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

Rerate, 2005, 330 ml bottle: This is the first year that this beer is actually brewed by Lervig in Stavanger, but they haven’t changed the recipe much since it was contract brewed by Mack/Trio. "Gledelige" has been added to the name. It is still a very unpretentious "klasse D" juleøl, but I somehow think the hops are slightly better this year. Easy drinking, not offensive, OK with a meal, but not a "big" beer in any way. Original rating, 2003: (330 ml bottle). Norwegian "klasse D" Yule beer. Copper coloured, good head. Malty aroma with hints of caramel and oak. You don’t expect much from the grocery store versions of "juleøl" - and (at least in this case) you don’t get much either. Nothing offensive about it, just a one-dimensional beer with some maltiness (but not too sweet) and just a hint of toffee and oak - hardly any spices. Okay to wash down a meal, but for Christmas you want something better than this!

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

Sampled bottle, RBNAG 2007 in Grimstad. Orange colour. Intensely hoppy aroma and flavour. Another example of overkill. The flavour is just too unbalanced for me.

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

500 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal pub, Stavanger. Contract brewed by Brauerei Bischofshof. ABV is 4.9%. Crystal clear and very pale golden colour, large and lasting white head. Nice aroma of of fruity and floral aromatic hops, notes of honey, some sweetish malty aroma too. Light bodied, but there is also a subtle malty sweetness in the flavour, and moderate but distinct German hops throughout. Definitely a decent pilsener!

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

500 ml bottle, thanks to Ole_R. Like all Haandbryggeriet beers it is bottle conditioned. ABV is 4.5%. Malts include wheat malt and Münchener malt. Batch No. 102. Brewed Oct. 2007, BB date March 2009. Mahogany coloured beer, hazy when the sediment is poured. Moderate beige head. Moderate aroma of malts, bakery and chocolate, hints of spices. The flavour is fruity and slightly acidic, with distinct notes of Münchener malts. The finish is spicy with a sharp bitterness. Not a bad beer, but it somehow seems a bit unbalanced - the flavour elements don’t blend together very well. I am not sure if this is a recipe worth repeating next year.

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

500 ml bottle from "Wessex Craft Brewers" (now Integrated Bottling Solutions), courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 6%. Sediment in the bottle, some floaties in the glass, but the cider is otherwise fairly clear. Deep golden colour. Some fizziness when poured, but no lasting head. Very nice aroma of cider apples, fermenting fruits and oak. The mouthfeel is rather fizzy and surprisingly "thin" for a 6% cider made from 100% apple juice. Flavour of cider apples (no surprise!), quite dry. Not bad though.

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

500 ml bottle, as "Wood’s Parish Best Pale Ale", courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 4%. Deep golden colour, moderate to low head. The aroma is moderately malty and "dusty", a hint of toffee, nothing special. The flavour is nicely balanced between the malts and hops, a hint of toffee again, maybe also a hint of blackcurrants. Fairly light bodied, easy drinking and refreshing. Moderately bitter aftertaste.

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

500 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 4.0%. Amber coloured beer, large off-white head. Moderate aroma of hops with a little malts, toffee and fruit. The flavour has decent hops and a little toffee and nuts, on a tolerable malty base. Dry finish.

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

500 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV of the bottled version is 4.5%. Amber to orange coloured beer, large and lasting off-white head with an orangey hue. Moderate fruity aroma with raisiny notes. The flavour is moderately fruity and malty, hints of caramel and toffee, with spicy hops. Definitely drinkable, but does not call out the tiger in me.

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

500 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. Bottle conditioned, ABV is 4.7%. Pale golden colour, fairly clear, only a faint haziness in the end. Decent white head. Fruity aroma (apples and citrus). The flavour is also fruity with some peppery hops. Like other kölsches it is a nice and refreshing beer, but not really very exciting. Might be a gateway beer for pale lager drinkers into the world of ales.

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

500 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger, as "Integrated Bottling Solutions Hop & Glory". Brewed for Integrated Bottling Solutions by Ventnor Brewery, Isle of Wight, England. ABV is 5.0%. Amber colour, big and lasting head. Moderate aroma, a little fruit, some toffee. The flavour has some malts, toffee and a moderate fruitiness. Acceptable hops in the finish. Not too bad.

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

330 ml unlabeled dark blue bottle, thanks to Rune. Very dark brown colour, with a big and lasting brown head. Unusual herbal aroma, with notes of apricots. I have trouble deciding how well I really like this aroma. At least it is interesting ... The flavour is very sweet (too sweet) and malty with notes of apricots, birch sap and chocolate. Alcohol is noticeable and leaves a warming mouthfeel. Moderate hops in the finish. Not my favourite Baltic porter this one, but Mack HAVE been trying ...

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

330 ml bottle, at the GBBF 2008. ABV was 7.5%. Served too cold. Pitch black colour, moderate head. Roasty aroma, notes of rubber, malts and coffee. The flavour is heavily roasted / burnt with grainy and rubbery notes - quite strange. I hate it and love it - simultaneously.

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

Cask at the GBBF 2008. Black colour, minimal head. Nice roasty aroma, notes of liquorice. "Dead" mouthfeel. Fairly bland flavour. Very moderate roasted notes and a very moderate fruitiness.

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

Cask at the GBBF 2008, gravity dispense. ABV was 5.5%. Golden brown colour, no head. Fruity mild aroma and flavour, notes of blackcurrant and raspberry leaves. Low bitterness.

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

Cask (hand pump / beer engine) at the GBBF 2008. Golden colour, low head. Moderate but nice aroma of honey, tropical fruits and flowers. The flavour also has some fruits (grapefruit) and honey, moderate hops in the finish. Okay.

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

12 fl. oz. / 355 ml bottle, bought at the GBBF 2008 for takeaway. ABV is 6.0%. Amber to orange colour, pours very fizzy with a moderate head. The aroma has a dominant malty sweetness, also notes of caramel, honey and moderate fruity hops. The flavour also has a dominant sweetneess (too sweet), then grapefruity hops make their presence known, leading to a distinct hoppy bitterness in the finish and aftertaste.

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

330 ml stubby bottle, thanks to oh6gdx and chris_o. ABV is 5.7%. I admit I had never heard of manuka before I got this beer! Clear amber colour, huge off-white head with an orangey hue. Moderate aroma of malts and spice, and something undefined which I suppose is the manuka leaves. The flavour has moderate malts and some caramel and undefined spice, with a noticeable bitterness in the finish, which might or might not be caused by manuka leaves, in addition to the hops? Definitely drinkable, but not particularly exciting.

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

330 ml bottle, simply called Brunehaut Ambrée, Bière Biologique (Organic Beer), courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 6.5%. Hazy amber to brown coloured beer, with a fluffy off-white head. Pours very fizzy. Nice aroma of spices, yeast and oak. Fizzy mouthfeel. The flavour is moderately spicy and slightly fruity, with very moderate hops. The alcohol is well hidden. Not too bad.

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

500 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 6.0%. Colden colour, big to medium sized white head. Nice aroma of fruity German hops and sweetish malts. The flavour is fairly sweet and malty but still smooth and easy drinking, with decent hops in the finish.

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

500 ml bottle, as ’Rise Ærø Hertug Hans No. 5 Valnød’, ABV was 7.0%. Shared with my beerpal Olav who got it from a Dane, thx! Brewed with lager yeast, pilsener malts, caramel malts, black malts and wheat malts, Golding hops, ascorbic acid (E300) and walnut extract. Has the character of a ’normal’ bock with walnut flavour added. Brown to copper coloured beer, moderate off-white head. Moderate aroma with caramel and nuts, also some vinous notes. The flavour has a noticeable sweetness from caramel and malts, also notes of nuts. Moderate hops in the finish.

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

500 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 4.7%. Deep golden colour, moderate white head. Very moderate aroma, weak notes of hops and grain, hints of toffee and biscuits. The flavour has decent hops on a slightly sweet base of moderate malts, with a hint of caramel. Distinct hoppy bitterness in the finish and aftertaste. Not a bad beer, but far from the best offering from St. Peter’s.

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

500 ml bottle, brew #838, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 4.5%. Amber to brown colour, moderate off-white creamy head. The aroma has malts, some fruit, juniper, resin and hops. Fizzy mouthfeel, could have been fuller. The flavour has resin, some malts and moderate "dusty" / dry hops in the finish. Not bad, but probably better with "trøndersodd" than on its own.

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

330 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 6.3%. The label describes this beer as a "strong ale" and an "abbey beer". Ingredients include candi sugar. Clear golden colour, big white head. Nice fruity aroma, notes of cider apples, spices, farmhouse kitchen and Belgian ale yeast. Fizzy mouthfeel. The flavour is fairly sweet (the kandi sugar is evident), notes of apples and mild spices. Not too bad.

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

330 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 6.5%. Golden colour, huge white head. The aroma is herbal, citrussy and moderately spicy, nice. The flavour is fairly sweet and fruity, notes of citrus, yeast and some spice. Minimal bitterness.

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

250 ml bottle, simply labeled "Rodenbach", courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 5.2%. Very dark reddish brown colour, moderate beige head. Nice aroma of red wine vinegar, sour cherries and farmhouse kitchen. The flavour is moderately sweet and sour, notes of musty fruit, funk and red wine vinegar. Some oak in the finish, minimal hops. Not nearly as complex, powerful and interesting as the Grand Cru, but okay.