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

Sample from bottle, Copenhagen Beer Festival. Not in the festival programme, and not mentioned on the brewery website yet. This was a very limited release of a few bottles, in the series of ales brewed with various rare old grain varieties from Nordisk Genbank. I am not entirely sure about the ABV, that may have to be corrected. Cloudy golden colour. Served too warm, but still a very tasty beer. Both aroma and flavour have a very nice and attractive balance between the malts and hops. What a pity that this beer most likely will never be brewed again.

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

500 ml bottle, at Olympen, Oslo. ABV 5.2%. Unfiltered and unpasteurised. Brewed with Nelson Sauvin hops. Slightly hazy golden colour, moderate white head. Nice fruity aroma of Nelson Sauvin hops, notes of white grapes. Distinct hoppy flavour with a solid bitterness, but fairly light bodied. Very good.

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

On tap at Øl & Mat-festivalen, Oslo. Cloudy reddish brown colour. Lovely aroma of American hops, fruity and piney notes. Very hoppy flavour, again piney and fruity notes of American hops, with a substantial bitterness.

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

330 ml bottle, 2010 vintage, bottle No. 25823, from Voldby Købmandsgård. ABV is 6.5%. I don't think there has been a recipe change from 2009, the commercial description is basically the same. Mahogany colored beer, large and lasting beige head. Sweetish malty aroma, notes of caramel and molasses, just a hint of orange peel. The well balanced flavour is also malty but not too sweet, moderate notes of caramel and treacle, also hints of mild spices and orange peel, moderate but sufficient hops. Quite enjoyable.

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

330 ml bottle, as DDB Boskeun Speciaal Paasbier, from Ølbutikken, Copenhagen. ABV is 10%. The glass fills completely by white foam, and the golden beer underneath appears only very slowly. Strong aroma of Belgian ale yeast, with fruity and spicy notes, also notes of white kandij sugar syrup and alcohol. Sweet flavour, with spicy, fruity and yeasty notes. The alcohol is noticeable, but not dominant. Peppery aftertaste.

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

Bottle, at local beer tasting. Deep golden to orange colour, moderate white head. Very hoppy aroma and flavour, but feels not too extreme, untill the aftertaste sets in ... OMG!

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

Corked bottle, shared at local tasting. ABV is 4.8%, 30,4 EBU. Bittering hop is Premiant, late hops Cascade and Amarillo. Golden colour, moderate white head. Fresh aroma of brettanomyces, farmhouse, oxidised apple cider, hints of oak. Dry flavour, brettanomyces character, oaky notes, notes of dry cider, moderately sour but not vinegary. Decent hops in the finish. Light bodied, very refreshing.

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

Shared bottle at local tasting. Golden colour, large white head. Strong aroma of resinous American hops, also hints of orange marmalade. The flavour is distinctly hoppy throughout, with a piney and grapefruity bitterness, but is still not too extreme.

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

Shared bottle at local tasting, as AleSmith Decadence Anniversary Ale, English Style Old Ale (2010), thanks to gunnar. Dark brown colour, low beige head. Intense malty aroma, notes of molasses, hints of oak and dark dried fruits. Rich and warming mouthfeel. Rich and intense malty flavour, notes of molasses and dark dried fruits. Decent hops in the finish.

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

600 ml bottle, from Voldby Købmandsgård. ABV is 7%. Dark brown to mahogany colour, moderate off-white head. Strong aroma of ripe red fruits, caramel and bakery. The flavour is fruity and medium sweet, with plenty of malts and caramel, decent hops in the finish. Very enjoyable.

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

600 ml bottle, from Vinmonopolet Vika. ABV is 7.5%. Black colour, moderate tan head. Aroma of cold coffee, hints of ashes and liquorice. Moderately sweet flavour with notes of coffee, dark chocolate and liquorice. Pleasant to drink.

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

355 ml bottle, kindly shared by gunnar. ABV is 9.8%. Hazy dark brown colour, moderate off-white head with an orangey hue. Unusual aroma of cellar, preserved cherries / cherry pits, marzipan and oak. Warming mouthfeel. The fairly sweet flavour has notes of malts, cherry pits, marzipan and oak.

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

Shared 750 ml bottle, as Jacobsen Forårsbryg, from a Danish grocery store. Chestnut colour, moderate off-white head. Unusual and interesting spicy, herbal and floral (Galium odoratum) aroma and flavour. "Christmas spices" come through distinctly in the flavour, despite this beeing a spring seasonal. A nice surprise - props to Jacobsen / Carlsberg for brewing something out of the ordinary.

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

Shared 330 ml bottle, from the brewery. ABV is 7%. Cloudy (end of bottle) golden colour, moderate white head. Lovely aroma of Belgian saison yeast, distinct spicy and fruity notes. High level of carbonation in the mouth. Very nice and spicy "Belgian" flavour, also some fruity notes.

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

Shared 330 ml bottle, ABV 6.7%, from the brewery. Golden colour, hazy only when the yeast is poured in the end. Moderate white head. Lovely aroma of fruity and "spruce / pine" American hops, notes of tropical fruits, hints of catpiss. Very nice hoppy flavour, tropical fruits, pine and spruce. Relatively light bodied.

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

Shared bottle, from Ølbutikken, Copenhagen. ABV was 11.1%. Deep orange to amber colour, moderate off-white head. Rich and intense sweetish aroma, notes of malts, fortified wine and molasses, some fruity hops too. Intense malty flavour, very sweet, but nicely balanced by distinct American hops. Yummy.

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

On tap at Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV was said to be 7%, possibly incorrect. If the two versions were labelled correctly: The Kollaborator has a black colour, large beige head. Moderate aroma of roasted malts, hints of smoke and cigar box. The flavour is malty and moderately roasty, medium sweet, hints of liquorice, maybe a touch of smoke.

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

330 ml bottle, vintage 2007, kindly shared by Ole_R. ABV is 13%. Deep red colour, low tan head. Vinous aroma, notes of claret, red wine vinegar and barnyard. The flavour is (more or less) "typical Flemish Red", notes of red wine vinegar, some lemony notes, astringent finish. Moderate hops. The high ABV is extremely well hidden, I might have guessed that the beer was half as strong as it actually is.

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

330 ml bottle, bought at Systembolaget, Sweden. ABV is 6.0%. Golden colour, huge white head. Lovely aroma of Belgian ale yeast and spices, hints of farmhouse kitchen. The flavour is mildly spicy and quite refreshing, but I’d like some more hops in the finish. A very drinkable beer all the same.

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

On tap at Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV was 5.5%. Brewed with lemongrass. Cloudy brownish golden colour, creamy off-white head. Moderate but nice aroma of lemongrass and undefined mild spices, with a faint hint of butterscotch. Refreshing flavour and mouthfeel, the lemongrass is there, but is not overdone. Moderate but noticeable hops. Very moreish. Could well be made a permanent brew - should appeal to "the general public", as well as beer geeks who want a nice refreshment.

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

500 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 6.7%. Hops are Boadicea, Styrian Goldings and Columbus. Deep golden colour, moderate white head. Pleasant hoppy aroma, also notes of fruits, hints of honey, toffee and blackcurrant leaves. The well rounded flavour has a nice balance between distinct malts and pleasant hops, some fruity sweetness, honeyish notes, the alcohol is noticeable but not disturbing. Moderately bitter aftertaste. Good beer.

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

750 ml swingtop bottle, as St Germain Page 24 Réserve Hildegarde Bière de Garde Blonde, now available in Norway at Vinmonopolet. ABV is 6.9%. Pale golden colour, just a slight haziness, big white head. Nice aroma of "Belgian" (French, actually) yeast, with spicy / peppery notes. Some fruit and grass too. The flavour is first crisp and moderately spicy / peppery, leading to a fruity moderate sweetness, ending in a moderately hoppy and spicy finish and aftertaste. A truly enjoyable bière de garde - will buy again.

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

500 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger ABV is 4.2%. Chestnut coloured beer, big to moderate creamy beige head. Moderate aroma of malts, nuts and biscuits, hints of caramel and chocolate. Distinctly malty flavour, probably some caramel malts and chocolate malts have been used here, but the beer is not very sweet. Some fruit and moderate hops in the finish. Definitely a "Scottish Ale" rather than a "Bitter" - you won’t find many English bitters with this character these days, methinks.

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

500 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. Like all bottled beers from this brewery, it is filtered to remove all remaining yeast (but possibly not pasteurised?). ABV is 4.5%. Dark brown colour, low head. Nice aroma of chocolate, mild coffee and lightly roasted malts. The flavour is moderately fruity (dark fruits) and roasty, fairly dry, notes of mild coffee, hints of dark chocolate and resin. Pleasant to drink. Pretty close to an English porter, I'd say.

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

Bottle, as Yulesmith Holiday Ale, at RBNAG 2009 in Vatlandsvåg. Deep orange to amber colour, low head. Aroma of American caramel malts and American hops, notes of caramellized orange marmalade. Rich mouthfeel. Flavour of oak, caramel malts, dried figs, American hops.