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

500 ml bottle, from Selfridge’s food store, London. ABV is 4.6%. Brown to copper colour, large off-white head. Aroma of malts, toffee and caramel. The flavour is medium sweet and malty with toffee, caramel and a little fruit. A sharpish hoppy bite in the finish.

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

Cask at The Hogshead, Ipswich (while it was still brewed by Gale's). Deep amber to brown colour. Moderate aroma of English malt vinegar and plums. The flavour is dusty malty with notes of malt vinegar and sour fruits. Dusty hops finish.

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

Sample from bottle at Copenhagen Beer Festival. Deep golden colour. Very moderate aroma, maybe a hint of red fruits and caramel, but not as much as promised. The flavour has moderate notes of toffee and caramel, just a hint of hops. Drinkable, but the lion did not roar.

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

500 ml bottle, at Olympen, Oslo. ABV 5.6%. Deep golden to amber colour, moderate white head. Nice aroma of floral and fruity hops. Lagerish mouthfeel. Fairly hoppy flavour.

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

500 ml bottle. as Kragelund ESB, from Voldby Købmandsgård. Batch No. 40. ABV is 5.6%. Amber colour, slightly hazy, large off-white head. Moderate but nice aroma, notes of herbal and fruity hops. The flavour has a fairly decent balance between the malts and hops, some sweetness in the middle, and the typical East Kent Goldings dry and "dusty" finish. Distinctly bitter aftertaste.

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

500 ml bottle conditioned, from Voldby Købmandsgaard. ABV is 5.0%. Moderately gushing bottle. Copper colour, large to moderate off-white head. Earthy, woody and spicy aroma, also hints of blackcurrants. Fizzy mouthfeel. The flavour is quite dry, again with earthy and woody notes, and a spicy and hoppy medium bitter finish. Would buy again, and drink it fresher.

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

500 ml bottle, will soon be available at Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 5.0%. Clear deep golden colour, moderate white head. Grassy aroma, hints of lfowers, herbs and hay. Well balanced flavour with some malty sweetness and hints of toffee, followed by fruity and herbal Goldings hops. Easy drinking, invites you to take large sips. Quite enjoyable.

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

Re-enter old rating that disappeared mysteriously: Had this beer in a pub just outside Glasgow Queen Street Station - I think it was cask, but might have been keg. Colour was fairly dark for a bitter, brownish. Aroma had indeed notes of "old fart" (sulphur), but the flavour was fairly malty and quite pleasant. The name probably alludes to the target group for this beer (old farts), a group I am now proud to be part of!

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

500 ml bottle, from Skjold Burne Hjørring. ABV is 5.5%. Beautiful clear reddish brown colour, huge white (or slightly off-white) head, overcarbonated. Aroma of malts and toffee, dark dried fruits and ripe red fruits, a hint of mild spices. Flavour with the same elements, moderate hops. Fizzy mouthfeel.

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

Shared 330 ml bottle. Deep golden colour, white head. Moderate aroma of earthy and fruity hops, some toffee too. Soft mouthfeel. Pleasant smooth flavour with sufficient malts and some toffee, slightly sweet, with moderate earthy and fruity hops.

Aroma: 4 | Appearance: 4 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 5 | Overall: 4

440 ml can, from Bier Huis, Ossett. ABV is 3.8%. Gusher can, fortunately I opened it over the sink and not over my laptop. Copper colour, huge head, slightly off-white. Aroma of yeast, caramel and brown bread. Flavour of malts, caramel and brown bread. Not much to write home about.

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

Cask pint at The Dirty Duck Ale House, Holywood, Northern Ireland. ABV 4.2%. Orange to copper colour, white (or slightly off-white) head. Minimal aroma. The flavour has some notes of fruits and mild spices, tolerable hops.

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

500 ml bottle, from The British Corner Shop. ABV is 5.0%. Beautiful clear reddish brown colour, moderate head, slightly off-white. Malty and nutty aroma, hints of toffee and caramel. The flavour is also malty and nutty, again with hints of toffee and caramel, but not very sweet. Moderate earthy hops in the finish. Nice beer.

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

500 ml bottle, from Bier Huis, Ossett. ABV is 5.0%. Golden colour, moderate white head, nice lacing. Moderate malty aroma. Dry but fairly malty flavour, decent fruity and earthy hops. Easy drinking.

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

Cask halfpint at The Archibald Simpson (JDW), Aberdeen. Deep golden to brown colour, slightly off-white head, nice lacing. Malty aroma, hints of blackcurrant leaves. Nice malty and fruity flavour, notes of blackcurrants / blackcurrant leaves, some earthy hops.

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

Sept. 2016: Shared 750 ml bottle at local tasting. Orange colour, off-white head. Yeasty and fruity aroma, notes of oranges. Fruity flavour, some from the yeast but mostly from the hops. Good bitterness.

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

330 ml paper wrapped bottle, from Edeka Sophienhof, Kiel. ABV is 5.6%. Hazy pale golden colour, moderate white head. Aroma of "spicy" yeast and fruity / citrussy hops. The flavour has also notes of "spicy " yeast, some malts but fairly dry. Moderate grapefruity hops in the finish. Tastes more like a "Belgian IPA" than an English ESB. Quite good anyway.

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

Rerate, 330 ml bottle, batch #4, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 6.5%. BB 03.09. When opening the bottle, the beer starts pouring out by itself. Very cloudy / murky brown colour, huge beige head. The aroma is malty and "raw", notes of hops, juniper and damp forest too. The flavour is much better than previous batches: hoppy and piney flavour, notes of juniper too, not too acidic. Distinct bitterness. Reminiscent of traditional homebrew. I’m upping it several points. Original rating: 330 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal pub, Stavanger. Brew nr. 1 from this new Norwegian micro brewery. Called an "ESB spesial". BB date 1.7.08. ABV is 6.5%. Thick sediment in the bottle. Orange colour, clear first, cloudy when the sediment is poured in. Large and lasting off-white head with an orangey hue. Distinctly hoppy aroma, notes of yeast, hints of oak and barnyard. The flavour is very acidic, (nearly) closer to a lambic than an ESB. Is there a severe infection problem here? I can’t believe they intended the beer to come out like this - and cellaring it will surely not help. Still drinkable, when you get used to the acidity. There’s a certain hoppy bite in the finish.

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

Sampled bottle, RBNAG 2007 in Grimstad. ABV was 5.3%. Labeled "Type: gylden, Fuggles". Copper coloured beer, large off-white head. Malty aroma and flavour, moderate Fuggles hops are present.

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

500 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal pub, Stavanger. ABV is 5.0%. Beautiful deep amber colour, large off-white head, leaves a nice lacing. Sweetish aroma with plenty of malts, notes of caramel, bakery and raisins. The flavour is very rich and malty, but also fruity with well balanced hops. Not too sweet. Hoppy aftertaste. A first class premium bitter in my book.

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

500 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal pub, Stavanger. Bottle conditioned. ABV is 6.0%. Brewed by RCH Brewery, bottled by Integrated Bottling Solutions. Amber coloured beer, huge and lasting off-white head. Pleasant hoppy and fruity aroma, also hints of toffee and oak. The flavour is fruity and malty, with a noticeable alcohol presence. Dry hops in the finish. A powerful extra strong bitter, but no session beer - one bottle is enough.

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

Cask conditioned at The Three Judges, Glasgow. Mahogany coloured beer, minimal head. Unusual aroma: oak / woodwork, malt vinegar, dark fruits, sweat. The flavour is fruity with notes of vinegar, fairly dry. Not too exciting, but OK.

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

Cask (return system) at The Abbotsford, Edinburgh. Copper to chestnut coloured beer, moderate head. Lovely malty aroma with loads of butterscotch. The flavour is malty with plenty of caramel and some butterscotch, low bitterness. Rerate: 500 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 4.0%. Copper to mahogany coloured beer, big off-white head. Pleasant aroma of lightly toasted malts, caramel and floral and fruity hops. The flavour is first very malt-accented with caramel and biscuits, then spicy and moderately fruity hops come through, leaving a nice bitterness in the aftertaste. Definitely a good Scottish ale this one.

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

355 ml (12 fl oz) bottle, bought at Peckham’s, Glasgow. ABV is 5.0%. Amber colour, large to moderate head with an orange hue. Nice sweetish aroma of malts and plenty of fruity hops, hints of molasses. The flavour is surprisingly short, some fruity hops but a moderate bitterness, biscuity notes.

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

Cask conditioned at The Three Judges, Glasgow. Copper coloured beer. Malty and fruity sweetish aroma, notes of red berries. The flavour is also malty sweet and fruity, hints of blackcurrants. Minimal bitterness. A bit too much on the sweet side for me, but not bad.