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

Bottle, at RBESG 2007 in Glasgow, Grand Tasting. Reddish brown colour. Hoppy aroma with oaky and vinous notes. Very malty, sweet and alcoholic flavour.

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

Cask conditioned at The Three Judges, Glasgow. Very dark ruby colour, nearly black. Moderate roasty and malty aroma, hints of liquorice. The flavour is moderately roasty and fairly dry, notes of thin coffee.

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

Cask conditioned at The Three Judges, Glasgow. Copper coloured beer. Malty and fruity sweetish aroma, notes of red berries. The flavour is also malty sweet and fruity, hints of blackcurrants. Minimal bitterness. A bit too much on the sweet side for me, but not bad.

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

Rerate, 330 ml bottle, batch #4, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 6.5%. BB 03.09. When opening the bottle, the beer starts pouring out by itself. Very cloudy / murky brown colour, huge beige head. The aroma is malty and "raw", notes of hops, juniper and damp forest too. The flavour is much better than previous batches: hoppy and piney flavour, notes of juniper too, not too acidic. Distinct bitterness. Reminiscent of traditional homebrew. I’m upping it several points. Original rating: 330 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal pub, Stavanger. Brew nr. 1 from this new Norwegian micro brewery. Called an "ESB spesial". BB date 1.7.08. ABV is 6.5%. Thick sediment in the bottle. Orange colour, clear first, cloudy when the sediment is poured in. Large and lasting off-white head with an orangey hue. Distinctly hoppy aroma, notes of yeast, hints of oak and barnyard. The flavour is very acidic, (nearly) closer to a lambic than an ESB. Is there a severe infection problem here? I can’t believe they intended the beer to come out like this - and cellaring it will surely not help. Still drinkable, when you get used to the acidity. There’s a certain hoppy bite in the finish.

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

550 ml brown bottle, winter 2007-2008, now available in Norway (Vinmonopolet). BB end of August 08. ABV is 6.0%. Clear amber colour, huge off-white head. Moderate malty aroma, notes of caramel, toffee and biscuits. The flavour is also moderately malty and quite sweet, with notes of treacle, toffee and hints of oak. Moderate hops in the finish. Nothing wrong with it, but not really outstanding. It is quite obvious that this beer is not bottle conditioned.

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

Sampled bottle, RBNAG 2007 in Grimstad. ABV was 4.8%. Deep golden colour, low head. Nice hoppy aroma. Tolerably hoppy flavour. Not bad this one, but not really a demanding beer.

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

Sampled bottle, RBNAG 2007 in Grimstad. This steam beer has a deep golden colour and pours with a huge head. Fairly hoppy aroma. Hoppy flavour with some resinous and "cellar / homebrew" notes.

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

Sampled bottle, RBNAG 2007 in Grimstad. ABV was 9%. Hazy golden colour. Unusual perfumed aroma, hints of anis. Anis in the flavour too. Nice enough, but not the best tripel I’ve had.

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

Sampled bottle, RBNAG 2007 in Grimstad. ABV was 8.0%. Brown colour. Sweetish malty aroma, not bad. Moderately malty flavour, hoppy finish. A fairly decent and strong Danish bock.

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

Sampled bottle, RBNAG 2007 in Grimstad. TV2 Øst Bryg No. 17, ABV was 7%. Dark brown colour. Malty sweet aroma and flavour, hints of oak. (AFAIK, this beer was brewed when a regional TV channel, TV2 Øst, made a program about this tiny micro brewery.)

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

Sampled bottle, RBNAG 2007 in Grimstad. ABV was 11.03%. Black colour. Sweetish and sickly aroma of molasses, malt syrup, ?, spices and tar. Intensely sweet and tarry flavour with a substantial bitterness. Overkill.

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

500 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal pub, Stavanger. ABV is 5.5. Deep golden colour, large head. Nice aroma for a golden lager: fruity and floral hops with moderate malts. The flavour is fairly malty and well rounded, some sweetness, balanced by moderate hops. Soft mouthfeel. A decent lager, well above average.

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

500 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal pub, Stavanger. ABV is 4.6%. Like all Svaneke / Bornholmer Bryg beers it is unfiltered, but the bottles are now pasteurised. (The beers are still available unpasteurised on tap in the brewpub.) Pale yellow colour, hazy. Large and lasting head. Pleasant aroma and flavour of flowery and fruity hops (3 different kinds are used, they don’t say which ones, my guess is Hallertauer Mittelfrüh, Tettnang and Spalt), there is a subtle base of pilsener malts, hints of honey. Some bitterness in the finish and aftertaste. Soft mouthfeel, very pleasant to drink. A pilsener well above average.

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

500 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal pub, Stavanger. ABV is 4.6%. Like all Svaneke / Bornholmer Bryg beers it is unfiltered, but the bottles are now pasteurised. (The beers are still available unpasteurised on tap in the brewpub.) Hazy golden colour, large and lasting off-white head. Moderate but pleasant aroma of floral hops, also notes of malts, hints of honey. The flavour has moderate but nice hops on a decent malty base, hints of nuts and toffee. Soft mouthfeel, very pleasant to drink.

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

375 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal pub, Stavanger. Bottle conditioned, sediment in bottle. In the first pour the beer is crystal clear golden, hazy in the final pour. Sparkling indeed, but when the initial huge head subsides a little, the carbonation in the glass is not too bad. Fruity aroma with notes of spices. The flavour is also fruity and moderately spicy. Alcohol is noticeable but not disturbing, the beer is fairly light bodied and easy drinking.

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

500 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal pub, Stavanger. ABV is 6.5%. Mahogany coloured beer, large beige head. INTENSE and pretty extreme aroma of smoked meat and burnt-out ruins of wooden houses, hints of tar. The flavour is also intensely smoky, but there is also a malty sweetness to back it up. Moderate hops in the finish. You have to be impressed (one way or another) by this beer - but I have trouble deciding if I really LIKE the overwhelming smokiness. I know a lot of people LOVE it - I’ll just say: Give it a try!

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

500 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal pub, Stavanger. ABV is 5.4%. Deep golden brown to amber colour, large off-white head. Moderately spicy aroma, quite nice, with some notes of bakery, also a certain fruitiness. The flavour is quite fruity but also distinctly malty, notes of toffee and mild spices, decent hops in the finish. A lager well above average! A bit too much carbonation for my taste though.

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

On tap at the brewpub. The ABV (2007 batch) was said to be 5.0%. Beautiful dark ruby colour, low head. The aroma has dark fruits, moderate malts and hints of spices. The flavour has some burnt caramel and is fairly malty, with some smokiness and hints of tar, dry finish. Nice.

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

500 ml bottle, at Internasjonalen, Oslo. ABV was 4.8%. Organic, unfiltered, unpasteurised. Golden colour, moderate head. Cloudy when the sediment is poured. Moderate hops in the aroma, some flowery and honey notes. Refreshing hoppy flavour, well above average for a pilsener.

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

500 ml bottle, from Integrated Bottling Solutions, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. Freeminer may well be the actual brewery, but it is not mentioned on the label. Bottle conditioned, ABV is 4.0%. Deep golden to brown colour with a slight haziness, moderate white head. Pleasant hoppy aroma with floral notes, also some moderate malty / grainy notes. The flavour is moderately fruity og malty with a touch of caramel, some hoppy bitterness in the finish and aftertaste.

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

500 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 5.6%. Copper coloured beer with a decent beige head. Interesting aroma of lightly roasted malts, caramel and fruit. The flavour is very malty and sweet (the maltose syrup shows its presence), but there is also some fruitiness. Plenty of caramel, hints of rye bread. Low bitterness. A bit too much sweetness for me, but definitely drinkable.

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

500 ml bottle, bought at Maxi Stormarked, Sandnes. Batch 151. ABV is 4.5%. Cloudy yellow colour, big to moderate white head. Nice and strong yeasty aroma with spicy and herbal notes, hints of citrus. Spritzy mouthfeel, high level of carbonation. The flavour is also spicy, even peppery, but the yeast is a bit too dominant. Still a beer I’ll most likely buy again.

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

Cask at the GBBF 2008, gravity dispense. Pitch black colour, minimal head. Nice roasted aroma, notes of coffee. The flavour is also roasty with notes of coffee, but the mouthfeel is a bit thin. Fairly dry. Some hints of liquorice and dark bitter chocolate, but not really impressive. Rather "dead" finish with a moderate bitterness.

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

500 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 8.5%. Vintage 2006, bottled March 2008, BB March 2010. (This beer is also imported to USA by Shelton Brothers.) Cloudy dark reddish brown colour, big tan head. Intense aroma of red wine vinegar and oak. The flavour is VERY sour (too sour), with oaky notes and a sharp and lemony finish. Some hops in the finish, but overall the malts and hops are very subdued - this is really all about acidity and oak. Still an interesting beer, and definitely something out of the ordinary. The alcohol is well hidden. If the average pale lager drinker Joe would sample this beer, he would probably be killed by the shock.

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

500 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 4.8%. Golden colour with a slight chill haze, big white head. Moderate fruity hops in the somewhat sweetish aroma. The flavour is reasonably hoppy with some fruity notes, a moderate sweetness and a bitter and dry finish and aftertaste.