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

On tap at Cardinal, Stavanger. Black colour, large beige head. Aroma of roast malt, coffee and chocolate. Lovely flavour with the same elements as in the aroma, well balanced.

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

Bottle, at the Manneke Pis, Tenerife, as Kasteel Rouge. Served with correct glass. ABV 8%. Dark red colour, nearly black in the glass. Low and short-lived pink head. Strong aroma of preserved cherries. Lovely flavour of preserved cherries and malts.

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

330 ml can, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. ABV is 6.6%. Hazy yellow colour, moderate white head. Aroma of fruity and spicy hops, notes of citrus and tropical fruits, a hint of spruce. Juicy flavour with the same elements as the aroma, moderate bitterness.

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

440 ml can, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. ABV is 12.0%. Black colour, moderate to small tan head. Aroma of cocoa, roast malts and coffee, a hint of vanilla. Warming mouthfeel. Medium sweet flavour with the same elements as the aroma, also hints of smoke and charcoal.

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

330 ml can, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. ABV is 7.0%. Moderately hazy yellow to orange colour, moderate white head. Aroma of citrus and tropical fruits, a hint of stale jam in the background. Moderate carbonation. Flavour also of citrus and tropical fruits, not too sweet, with a moderate to low bitterness in the finish. Refreshing.

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

500 ml bottle, from Gulating Ølutsalg, Stavanger. ABV is 4.7%. Chestnut colour, moderate and creamy off-white head, some yeast or protein floaties in the end. Aroma of brown malts, caramel, brown bread, stewed prunes. The flavour is not too sweet, and has the same elements as the aroma, moderate hops. Nice to drink.

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

355 ml bottle, Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 5.5%. Black colour. moderate beige head. Dryish aroma of roasted malts, coffee, cocoa, vanilla and unsweetened chocolate. The flavour is medium dry, with the same elements as the aroma. For those who fear a cloyingly sweet chocolate beer, this must be a nice surprise.

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 10 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

440 ml can, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. ABV is 7.5%. Very dark brown colour, appears as black. Moderate beige head. Aroma of medium roast malts, brown bread and smoke. Soft mouthfeel, moderate carbonation. Moderately sweet flavour, brown malts, brown bread, caramel, hints of prunes, moderate but noticeable hops. Nice to drink.

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

On tap at Cardinal, Stavanger. Golden colour, white head. Pleasant aroma of tropical fruits and citrus. Relatively light bodied for its strength. Nice and refreshing flavour, notes of citrus and tropical fruits, hints of pine needles, moderate but noticeable bitterness.

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

440 ml can, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. ABV is 8.0%. Brown to dark amber colour, moderate off-white to beige head. Aroma of smoked malts, smoked meat and juniper twigs. Slightly warming mouthfeel. The flavour has quite a bit of malty sweetness, notes of caramel, oak, aquavit, dark dried fruits, smoked malts and juniper. Enjoyable.

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

440 ml can, at Cardinal, Stavanger. ABV is 5.7%. Moderately hazy golden colour, large white head. Aroma of grapefruit and tangerine. Relatively light bodied. Refreshing and medium dry flavour, notes of citrus fruits again, with a distinct and piney hop bitterness throughout. Decent beer.

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

Shared 750 ml clear bottle, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. ABV is 8%. Pale yellow colour. Nice apple aroma. Moderately sweet flavour of dessert apples, very good. Also bought a 750 ml bottle at the cidery, shared with my son. Went very well with our fish & shellfish soup.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 8

330 ml fliptop bottle, bought in Germany. Hefeweissbiers have had quite a renaissance in Germany, so why not one from the Bundesrepublik’s northernmost commercial brewery too? Hazy golden colour, large white head. Lovely strong aroma of cloves and banana, some aromatic hops too. Flavour like an average hefe with a little more hops. Nice.

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

330 ml bottle. Pale straw coloured, slightly hazy, very large head. Interesting and complex yeasty, flowery and spicy aroma, some citrus and oak too. Flavour is zesty and spritzy with spices and decent hops, not too sweet. A very enjoyable Belgian blonde!

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 8

500 ml bottle, bought in Germany. Pours cloudy brown with an enormous offwhite head. Intense banana aroma with notes of caramel, toffee, chocolate and cloves. Refreshing hefe-weissbier flavour, with some extra notes of malts and dark bread, but light-bodied - if blindfolded, I might mistake the flavour for a pale hefe. I wouldn’t mind having this beer as one of my "regulars".

Aroma: 10 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

750 ml bottle, corked "champagne" style. ABV is 10.5%. Deep chestnut colour, large light tan head, nice lacing. Malty sweet and spicy aroma - aniseed, cardamom, ginger, nutmeg, cloves(?) Notes of oak and leather too. Flavour is also dominantly malty sweet (too sweet) with caramel and spices, a certain hoppy bite too. Alcohol is evident, but not overwhelming. A fairly complex beer, but too much malty sweetness keeps me from giving it a top rating.

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

500 ml bottle, now available in Norway (Vinmonopolet). Deep amber coloured, slightly hazy, large and lingering head. Pleasant aroma of fruity hops on a moderately malty background, hints of toffee and leather. Flavour is fairly malty with some caramel and a dominant hoppy bitterness, too bitter in the finish. A bit overdone on the hops in my book, but obviously a well-above-average beer.

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

Bottled from draught, RBESG 2005, Grand Tasting. Brown colour, strong aroma of caramel and Chinook hops. Decent malty flavour with some caramel, well balanced with the hops. A nice strong bitter!

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

Draught at a Turkish restaurant in Odense (had it also later on two other occasions in Denmark). Served too cold. Surprisingly dark colour, orange to brown, cloudy. Moderate but nice hefe aroma and flavour, tolerable hops. Went nicely with the Turkish buffet. Pleasant cloves aftertaste.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 8

Vintage 2004, 250 ml bottle, bought at Vinens Verden, Odense, Denmark. Bottle No. P 08270. I know I should have cellared this beer for 25 years, but I just couldn’t wait. 25 years from now - I might have been dead a long time by then. Reddish brown colour, slightly hazy. No head, minimal carbonation. Intense sweet aroma of raisins, also notes of molasses, oak and leather. VERY sweet flavour, oak, molasses and raisins again, alcoholic and "raw" in the edges, notes of pipe tobacco. Not nearly as good as the 1990 vintage I sampled at the RBESG 2005, which proves that this beer really NEEDS to be cellared for at least a decade. Its "old sherry or port"-like qualities are not there yet. The brewers are not just teasing you when they recommend cellaring - they actually mean it. But even at this "raw" and unfinished stage it is clear that this beer has capabilities. Be prepared for a substantial sweetness even after many years of cellaring, though.

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

500 ml bottle, now available in Norway. ABV here is 4.7%. Golden colour, large to moderate white head. Moderate carbonation. Aroma is initially surprisingly moderate but nice and pleasant, improves as the beer warms up a little (started drinking it too cold), flowery and citrussy hops (Hersbrücker and Challenger), hints of honey too. Flavour is zesty and grapefruity, the hops dominate but there is also a sufficient malty base. Bitter aftertaste of grapefruit peel. A very unusual lager, clearly related to its golden ale cousin, the Bitter & Twisted. Also sampled cask conditioned at The Guildford Arms, Edinburgh. Deep golden colour, minimal head. Nice aroma of fruity hops. Hoppy flavour.

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 8

500 ml bottle, bought in Bier Spezi Hamburg. ABV is 4.9%. Typical dunkel clear reddish brown colour, very good and lingering light tan head. Very nice aroma of moderately roasted malts, flaked nuts, caramel and bakery. Flavour is malty and nutty with notes of dark bread and caramel, not too sweet. German dunkels are not "big" beers, but are, when well made, a truly enjoyable drinking experience. This is one of them.

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

(700 ml bottle, bought in Denmark). Hazy copper colour, good head that doesn’t last too long. Aroma is citrussy (Cascade) with hints of prunes and caramel. Flavour is malty and quite bitter (Carlsberg have been generous with the hops here), the rye doesn’t really stand out - this beer reminds me more of an American IPA than anything you’d associate with rye bread. Still, this is an interesting beer, and a likely favourite with people who can’t get enough Cascade hops.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

(500 ml bottle, in Sweden). Ruby (rather: reddish brown) colour, very low head. Vinous aroma, full malty flavour, slightly alcoholic, good bitterness. Despite it being called a "table beer" (with robust foods) by the brewers, I would rather call it a typical "sipping beer". Recommended.

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

Draught (pasteurised but unfiltered keg), courtesy of Cardinal, Stavanger. Sampled side-by-side with its "sister brew", Nøgne Ø Imperial Brown Ale (bottle conditioned), see separate rating. Deep brown colour, hazy, not as dark as NØ IBA. Minimal head. Malty aroma, but the aromatic hops are not as distinct as in NØ IBA. Full and rich malty flavour with oaky elements, but a less pronounced maltiness than NØ IBA. Slightly "rawer" in the edges. Still an excellent beer.