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

(500 ml bottle, in Helsinki). Dark brown colour, good head, moderate but decent aroma - and then: Bland, boring flavour when you expect the richness of a good dunkel. Short aftertaste. Disappointing. All Norwegian dunkels are better than this Finnish stuff.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 4 | Overall: 6

(500 ml bottle, bought in Denmark. ABV was 6.0%). Very dark reddish brown colour, moderate tan head. Moderate coffee aroma. Flavour and aftertaste is lightly roasted coffee and wet cardboard with a hint of damp basement and catpiss. I’m not particularly fond of wet cardboard and catpiss. I’d probably still prefer this beer to Vestfyen’s Pilsner, but that doesn’t take much. As far as stout goes, there are better alternatives.

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

300 ml bottle, now available in Norway (Vinmonopolet). Golden colour. large head. Fairly malty aroma for a pilsener, flavour is also relatively sweet for a pils, there’s some unpleasant cardboard / boiled vegetables hints in the background, tolerable hops in the finish. A drinkable pils after all, but it can’t match the best Czech and German pilseners.

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

375 ml capped and corked bottle, as Gueuze Foudroyante, bought in France. ABV is 4.0%. Hazy dark amber colour, large to moderate off-white head. Sweet and sourish aroma, reminiscent of some cheap white wines, hints of oak, cider apples, rotting berries and barnyard too. Flavour is very sweet, sweeter than any other gueuze I’ve had (not that I’ve had very many), strong notes of rotting fruits and berries, sourish but not astringent. Short sourish-sweet aftertaste. Worth a try, but won’t buy again.

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

On tap in Berlin, where it is widely available. Pale golden colour, decent head. Moderate flowery hoppy aroma. Average pilsener flavour, tolerable hops, but not really remarkable.

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

330 ml bottle, sampled in Germany. Also available in cans. A typical German pils, not very malty but with a distinct hoppy bitterness - not overdone, though. Reminds me of Veltins.

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

This beer is inspired by US West Coast steam ale. EBC 21,8, IBU 15,8. Copper coloured, crystal and chocolate malts are used. Several hop varieties are used, East Kent Goldings and Liberty are mentioned. Moderate fruity aroma, flavour is dusty malty with a dusty hops finish. Undefinable lack of balance, made worse by serving the beer far too cold. Too carbonated.

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

330 ml bottle. "Klasse D" means it's the grocery store version (= ABV < 4.75%) of their Yule/Christmas beer. Reddish brown colour, good head. Moderate toffee sweetness, moderately spiced flavour: cloves, cardamom, nutmeg. Not too bad, but of course it’s watery compared to the "klasse F" Juleøl.

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

On tap, served by Bjørn Hansen, "the crazy Dane from Gentofte" (more about him: see "Hansen EF-Domstols Øl"), at Gladmatfestivalen, Stavanger, as "Hartmann Felsentrunk Landbier". The Hansen 0.5 liter glass (quite good looking) was included in the rather steep price of the beer! The original Hartmann Felsentrunk Landbier swingtop bottle was exhibited on the counter, and when I asked for it, Hansen claimed that this was the beer he actually had on tap. (He also had the paler EF-Domstols Øl). The colour was right, amber with a moderate head, but I did not get the faintest hint of smoke! The beer looked, smelled and tasted like a standard Danish "Classic". Moderate hops and some caramel malts in both aroma and flavour. OKish, but in no way remarkable.

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

Bottle, at The Rover, Göteborg. This beer includes 2.5% honey. Golden colour, slightly hazy. Pleasant but not very strong flowery aroma, some honey but not dominant. Flavour is sweetish, but not much is going on besides the honey. Alcohol is well hidden, though.

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

500 ml bottle with screwcap, RBESG 2006 Grand Tasting. ABV is 6.0%. Amber colour, low head. Moderately malty aroma with hints of caramel and oak. Fairly traditional lager flavour with some caramel malts added, but not sweet. OKish, but no masterpiece.

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

Sampled RBESG 2006 Grand Tasting. Brewed in Belgium for Diamond Beer, Helsinki. Yeasty aroma with notes of rotting fruits and barnyard. Light bodied, hints of oak and spices in the flavour. The stronger version (6.5%)must be better.

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

Sampled RBESG 2006 Grand Tasting. Amber colour, moderate head. Reasonably hoppy aroma (Goldings). Moderate hops in the flavour too, but the body is too thin.

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

Another Norwegian "klasse D" Yule/Christmas beer for the grocery store market. Actually it's not too bad for its strength, but still: Get the stronger ("klasse F") version instead!

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

Dark golden colour, moderate to low carbonation, head disappears instantly, aroma of caramel and oak. Malty flavour with caramel and fairly bitter hops that linger in the aftertaste. The Ringnes brewery group's "Tou Blå" ( which was distributed in South-West Norway only) was a better alternative in the same style.

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

This traditional 'klasse F' (strong) Christmas beer has the last years been given the lowest or second lowest 'klasse F' rating in Norwegian newspapers. I can understand why - it's now too lightbodied for its strength, flavour is slightly metallic, a substantial bitterness is not balanced by an equally substantial malty sweetness like a real 'Juleøl' should have. Colour is reddish brown, low head. I think this beer was considerably better 20 - 30 years ago, before Tou Bryggeri (Stavanger) became part of the Ringnes group.

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

(500 ml can). This beer is named after the founder of Aass, Norway's oldest working brewery. Typical pilsener colour and aroma, good head, quite refreshing, nice bitterness. A decent pils, no more, no less.

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

A new "klasse D" (grocery store strength) beer, introduced Christmas 2006. 330 ml green bottle. Copper coloured, large and creamy light tan head. Moderate but pleasant aroma of bakery, caramel, juniper berries and wild cranberries. Flavour has a noticeable malts and caramel sweetness with some bready notes, faint hints of spices, minimal hops, short and slightly dusty finish. Minimal and boring afteraste. Too thin mouthfeel for a "juleøl", despite the initial sweetness. Won’t be my choice for "the meat dishes of Christmas" this one.

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

330 ml brown bottle, bought at ICA Middelthon. The first top-fermented beer from Aass in years (they had a brief and unsuccessful try with Aass Hveteøl in 1986). Reddish amber colour. Large and lingering off-white head. Aroma is fruity and moderately spicy, quite nice. Flavour is fruity sweet & sour, with notes of caramel malts. Thin and watery mouthfeel. Not much hops around, weak notes of "dusty" hops and some spice in the finish. Props to Aass for taking a few steps down the Ale Road, but they have a long way to go!

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

500 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal pub, Stavanger. ABV is 4.5%. Very dark reddish brown colour, nearly black. Moderate to low tan head, no lacing. Very moderate roasty aroma with hints of bakery and seaweed. Flavour has a very moderate roastiness with some sourish and salty notes. Thin mouthfeel for a stout. Short aftertaste. Drinkable of course, but I expected so much more. By the way, oysters WITH stout I understand, but how the hell did someone think of putting oysters IN stout??? Yes, I know it’s a pre-war recipe, but that does not necessarily make a bad idea better.

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

On tap at Cardinal, Stavanger. Hazy yellow colour, large to moderate white head. Aroma of butterscotch, over-ripe pineapple and yellow plums. Flavour of citrus, pineapple and butterscotch (diacetyl), moderate bitterness.

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

On tap at Cardinal, Stavanger. Signal red colour, moderate pink head. Distinct aroma of ripe and over-ripe raspberries, hints of lingonberries and redcurrants. Light bodied. The flavour is not too sweet, nor too sour, but has distinct notes of raspberries, redcurrants, vanilla and lingonberries, hints of chocolate and mint.

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

Dec. 2017: 750 ml corked & caged bottle, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. ABV is 6%. Reddish brown colour with lots of floaties, moderate white head. Malty and vinous aroma, notes of ripe red fruits. The flavour is not too sweet, medium malty with some fruit. Very moderate hops. Fair enough.

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

500 ml can, from Vinmonopolet; Nettbutikken. ABV is 5.5%. Clear amber to pale brown colour, moderate to small white head. Moderate aroma of Vienna malts, hints of caramel and toffee, also hints of herbal hops. Medium sweet flavour with the same elements. Drinkable, but not particularly exciting.

Aroma: 5 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 5 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 6

330 ml can, from Helgø Meny Kvadrat. ABV is 4.7%. Deep red to purple colour, large pink head. Unexpectedly moderate aroma of blueberries, a hint of lactose. The flavour has blueberries and moderate lactic acid, just a touch of lactose sweetness. Low bitterness.