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

Brownish golden colour, moderate head, modest aroma. Light bodied, some spices and corn sweetness in the flavour. Easily drinkable, but I expect more from a Christmas beer.

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

330 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 5.3%. Golden colour, big white head. Moderate fruity aroma. The flavour has a tolerable presence of malts, a moderate sweetness and moderate hops. Average Swedish dortmunder.

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

500 ml bottle, at Gladmatfestivalen 2008, Stavanger (Pushkin restaurant). ABV was 5.0%. Golden colour, decent head. Moderate aroma, some malts. The flavour is slightly alcoholic (a bit of a surprise, the ABV is fairly moderate), but the beer is also quite well hopped, which makes it slightly-above-average for European golden lagers.

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

330 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger, as Menabrea Birra 1846. ABV in Norway is 4.7%. Crystal clear golden colour, big and lasting white head. Strong and sweetish fruity aroma. The flavour is fairly clean and zesty, no unpleasant off-flavours, moderate hops in the finish. Definitely not the worst pale lager I’ve had.

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

12 fl. oz. bottle, in the Houston tent at the ONS 2008, Stavanger. Brown colour, moderate creamy head. Moderate but pleasant aroma of malts, hints of caramel. Fizzy mouthfeel. The flavour is moderately malty and bready without any offensive sidenotes, but not exciting either.

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

500 ml green bottle, as Bernard Lager, now available in Norway at REMA 1000 stores. ABV is 4.5%. Golden colour, moderate white head of poor retention . Fairly nice aroma of Zatec (Saaz) hops, notes of grass, hints of honey. The flavour is fairly malty for a pilsener, and the hops are slightly better than average. Moderately bitter aftertaste.

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

330 ml stubby bottle, brew #1, ABV is 9%. Cloudy golden brown colour, big white head. Nice aroma of belgian yeast, spices and citrus. The flavour is very lemony, also with notes of white wine vinegar, probably infected, like so many other batches from Små Vesen. There are also some spicy notes, and a noticeable bitterness in the finish.

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

Sample from 330 ml bottle, simply called "Zipfer", at the Brewery International stand, Smak 09. ABV is 5.4%. Golden colour, low head. Fairly clean pilsener aroma and flavour, notes of German hops. Reasonably bitter aftertaste.

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

Keg pint at the Owain Glyndwr, Cardiff. Served too cold. Dark ruby colour, nearly black. Small off-white to beige head (not nitro). Very moderate aroma, roast malts and burnt potato skin. The flavour has notes of moderately roasted malt, quite dry, hints of smoked meat and burnt potato skin. Light bodied. Not great, but far from undrinkable.

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

330 ml can, from Bunnpris Sauda. ABV is 4.7%. Slightly gushing can, overcarbonated. The glass fills completely by white foam, and the hazy pale yellow beer underneath appears only slowly. Aroma of oranges and cloves. Citric and fizzy mouthfeel. The flavour is too sweet for a hefeweizen, notes of lactose and sweet oranges, a hint of cloves.

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

355 ml can, from Bunnpris Sauda. ABV is 4.7%. Pale golden colour, only a slight haziness. Moderate to small white head. Aroma of pilsener malts, lime and sea air. Citric and thin mouthfeel. Flavour of lime with a hint of sea salt. Decent as a summer refreshment.

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

Rerate, 330 ml bottle, Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 5.1%. There is certainly no lack of carbonation now, the glass fills completely by beige foam, and the dark brown (nearly black) beer appears very slowly. Roasty aroma, notes of coffee, wood and ashes. Dry roasty flavour, but not sourish, notes of coffee, liquorice, wood and charcoal. I’m upping the score several points. Original rating: 330 ml bottle, from the Norwegian importer. ABV is 5.1%. Black colour, no head nor any carbonation. Roasty dryish aroma with notes of wood and ashes. Sourish flavour with dry roasty notes, again wood and ashes. The lack of carbonation is an obvious fault, but I don’t think this would have been a great beer even with carbonation.

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

330 ml bottle, batch #8, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. ABV is 4.8%. Deep golden to brownish colour, minimal white head. Sourish / acidic aroma, notes of brettanomyces / farmhouse and vinegar. Fairly sour and acidic / vinegary flavour, with a dry and woody finish. Moderate hops. I’ve had worse beers (also from this brewery), but will hardly buy again.

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

On tap at Cardinal, Stavanger. Pink to orange colour, slightly off-white head. Aroma of lactic acid and sour fruits and berries, esp. raspberries. Sour flavour, loads of lactic acid and sour raspberries.

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

330 ml can, from KWM Wines & Spirits. ABV is 3.9%. Hazy pale yellow colour, small white head. Aroma of dust and humid basement, a hint of citrus. Tolerable body for its ABV. Citric and piney flavour, okay, but there is too little of everything.

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

440 ml can, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. ABV is 5.0%. "Dirty pink" colour, large head, slightly off-white. "Artificial" strawberry aroma (despite being made with real strawberries), also hints of lactose and vanilla. Distinct strawberries / jam in the slightly sour flavor, also lactose and vanilla. Minimal hops.

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

330 ml can, from KWM Wines & Spirits. ABV is 4.2%. Deep reddish brown colour, moderate to small off-white head. Aroma of malts, caramel, nuts and slightly burnt toast. The flavour has the same elements, but is not too sweet, and is quite drinkable - just not very interesting.

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

355 ml can, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. ABV is 5.5%. Nearly clear pink to red colour, moderate but shortlived off-white to pink head. Aroma of guava, hibiscus and strawberries. Thin moutheel. Flavour with the same elements as the aroma, but not very sweet nor sour, hardly any bitterness. Drinkable, but boring and uninteresting.

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

Cask halfpint at The Waterman, Cambridge. ABV 4.2%. Very dark brown colour, nearly black. No head. Aroma of malts with a hint of maple syrup. Smooth flavour, malts and maple syrup again, very moderate fruity hops.

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

650 ml bottle, from Costco, Sacramento, ABV is 7.5%. This braggot appears to be more of a beer than a mead. Golden colour, small white head. Brewed with clover honey, orangeblossom honey and chamomile, with alfalfa honey added (probably after fermentation). Sweetish aroma of honey, orange blossom and chamomile, some alcohol. Fairly sweet flavour, but still rather light bodied for its strength. Honey and chamomile notes. A slight alcohol sting. Very moderate hops. Well worth sampling, but not really my cup of tea.

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

440 ml can, as Seven Island Sunday Stack, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. ABV is 12%. Brewed for Seven Island at Sori Brewing, Estonia. Black colour, small tan head. Intense sweetish and sickening aroma of "artificial" dark berries, vanilla, lactose and fatty roasted nuts. Warming and cloying mouthfeel. Ridiculously sweet flavour, but a fairly distinct fruitiness helps the drinkability a lot. Notes of blueberries, blackberries, a shitload of lactose, maple syrup, chocolate, caramel, vanilla and roasted nuts. Low bitterness. Might have been a reasonably good beer if they had not killed it with lactose and maple syrup.

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

330 ml bottle, batch #011, as K.Aa.B. Sylfiden Brut IPA, from Bunnpris Sauda. ABV is 4.7%. Moderately hazy pale golden colour, large white head. Strong sweetish aroma of candy, newmown grass, sweet maize and rice pudding, hints of yellow stonefruits. Slightly citric and fizzy mouthfeel. Medium dry flavour, grainy notes, herbal hops, fairly distinct bitterness in the finish. Not a bad beer, but hardly one to remember.

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

330 ml can, from Det Gode Brygg, Sandnes. ABV is 4.7%. Nearly clear pale golden colour, small white head of poor retention. Aroma of orange peel, wheat and coriander seeds. Citric mouthfeel. Flavour of citrus / orange peel and coriander seeds, hints of banana and cloves. Fairly refreshing.

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

330 ml bottle, from Vaaland, Bryne. Gluten free, ABV is 4.5%. Clear and deep golden colour, moderate white head. Aroma of malts and bread, only a hint of fruity hops. Citric mouthfeel. The flavour has again notes of malts and bread, the hops are more earthy than citric, decent bitterness though. Thornbridge is still one of my favourite breweries - this beer, however, does not overwhelmingly support that opinion.

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

330 ml can, from Vinmonopolet Hillevåg. ABV is 6.0%. Moderately hazy golden to orange colour, moderate to small white head. Aroma of lactic acid, mango and lime. Sour flavour, fruity acidity of mango and lime, too much lactic acid. Kind of refreshing though.