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

(330 ml bottle). Beautiful red colour, good thick head. Malty aroma with plenty caramel, hints of Christmas spices. Flavour is not very complex or exciting, mouthfeel a bit watery as expected from a "klasse D" (grocery store version) juleøl. A slight hoppy bitterness in the finish.

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

330 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 5.4%. Clear reddish amber colour, decent off-white head. Moderate aroma, some malts and caramel. The flavour has quite a bit of caramel with moderate hops, some grain and fruit. Hints of alcohol. Not too bad, but Palm Dobbel was more to my liking.

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

Bottle, thanks to my son Steinar. Golden colour, large head. Nice aroma of fruity American hops. The flavour is sweet and hoppy with a very bitter finish, but I don’t get much complexity, let alone subtlety. I’m not a big fan of this one.

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

500 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. Also kindly supplied to me by Ole_R, from Fenaknoken, Oslo. Bottle conditioned, ABV is 4.7%. Black colour, with a big to moderate tan head, no lacing. Nice roasty aroma, notes of coffee and dark chocolate, just a hint of liquorice. The flavour and mouthfeel are somehat acidic, watery / thin and bland for a porter, there is a moderate roastiness but not much else to interest me. Metallic finish. Disappointing.

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

500 ml bottle, now available in Norway at Vinmonopolet. ABV is 6.0%. Ingredients include 2% orange flower honey, E223 and E300. Golden brown colour, big light tan head with an orangey hue. Unusual and initially interesting aroma of orange peel, spices, oak, fermenting fruits and apple cider vinegar, then some less pleasant "industrial" and sulphurous notes take over. The flavour has caramel and some honey sweetness, with notes of orange peel and undefined fruits. Very little bitterness. Props to Grauballe for brewing unusual beers, but this one doesn't blow my socks off.

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

330 ml can, at Gladmatfestivalen, Stavanger. ABV was 4.8%. Golden colour, moderate head. Nice Saazer(?) aroma, notes of honey. Tolerably well hopped pilsener flavour.

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

Cask at the GBBF 2008. Golden colour, low head. Very moderate aroma, just a hint of fruity hops. The flavour has also some moderate fruity hops, leading to a moderate "dusty" bitterness in the finish, but is otherwise relatively bland. The mouthfeel is fairly thin.

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

Cask at the GBBF 2008. Brown to copper colour. The aroma has grain and butterscotch. Fairly watery and thin mouthfeel. The flavour has some malts with caramel, and "dusty" hops in the finish.

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

330 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. Also available in Norway at Vinmonopolet. ABV is 5.0%. This is an organic beer. Milky / murky pale yellow to brown colour, moderate head that does not last forever. Typical witbier aroma, notes of spices (coriander and cloves) and orange peel. Fizzy mouthfeel (too fizzy for me). The flavour has again coriander and cloves, moderate notes of orange peel. Very moderate hops. Not the best witbier I’ve had.

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

Sample from 500 ml unpasteurised bottle, as Piwo Zywe, Westerheim stand at Smak 09. ABV is 6.2%. Deep golden colour, big head. Malty aroma, also notes of red berries. Fruity sweetish flavour, also notes of butterscotch.

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

500 ml can, thanks to OleR. ABV is 4.7%. Brown to copper coloured beer, big and lasting cream coloured head. Moderate aroma of caramel, malts and nuts, hints of bakery and some fruit. The flavour is malty and nutty, notes of caramel but the beer is not too sweet. Low bitterness. The mouthfeel reveals that this is a "grocery store strength" juleøl, but as such it is not too bad at all.

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

500 ml bottle, as Atlas Nimbus Blonde, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 5.0%. Golden colour, moderate but lasting white head. Very moderate aroma, some grassy hops. Lagerish mouthfeel. The flavour has noticeable hops throughout, some citrussy notes, and a dry and moderately bitter finish and aftertaste.

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

750 ml clear screwcap bottle, from Vinmonopolet. ABV is 11.5%. Pale yellow colour, sparkling, no head. Aroma and flavour of bitter cider apples and sweet eating apples, notes of sulphur and oak. The alcohol is noticeable in this strong cider. Fizzy mouthfeel. Not too bad.

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

500 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. Unpasteurised. ABV is 5.1%. Golden colour, big white head. Moderate carbonation in the glass. Fairly strong sweetish aroma, notes of grass and maize. The flavour is sweet but also well hopped, somewhat alcoholic, appears to be stronger than its fairly moderate ABV. Better than Swedish industrial lagers in the same class (doesn’t take much, really), but this is not a beer I’ll buy again. Jämtlands have better beers than this one.

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 5 | Flavor: 5 | Overall: 5

On tap at Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. Opaque black colour, dark ruby in the highlights. Nice and creamy beige head. Very interesting aroma, strong notes of raspberries and balsamic vinegar, on a subtle background of vanilla, malts and chocolate. The flavour was extremely sour and acidic, with notes of raspberries, red wine vinegar and undefined sour fruits, hints of chocolate. Interesting beer, but too far out on the sour side to be a favourite of mine. Maybe not a good idea to make a DARK beer this sour? - people kind of expect a fairly different flavour profile from the dark stuff.

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

500 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 5.2%. Contains sulphites. Deep golden colour, big head rapidly diminishing. Aroma of ginger, syrup and and some fruit, hints of toffee. The flavour is very sweet, syrupy and sugary, with a moderate but nice ginger burn in the finish. Hardly any hops. Not really my kind of beer, but drinkable.

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

500 ml bottle, as Aspall Classic Organic Suffolk Cyder. ABV is 7.0%. Pours very fizzy with a big but very short-lived head. Moderate carbonation in the glass. Nice aroma of cider apples, hints of oak and sulphur. The flavour is crisp and dry, cider apples of course, again with notes of oak and sulphur. Probably best with food.

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

500 ml bottle, as Aspall Dry Premier Cru Suffolk Cyder. ABV is 7%. Crystal clear and extremely pale yellow colour, pours very fizzy with a big but short-lived head. Moderate carbonation in the glass. Moderate aroma of apples and vegetables, hints of sulphur. The flavour is crisp and dry, hints of oak and sulphur. Okay.

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

Bottle, ABV 5.5%, RBNAG 2009 in Vatlandsvåg. Dark brown colour, big to moderate tan head. Sourish funky aroma and flavour, notes of barnyard. Did not impress me much.

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

330 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 4.7%. Copper coloured beer, big off-white head. Malty and bready aroma, notes of caramel, hints of spices. The flavour is moderately malty and bready, "dusty" character, not too sweet, hints of caramel. Very moderate hops in the otherwise boring finish. Drinkable, but no masterpiece.

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

330 ml bottle, thanks to OleR. Contract brewed by Krönleins Bryggeri, Sweden, for Hønefoss Brygghus, Norway. ABV is 4.7%. Mahogany coloured beer, moderate beige head. Malty aroma, like a Münchener dunkel, notes of brown bread and caramel. The flavour is also malty and bready, sweet first with distinct notes of caramel, while the finish is fairly dry but not very bitter. OKish.

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

330 ml bottle, bought at Lørenskog Brus-shop. ABV is 4.7%. Dark brown colour, big off-white to beige head. The aroma has very moderate fruity notes, followed by notes of brown bread, hints of caramel. The flavour also has a certain fruitiness, slightly acidic, followed by notes of münchener malts, bread and caramel. Moderate but noticeable hops in the finish. Dry aftertaste. No masterpiece this one, but drinkable.

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

1 pint 9.4 fl. oz.. corked bottle, 2009 version, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 6.5%. Pours first crystal pale yellow with fine bubbles, moderate white head, some sediment in the bottle. Aroma of damp basement, some fruit (cider apples) and hints of horse stable in the background, but has not the fine aroma balance of a good Belgian ale. The flavour has distinct notes of brettanomyces, some spiciness, and fairly bitter American hops in the finish - but again without the flavour harmony of a real Belgian. Not a bad beer, but I expected something far better than this.

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

330 ml bottle, from Systembolaget. ABV is 5.0%. Reddish brown colour, big cream-coloured head. Very nice fruity aroma (ripe berries), also strong notes of bakery and lightly toasted malts.The flavour is more roasty than the colour and aroma made me expect, notes of burnt breadcrumbs. Not entirely pleasant.

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

330 ml bottle, bought at SuperBest Aalborg. ABV is 5.4%. Ingredients include shredded almonds, orange peel and vanilla sugar. Orange colour, big off-white head with an orangey hue. Pleasant aroma of fruity and floral hops, hints of toffee and spices. Soft mouthfeel, moderate carbonation in the glass. The flavour has very moderate hops and a sugary sweetness, with a slight acidity in the finish. Drinkable, but not impressive.