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

Cask (hand pump) at the Darlington Spring Thing Beer Festival 2011. ABV is 6.3%. Very dark ruby colour, nearly black. Moderate beige head. Very nice vinous aroma, hints of oak and ripe red fruits. The flavour has a certain fruitiness with vinous notes, but is not very sweet. Moderately bitter finish with woody notes. One of the better beers of the festival.

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

500 ml bottle, from The Cheese & Wine Shop, Darlington. ABV is 8.3%. Amber colour, large to moderate off-white head. Aroma of "dusty" malts, toffee and caramel, also dark dried fruits and some vinous notes. Smooth mouthfeel. The flavour has malts, caramel and dark dried fruits, also vinous hints with oak. Moderate hops. Easy drinking for its strength. Would buy again.

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

500 ml bottle, from Voldby Købmandsgård. ABV is 6.5%. Deep brown colour, moderate off-white head. Nice malty aroma with notes of spices and caramel. Lovely malty flavour with spices and caramel again, without being too sweet.

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

500 ml bottle, from Selfridge’s food store, London. ABV is 5.5%. Very dark brown colour, large to moderate beige head. Nice malty aroma and flavour, notes of caramel, dark dried fruits and nuts, hints of chocolate. Rich mouthfeel. Moderate but noticeable hops in the finish. Well balanced and very enjoyable.

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

500 ml bottle, Vintage 2009, bottle No. 070845, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 8.5%. Amber to copper colour, large to moderate off-white head. Nice vinous aroma, strong notes of raisins, also hints of other dark dried fruits and toffee. Lovely vinous flavour, notes of raisins, figs and oak, malts including some caramel, moderate hops.

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

500 ml bottle, Vintage 2010, bottle No. 036761, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 8.5%. Beautiful clear amber colour, large to moderate off-white head. Surprisingly moderate aroma, notes of "dusty" hops, some oaky and vinous notes in the background. The flavour is oaky and medium sweet, with hints of dark dried fruits, but also with distinct notes of Target and Goldings hops. Highly drinkable as it is now, but will no doubt mellow and mature with time.

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

500 ml bottle in cardboard box, as Fuller’s Brewer’s Reserve No. 2 Limited Edition Oak Aged Ale. Matured in Cognac casks. ABV is 8.2%. Will soon be available at Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. Bottle No. 01886. Copper colour, large off-white head. Fine vinous and oaky aroma, notes of cognac and old sherry, also notes of raisins and other dark dried fruits, some caramel. The flavour is distinctly oaky, with an initial slight acidity on the tip of the tongue. Notes of cognac, hints of dark dried fruits, chocolate and vanilla, but the beer is not too sweet. Moderately bitter finish. Good stuff!

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

330 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 8.5%. Reddish brown colour, moderate off-white head of good retention. Sweetish aroma of caramel, molasses and raw alcohol. The fairly sweet flavour has also notes of caramel and molasses, hints of dark dried fruits and liquorice. Too moderate hops.The alcohol is not well hidden.

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

330 ml clear bottle, rum finish. Matured for 57 days. ABV is 7.4%. Mahogany coloured beer, moderate to low off-white head. Aroma of caramel, vanilla, oak and brown rum. The medium sweet flavour has notes of the same elements, but also notes of raisins. Minimal hops.

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

330 ml bottle, from Vinmonopolet, nettbutikken. ABV is 6.5%. Deep golden to copper colour, moderate white (or slightly off-white) head. Moderate aroma of malts, whisky, oak and vanilla. Medium sweet flavour of malts, caramel, toffee, fudge, whisky, oak, raisins and vanilla, some very moderate hops in the finish.

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

On tap at Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. Brownish red colour, large off-white head. Nice aroma of fruity and mildly spicy English hops, hints of resin, also malts and earthy notes. The medium sweet flavour is also fruity, but more in terms of dried or baked fruits and berries, again some earthy tones, well hopped with a firm malty backbone.

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

500 ml bottle, a Christmas present from my nephew Einar, thanks! ABV is 4.9%. Copper coloured beer, moderate off-white head, nice lacing. Moderate malty aroma, notes of bakery and caramel, hints of red fruits. The flavour is fairly malty with distinct notes of caramel and brown bread, in a blind test I might first mistake this ale for a German dunkel. The earthy hops in the finish are more pronounced than in most dunkels, though. A very drinkable beer!

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

500 ml bottle, as Cains FA Formidable Ale, from Voldby Købmandsgård, Denmark. ABV is 5.0%. Golden brown colour, moderate white head. Moderate aroma of biscuity malts, a little fruit, toffee and "dusty" hops. The flavour has very much the same elements as the aroma. Pleasant to drink, but does not blow your socks off.

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

500 ml bottle, from Voldby Købmandsgård, Denmark. ABV is 4.9%. Copper coloured beer, moderate off-white head. Malty aroma with notes of caramel, hints of grassy hops too. Malty flavour, medium sweet, caramel and a hint of fruit (preserved cherries?). A dry hoppy bitterness in the finish. Okay.

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

Bottle, kindly shared by abemorsten. ABv is 4.5%. Golden colour, hazy at the end of the bottle. Moderate white head. Very nice aroma of fruity hops. Distinct hoppy flavour throughout, feels more bitter than its 30.4 EBU. Could use a little more malts for balance, but is very nice as it is.

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

500 ml clear bottle, bought at Systembolaget. ABV is 4.5%. Deep golden to amber colour, big head, slightly off-white. Moderate aroma of floral hops, hints of grass. The flavour has pleasant Goldings hops throughout, on a relatively dry and biscuity background, with just a slight fruitiness. There are definitely worse summer ales than this one around. Highly drinkable.

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

500 ml bottle, kindly shared by gunnar. ABV is 5.1%. Amber to copper colour, moderate white head. Moderate aroma of fruity and dusty hops, a hint of caramel. Refreshing and pleasant flavour, hints of toffee, nuts and berries, nicely balanced between the malts and hops. Nothing exceptional, but drinks well.

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

500 ml bottle, from Ølkonsortiet, Aalborg. ABV is 5.3%. Amber colour, large and lasting off-white head. Fairly nice aroma, some sweetish toffee and caramel notes, also some "dusty" hops. A hint of fruit too. The flavour has also moderate notes of toffee and caramel, but is otherwise fairly dry. Decent hops and some woody notes in the finish. Maybe not exceptional, but nice enough to drink.

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

Bottle at Schouskjelleren, Oslo. Amber colour, moderate but lasting off-white head. Aroma of ripe berries, tobacco and resinous hops, hints of ashes. Infected? Fruity and acidic flavour, resinous hops. Tastes clearly infected.

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

Shared bottle, as Thisted Høst, RBNAG 2011. ABV is 6.0%. Amber colour, moderate head. Nice malty aroma with notes of toffee, caramel and some butterscotch, hints of ripe berries. The moderate flavour has the same elements as the aroma.

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

Cask at the Number Twenty-2, Darlington, as Burton Bridge Burton Ale, but I assume this is the same beer. Copper colour, creamy off-white head. Malty aroma and flavour, nutty and biscuity notes. The aroma also has some fruity notes. Tolerably well hopped finish.

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

Cask (hand pump) at the Darlington Spring Thing Beer Festival 2011. Deep golden colour, low head. Lovely aroma of fruity hops, notes of tropical fruits / passion fruit. The flavour is also dominated by fruity hops, hints of tropical fruits, could use a little more citrussy freshness, but still good. One of the better beers of the festival.

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

Cask (hand pump) at the Darlington Spring Thing Beer Festival 2011. ABV is 5.6%. Copper colour, slightly hazy. Low off-white head. Malty aroma with notes of caramel. The flavour is both malty sweet and well hopped, with a dry and very sharp bitter finish. The alcohol is noticeable. I think a cooler temperature and more CO2 would have helped this one.

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

500 ml bottle, bought at Newcastle Intl Airport. ABV is 5.1%. Chestnut colour, big beige head. Aroma of lightly roasted and dry malts, a touch of caramel and spices, hints of cold coffee. The flavour is medium dry with hints of caramel and dark fruits, again lightly roasted malts with a roasty ("coffee") and hoppy bitterness in the finish. Very drinkable.

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

500 ml bottle, from The Cheese & Wine Shop, Darlington. Copper colour, large to moderate off-white head. Strong and pleasant aroma of malts, caramel, raisins, dark dried fruits, blackcurrants, a hint of tobacco. Fruity flavour, notes of raisins and blackcurrants, also notes of caramel malts, but the beer is not too sweet. Moderate but sufficient hops in the finish. Very drinkable.