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

700 ml bottle, b.b. date (handwritten on each bottle!) is 21.3.05. Poured carefully and got an initially clear brown ale with a large and lasting head, hazy in the next pour when the yeast was disturbed. Intense hoppy aroma on a background of malts and dried fruits. Flavour is malty sweet with strong chocolate notes, also notes of caramel and nuts, hints of spices. Fizzy mouthfeel. Not a bad beer this one.

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

Bottle, RBESG 2005, Grand Tasting. Cloudy golden colour. Elderflower aroma. Refreshing elderflower and cloves + coriander flavour. The high ABV is well hidden.

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

500 ml bottle, bought in Denmark, as B.B. (Budweis Bohemia) Dark (red label). The brown labeled 4.1% version was sold side by side. Pours copper coloured (darker than the 4.1% version), good light tan head. Aroma of caramel malts but also fruity aromatic hops. Flavour is one-dimensional caramel malts, a bit too sweet (even sweeter than the weaker version) but still drinkable.

Aroma: 10 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 6

Draught at the brewpub / restaurant. Black (= very dark brown) colour, good creamy head. Moderate roasty aroma with notes of chocolate and liquorice. Very moderate flavour with roastiness and some caramel, minimal hops. Moderate rye bread aftertaste. I’m not that impressed.

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

Draught at the brewpub. ABV was said to be 4.7%. Cloudy brownish golden colour. Lovely yeasty hefe aroma, "banana split" caramel candy and cloves. Typical hefe flavour, fairly dry. Slightly too bland and watery. It being served ICE cold probably didn’t help.

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

Draught at Carlsen’s Kvarter, Odense. Served too cold. Chestnut colour. Aroma and flavour are very fruity (plums), nearly acidic / vinegary. Decent maltiness, notes of English malt vinegar. Minimal hops. Refreshing and pleasant to drink. Acidic even in the finish, but a wormwoodlike bitterness pops up in the aftertaste.

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

500 ml bottle, bought in Denmark. Deep reddish brown colour, not as dark as many other Baltic porters, large light brown head. Malty sweet aroma, hints of roastiness, dried dark fruits and bakery. Very sweet and malty flavour, verging on "cloying" but is not over the hilltop. Just enough hops to keep my interest. Mellow and rounded mouthfeel, again associations of something out of a bakery. Faint hints of roastiness and coffee in the background. I’m not quite sure what to make of this beer - maybe too sweet, but still pleasant enough to convince me to buy it again on a day my "sweet tooth" needs to be satisfied.

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

500 ml bottle, bought in Bier Spezi Hamburg. Hazy orange colour, pours with the typical hefeweizen enormous head. Spicy aroma (cloves and more), hints of leather and ammonium too. Typical hefeweizen flavour but not quite as full as I desired. Rather dry, minimal hops. Fizzy and slightly dusty mouthfeel. Decent, but not the best h.w. I’ve had.

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

500 ml bottle, bought in Bier Spezi Hamburg. ABV is 7.5%. Reddish amber colour, large orange to light tan head. Surprisingly alcoholic aroma, elements of molasses, caramel and syrup, hints of dried dark fruits, port wine and oak. Flavour is also rather alcoholic, malty sweet (a little too sweet for me) with plenty of caramel and molasses, a herbal spiciness and moderate hops in the finish. Not nearly as good as the much darker Weltenburger Kloster Asam Bock, but still a very powerful beer in any way. Definitely a "winter warmer".

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

500 ml heavy dark green swingtop bottle, cool. Bought in Bier Spezi, Hamburg. Amber colour, large to moderate off-white head. Lovely hoppy aroma when pouring, not equally impressive in the glass. For something from Germany called "Bitterbier" I kind of expected a hoppy explosion, but the bitterness is actually very moderate. Still, some hops are around, and they are quite well balanced with the malts. Hints of caramel and a certain herbal spiciness too. Unusual style for Germany, but not really remarkable.

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

330 ml bottle, in France. Deep brown colour, decent tan head. Flavour is malty with some caramel, fairly sweet. Smooth and nice to drink. Hardly any bitterness at all.

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

330 ml bottle, at de Klomp, Nice, France. Deep ruby colour, large head. Malty sweet aroma, notes of caramel. Malty sweet flavour, notes of molasses and sweet wine.

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

330 ml green bottle, now available in Norway (Vinmonopolet). Crystal clear pale golden colour, large and lasting head, leaves a nice lacing. Aroma has surprisingly much (for a pilsener, that is) malty sweetness, some aromatic hops too. Notes of grass, hay and honey. Flavour has distinct and very good hops, balanced by a mellow maltiness in the background. Bitter aftertaste. A very good pils in my book, as far as pilseners go. The multinational brewers of cheap pale lager swill have something to learn here! Like all beers from Neumarkter Lammsbräu, it is organic.

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

250 ml bottle, now available in Norway (Vinmonopolet). Hazy pale golden colour, large foamy and lingering head. Very nice fruity, yeasty and spicy aroma, hints of oak and barnyard. Light bodied, initially fruity (citrus) and peppery flavour, then a distinct wormwood-like bitterness takes over, and dominates the finish and aftertaste.

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

330 ml blue bottle, bought in France. Hazy pale golden colour, large to small head. Pleasant aroma of coriander and citrus. Flavour is very citrussy (lemons) with moderate coriander notes, fruity sour more than sweet. Refreshing. Sourish dry and short finish. Okay.

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

500 ml can, bought in France. ABV is 7.5%. Deep amber colour, nearly clear. Large off-white head. Pleasant malty aroma with notes of aromatic hops, leather and oak. Malty and oaky flavour with tolerable hops, notes of toffee and caramel. Not bad at all for a canned beer!

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

500 ml bottle, batch #28. Bottle conditioned. Very cloudy brownish colour, moderate but lasting off-white head. Pleasant aroma of aromatic hops, hints of cider apples and leather, even some barnyard. Flavour has some malty and brown sugar sweetness, but also a distinct peppery and resinous bitterness. Peppery mouthfeel. Long bitter aftertaste. Will probably improve with age.

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

500 ml bottle, as "Duckstein Rotblondes Oberbräu", bought at KaDeWe, Berlin. Seems to be brewed at Holsten Brauerei, Hamburg (my bottle), as well as Feldschlösschen Braunschweig (both Carlsberg owned). Amber colour, large and lasting off-white head, some lacing. Caramel aroma with some flowery aromatic hops, notes of brown bread too. Moderate carbonation, soft malty flavour wth some brown bread notes, decent hops in the finish. Pleasant and easy drinking "altbier" (well, it’s top fermented, and it’s German).

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

330 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal, Stavanger. Cloudy honey coloured beer, moderate head. Distinct and pleasant Saazer hops aroma. Flavour is moderately malty with yeasty notes, moderate but pleasant hops.

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

330 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal, Stavanger. Hazy deep reddish brown colour, minimal head. LOVELY aroma of red berries, honey and flowers. Pleasant malty flavour with caramel notes, but not really sweet. Mouthfeel maybe a bit thin, very moderate hops.

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

330 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal, Stavanger. Cloudy honey coloured, minimal head. Intense flowery / honey aroma, very nice. Moderate carbonation. Mellow and well rounded flavour, honey notes, moderate yeastiness. Pleasant beer, easy drinking, but a little more hops wouldn’t hurt.

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

Draught at the brewpub. EBC 4.8, IBU 13.5. Hops used are Saaz, Perle and Nugget. Very pale golden colour, slightly hazy. Lovely flowery aroma and flavour. Light bodied, reasonably bitter finish. Decent pils.

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

Draught at the brewpub. EBC 61, IBU 18. Hops used: Cascade. Too carbonated for my taste, served far too cold. Dark ruby colour. Fruity (plums) aroma, like many English porters. Roast malty flavour, rather dry. Quite bitter finish, both from the roast malts and plenty of Cascade hops.

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

500 ml bottle, now available in Norway (Vinmonopolet). Reddish brown colour, large and creamy off-white head. Bakery aroma, notes of brown bread and moderate hops. Flavour is also bready with distinct notes of caramel, sweetish with a hoppy and alcoholic bite in the finish. Not the best beer in the world, but much better than I feared.

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

330 ml bottle, Vinmonopolet. Typical hefeweizen appearance, cloudy golden colour, large head. Lovely h.w. aroma, cloves and ripe bananas abound, hints of leather, wood and ammonium. Soft flavour and mouthfeel, I want a litlle more "spritziness" from a h.w., but this is still a drinkable beer. Too expensive compared to other h.w.s available in Norway.