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

(330 ml bottle). Deep reddish brown colour, good head. Aroma is initially liquid dishwashing soap, later the malts come through. Flavour is very malty and a bit too sweet, calls for a higher ABV. Borg (Sarpsborg) make the Christmas beers of two closed Østfold county breweries, Moss and Fredrikstad, besides their own product. At least they have the decency to use different recipes, and not just change labels.

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

E.C. Dahls brewery in Trondheim is now part of the Ringnes group. Their pils is a-little-above-average, easily drinkable thirst-quencher. Nothing remarkable.

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

Used to be my favourite Norwegian pilsener for a (rare) warm summer's day, easy drinking but a lot better than the various tasteless "sommerøl" (summer specials) being marketed these days. Arendals Pils is still being being brewed in Arendal, one of Norway's "summer towns" on the South Coast, but Ringnes have been threatening to close Arendals Bryggeri. This refreshing pils could still use a little more hoppy "bite".

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

This was my favourite Oslo pilsener many years ago when Frydenlund Bryggeri existed in its own right (and I literally lived next door to the brewery a couple years!), but Ringnes' revival of the brew is not bad - it just isn't quite as fresh and spritzy as i remember it. (But then my memory isn't what it used to be, either...) Well, this is a pale golden, medium hopped pils, perhaps more rounded than a pils ought to be, well worth sampling but nothing that will linger in your dreams.

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

Rerate: Apparently they have changed the recipe now. Colour is much paler, flavour more like a standard Ringnes pils. Average at the best. Original rating: Malty and fruity flavour with some bitterness, hints of spices. Lots of taste for a lager, not among the most 'easily drinkable'. You'd think the alcohol content was higher than it actually is.

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

One of the better Norwegian pilseners. Easily drinkable, but could with advantage be more heavily hopped, to balance the flowery and fruity sweetness.

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

Was brewed by Tou Bryggeri in Stavanger, a Ringnes subsidiary which they closed. As with other brewers, I hate it when they call something "draught beer" ("fatøl") when it actually comes out of a can. This beer differs only marginally from Tou Pilsner, hops are slightly more accentuated. Not too much flavour except for the hops. I find nothing 'unique' about the head! Drinkable beer, after all.

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

This "klasse D" Christmas brew has the colour of a brown ale, but is of course bottom fermented. Decent aroma of oak and some spices. Drinkable with a meal, on its own it's just too watery to bring about any Christmas joy. Weak aftertaste. This style just calls for a higher ABV!

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

Try the stronger 'klasse F' version of their Juleøl instead. Rerate 2002: Has the good caramel sweetness, maltiness and spiciness a Norwegian Christmas beer should have - there's just too little of everything! And 4,5% ABV is simply not enough for this style. The 'klasse F' (6,2%) is still A LOT better!! I believe the version sold in the US is 5,9%.

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

330 ml green bottle, courtesy of Cardinal pub, Stavanger. Pale golden colour, moderate head. Moderate aroma of fruity and floral hops. Clean pilsener taste, not very different from Berentsens Rogalands Pils (but this one is organic). Light bodied, tolerable hops.

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

(330 ml bottle, fresh from Praha/Prague). Golden colour, moderate head. Initially weak aroma, some alcoholic sweet and flowery notes come along. Flavour is quite malty for a pale lager, rather alcoholic but not unpleasant, warming mouthfeel. Not too sweet. OKish, but not great.

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

Cask at the Ipswich Beer Festival 2004, gravity dispense. This is now the only cask ale from Felinfoel. Chestnut colour. Malty aroma, hints of sulphur. Flavour is malty sweet, sulphurous and dusty. Very low on hops. Dusty aftertaste.

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

Pale golden colour, good head. Moderate flowery and citrussy aroma. A clean, fresh tasting lager. Nothing remarkable, but a great beer to wash down a spicy pizza.

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

Pale golden colour, light bodied, an average / run of the mill lager in every sense. Nothing offensive about it, but Peroni Nastro Azzurro is better. It's so average it could be named "Neville Chamberlain" without bringing shame to the name.

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

"Fad" means "draught" (or really: "keg"), but the name is used on bottles and cans too. This is an acceptable Danish lager - nothing special, but not bad either. Very average, no reason to search it out.

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

Why do they call it "fatøl" (="draught beer") when it actually comes out of a bottle or can?? Anyway, the flavour is quite acceptable. A reasonably drinkable average lager, just slightly darker than their pilsener.

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

The Norwegian Hansa beers have no connection with Namibian or German (DAB) Hansa beers. This one is a fairly malty pilsener of acceptable quality, IMO one of the better Norwegian macro pilseners. There's actually a bit of flavour here. The Hansa Borg brewery group has 3 breweries: Hansa Bryggeri in Bergen, Christianssands Bryggeri (CB) in Kristiansand and Borg Bryggeri in Sarpsborg.

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

A middle-of-the-road pilsener / lager from the world's northernmost commercial brewery (there's a brewpub further north, in Honningsvåg). Rerate: Typical pils golden colour, slightly darker than Mack Arctic Beer. Good head, fairly malty aroma for a pils, malty sweetness in the flavour, moderate bitterness. Just another pils, really.

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

Rerate, new 500 ml bottle design as Mack GullMack, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 6.5%. Pale yellow colour (paler than before?), big to moderate white head. Aroma of grassy hops and sweetish malts. The flavour is fairly sweet and sugary, with too little bitterness to balance it. Still drinkable. Original Rating: This is a strong pale lager (colour is deeper golden than a pilsener) in the Norwegian "eksport" (Danish: "guldøl") tradition. Aroma and flavour are a bit sweet, tolerably malty, a bit alcoholic but not overwhelmingly. Fairly decent for a Mack product.

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

Draught (keg) at Hogan’s, Darlington. Named "Camerons Creamy Bitter". Amber colour, creamy nitro-head. Not much going here in terms of aroma and flavour. Very low bitterness. Slightly dusty aftertaste. Easy drinking. Must be somewhat better cask conditioned?

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

"Probably the best beer in the world" - NOT!! Over-hyped and over-advertized international lager. The versions sold in Denmark and Norway are a little weaker (4.6 - 4.8%). Must admit I used to have a soft spot for this beer when served fresh in Copenhagen. It's really just an average pale lager, unoffensive and drinkable but not very special in any way.

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

The pale lager internationally simply known as 'Tuborg' is in Denmark known as Tuborg Grøn ('Green'), referring to the colour of the bottle and label, not the colour of the beer! ABV there is 4.6%. Sure, when on summer vacation in Denmark and you're thirsty ...., well, a Tuborg is part of it. But this beer is really not more than average, traditionally "competing" with the standard Carlsberg Pilsener/Lager.

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

Rerate, 330 ml bottle, now available in Norway (ICA). ABV is 4.6%. Pale golden colour, large head. There’s an initial Heineken-isch whiff when you open the bottle (an American would probably say "skunky"). In the glass the moderate aroma has notes of maize (corn) and cooked vegetables, hints of flowers and honey. Spritzy mouthfeel. The flavour actually has some malts, and also moderate hops in the finish, so this one is far from being the worst pale lager I’ve tasted. Quite drinkable.

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

(500 ml can). Typical pale golden pilsener colour, good thick head, nice lacing. There is nothing offensive in aroma or flavour - just too little of everything. "Clean" taste as far as there is any flavour at all - with a little more hops, this could have been a reasonably good lager.

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

Draught at the Randers Regnskov café. Served ice cold, like Danish draught lagers normally are. And most Danish beer places have no "rain forest" air temperature, even in summer! This makes a fair rating difficult, as the icy temperature of the liquid will mask most qualities or flaws the beer might have. Well, this one was drinkable like other Danish "Classic" beers, but nothing really stood out. Some caramel malts, nice deep amber to brown colour. Average at the best.