweetish fruity and flowery aroma, notes of artificial candy, hints of grass and honey. Fairly bland and dry flavour but not offensive, very moderate hops. Moderate carbonation, soft mouthfeel. Not very interesting.

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

Oct. 2005: 330 ml bottle, as "Sapporo Premium Lager", brewed "under license in the EU". Ingredients are water, malts, hops and hop extract - no maize (corn) or rice here. Different recipe? Bought in Norway at Ultra. ABV here is 4.7%, to comply with our 4.75% upper limit for beers sold in grocery stores. Pale golden colour, large head. Flowery sweet aroma, not unpleasant. Flavour is surprisingly clean tasting, no sign of adjuncts and off-flavours, tolerable hops. Well, it’s a light bodied pale lager - I don’t expect miracles, but it sure was a lot better than I feared.

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

Rerate, cask half pint at The Lamplighter, St Helier. Served at correct cellar temperature. Golden colour, nice lacing. Moderate hops in the aroma. Tingling hops in the fairly dry and pleasant flavour, some fruit. I'm upping the score a bit. Original rating: Cask pint at the Ship & Crown, St. Peter’s Port, Guernsey. Golden colour, low white head. Very moderate aroma, not as hoppy as expected. Decent hops throughout in the flavour, some malts too. Smooth to drink. (Score: 3.1).

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

Shared 330 ml can, possibly dated, at local tasting. Golden colour, small white head. "Neutral" pale lager aroma. Neutral flavour too, only a slight sweetness, very moderate hops. Boring, but no off-flavours.

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

Shared 500 ml can at local tasting. ABV is 7.2%. Golden colour, low white head. Strong sweetish aroma of artificial candy. Sweet flavour, notes of maize and alcohol.

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

Nov. 2012: Shared 500 ml bottle, from Voldby Købmandsgård. ABV is 4.2%. Pale golden colour, low white head. Very moderate aroma, some sweetish and grainy, hints of hay. At least it is not offensive. Light bodied as expected. Clean pilsener flavour, too little of everything, but again: not offensive. Might work well in the Kenyan heat, not on a late autumn day in Norway.

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

Shared 330 ml bottle at local tasting. ABV is 6.5%. Dark reddish brown colour, moderate off-white head. Unusual aroma, marzipan / artificial almond flavouring, some caramel and rice. The flavour has some caramel malts, but is not very sweet. Hints of almond essence again. Esoteric, but not a great beer.

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

(500 ml bottle). Dark ruby colour. Good light tan head. Interesting vinous aroma of raisins, blackberries, ensilage, seaweed and some coffee. Full, rich and smooth flavour - but unfortunately too sweet. Like a good cup of coffee with too much sugar. Syrup battles with a nice roastiness in the aftertaste. Still, an interesting Latvian aquaintance - well worth sampling.

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

330 ml bottle, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. ABV is 8.6%. Pitch black colour, moderate tan head. Aroma of roast malts, chocolate and mild coffee. Rich flavour with the same elements as the aroma, the coffee notes are now stronger, also distinct notes of bittering hops in the finish, some sweetness and a hint of smoke.

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

1,5 liter brown PET bottle, with a Norwegian label, as Tervete Baltika Kwas, from an immigrant's store in Jørpeland. ABV is not mentioned on the bottle, but the kwas is brewed on malts and naturally fermented. Very dark brown, nearly black, pours sparkling with a shortlived tan head. Aroma of black rye bread, with a hint of caramel. Moderate carbonation in the mouth. Medium sweet flavour with notes of sugar, caramel, prunes and dark rye bread. Fairly drinkable.

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

750 ml corked bottle, from Vinmonopolet, nettbutikken. ABV is 10%. Deep golden colour, no carbonation. Aroma of apple pie (apples, cinnamon and other spices). Very sweet flavour, too sweet for me, with the same elements as the aroma. A little fruity acidity would have helped. Probably intended to be drunk as a mulled cider.

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

500 ml bottle, brought to a tasting by someone who had bought it in Riga. ABV was 6%. At first I thought that he was pulling my leg, and that the content of the bottle really was a "radler" (cola beermix). Apparently it was the real thing. Reddish brown colour, low head. Minimal aroma, hints of cola. Flavour of RC Cola and cinnamon - weird. Not my idea of a Baltic porter.

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

500 ml can, on the Air Baltic flight from Stavanger to Riga. ABV is 4.8%. Amber colour, large head. Pleasant fruity and malty aroma. Relatively malty flavour with low bitterness. This is supposed to be a "live beer" (= unpasteurised).