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

275 ml bottle, unfortunately served far too cold at The Marquess of Anglesey, London. Amber colour, moderate head. Sweet alcoholic (despite ABV only 5%) candylike aroma. Flavour is a bit sweet with hints of nuts and cherries. Not my favourite this one.

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

Mack Juleøl (klasse D) is made for the Norwegian grocery store market (= ABV less than 4.75%). Rated 0,5 liter can 2002 - new recipe. Copper coloured, good thick head. Peculiar aroma - initially acidic, later dusty with spices: salt of hartshorn, cloves and cardamom - like stale Christmas cookies in March. Less prominent spices in the flavour, thin and watery mouthfeel. Aftertaste does not last for long. If you can't have the "klasse F" Juleøl, Mack's Julespesial is at least a better alternative in the "klasse D" than this one.

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

(0,5 liter dark blue plastic bottle.) Brownish golden colour, moderate head. Aroma and flavour like an average pilsener with liquorice added - and that's what it actually is (the label states that liquorice is an ingredient). Compared to the best Norwegian 'klasse F' Christmas beers, this is BAD (well, it's drinkable, but not much more).

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

An average Finnish lager. Tasted good on the sundeck of the Helsinki - Tallinn ferry though (on tap), but then most light lagers / pilseners go down easily when the sun is shining!

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

380 ml green plastic bottle, in Denmark. Typical average Danish industrial pale lager, but this one allegedly has no adjuncts. Drinkable. There’s really not much more to add.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 4 | Flavor: 5 | Overall: 5

Cask conditioned at the 32nd Cambridge Beer Festival, gravity dispense. ABV was listed as 4%, but brewery website says 4.1%. Intensely clear red (and I mean RED - like a cranberry soda) colour. Minimal carbonation. Moderate cranberry aroma. Very thin mouthfeel - like water with artificial red colouring added. The colour makes you expect something very sweet, but it is not. Not sour either. Relatively dry, actually, with just a very moderate flavour of cranberries and some faint hops. Not much wheat character. Did I mention a thin and watery mouthfeel? Yes, I know it’s not a fruit lambic, but I feel entitled to expect something better than this. Better leave brewing fruit beers to the Belgians, I guess ....

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

March 2006: 650 ml very dark blueish green bottle, bought in France. ABV is 7.9%. Golden colour, large lasting head, decent lacing. Malty and fruity aroma with some alcoholic notes, but not unpleasant. Hints of oak and leather. Flavour is very sweet, but surprisingly it is not as repulsive as many other (often less sweet) golden strong lagers. Tolerable hops obviously contribute to a (nearly) acceptable balance. Moderate carbonation. I’ve had worse beers.

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

330 ml bottle, from a SPAR shop in Funchal. American Pale Ale. ABV is 5.5%, IBU 37. Hazy golden colour, huge white head, overcarbonated. Aroma of ale yeast and piney hops. Fizzy mouthfeel. Yeasty and piney flavour, not impressive.

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

April 2017: 650 ml bottle, Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 13%. Brownish deep golden colour, thin white head. Strong aroma of fruity hops, orange marmalade and caramel, hints of alcohol. Strong and concentrated flavour, aggressive bittering hops, overwhelming sweetness, again orange marmalade and caramel, loads of alcohol. Not my cup of tea.

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

Sep. 2017: 330 ml can, from Helgø Meny Maxi, Sandnes. ABV is 4.7%. Golden colour, moderate to small white head. Fruity and floral aroma. Fruity and floral notes in the flavour too, a moderate sweetness, too moderate bittering hops. Could have been worse - but that is hardly a good enough reason to buy it again.

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

330 ml bottle, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. ABV is 5.5%, IBU 7. Slightly hazy straw colour, small white head. Aroma of lime, lemon, mint and lemon verbena. Sweet and sour flavour of lactic acid, and the same elements as the aroma: Not something I'll buy again.

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

Aug. 2018: Cask half pint, at The Flying Horse, Gatwick Airport. Golden colour, white head. Moderate aroma, floral. Sweet flavour, notes of lavender and honey. Too sweet for me. Very moderate bittering hops in the finish. Won't buy again.

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

330 ml bottle, from Coop Extra Tau. ABV is 4.6%. Clear and very pale golden colour, small white head. Moderate aroma of grain and some citric hops. Lagerish mouthfeel (well, it IS a lager). Reasonably fresh flavour, not too sweet, a little citrus, low bitterness. A half-decent summer refreshment, no more, no less.

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

Nov. 2012: Shared 330 ml bottle from Vinmonopolet, at Cardinal Yule beer tasting. Reddish colour, moderate beige head. Strong aroma of Christmas spices, too much anise / aniseed (as in a couple other beers from this brewery). Fizzy mouthfeel. The flavour is spicy and medium sweet, again with too much anise / aniseed.

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

500 ml can, from Coop Extra, Tau. ABV is 2.4%. Slightly hazy pale golden colour, moderate to small white head. Aroma of citrus zest. Flavour of citrus zest and citrus concentrate, a hint of malts in the background. Refreshing.

Aroma: 3 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 5

500 ml can, from Bunnpris Sauda. ABV is 4.7%, IBU 20. Murky orange colour, moderate white head. Sickly "perfumed" aroma of artificial mango and passionfruit. The flavour is somewhat better, some citrus and noticeable bittering hops. Won't buy again, though.

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

Jan. 2021: 330 ml bottle, vintage 2018, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. ABV is 5.5%. Clear and extremely pale greenish-yellow straw colour, pours sparkling with a shortlived white head. Distinct aroma of apples, pears and sulphites. Dry flavour of sour apples, hints of pears, also sulphites. Too much acidity and sulphur for my taste.

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

Nov. 2015: Shared 500 ml bottle, probably from Fakta, Denmark. Chestnut colour, moderate off-white head. Very malty aroma, caramel, brown bread and Danish pastry. Malty flavour, a typical dunkel, caramel and brown bread again, but not as sweet as expected. Fairly decent for something out of Harboe.

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

750 ml corked bottle, 2019 vintage, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. ABV is 11%. Clear colourless, nearly like water. No carbonation. Aroma of meadowsweet and Williams pears. Medium sweet flavour, very distinct notes of meadowsweet on a background of sweet perry. Interesting, but not something I'm likely to buy again. A little carbonation would have helped.

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

330 ml can, as Harboe Guld, from BilkaToGo, Skalborg. ABV is 5.7%. Golden colour, small white head. Aroma of malts, caramel, dust and grain. Soft mouthfeel. The flavour is first citric, then malty, with moderate bittering hops. Better than I feared.

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

Feb. 2016: 330 ml bottle, from Matkroken Stokka. BB date 03.07.14. ABV is 4.4%. Very pale yellow colour, moderate to low white head. Sweetish fruity and herbal aroma, some grassy notes too. Fairly fresh and crisp flavour, a little residual sweetness but not too much. Citrussy notes, moderate herbal hops. Better than I feared.

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

June 2016: 330 ml red bottle, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. ABV is 5%. My first beer ever from a red bottle, and also my first beer from Monaco, even though the bottled version is brewed in France by EMB 67202 (= Brasserie Météor) for Brasserie de Monaco. The bottled version is apparently filtered. Clear pale golden colour, moderate white head. Fairly strong aroma of grassy hops. Soft mouthfeel. Crisp pilsener flavour, medium dry, with fairly distinct bittering hops. A decent pilsener, no more, no less.

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

April 2017: 330 ml bottle, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. BB date 08.01.2015. ABV is 5.5%. Pale golden colour, clear first, hazy when the yeast is poured in the end. Large white head of poor retention. Strange aroma of dust, sea water, cooked vegetables. Soft mouthfeel. Fairly dry and refreshing flavour, hints of salt, mild spices and citrus. Moderate hops.

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

December 2017: 330 ml bottle, from Alko Karigasniemi. ABV is 6.5%. Reddish brown colour, huge off-white head. Aroma of malts, caramel and dried fruits, hints of oak and leather. Malty flavour too, slightly sweet, a bit unclean, some dust and wood, some caramel.

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

First sampled August 2021: Shared bottle at regional tasting. Dark brown to black colour, large beige head. Aroma of roast malt, a hint of ashes. Dry flavour, roasty notes. (Sampled again now, 750 ml bottle, from Vaaland, Bryne. ABV is 4.7%)