Aroma: 3 | Appearance: 4 | Mouthfeel: 2 | Flavor: 3 | Overall: 3

330 ml clear bottle, bought in Norway. As if the European brewed "Indian" Cobra was not boring enough, they HAD to brew this special low carb version for slimmers who really don’t like beer, but like the buzz. God, I hate the low carb craze! This "beer" is very pale golden, foamy white head. Fruity aroma, citrus, pineapple and maize, could have been worse. "Flavour" is very bland and tasteless, just a hint of fruity sweetness. No bitterness. Very thin and watery mouthfeel. Extremely flat and bland aftertaste, as far as there is any at all. This is definitely a beer to avoid.

Aroma: 3 | Appearance: 3 | Mouthfeel: 2 | Flavor: 3 | Overall: 3

280 ml green bottle, a gift from a fellow beer rater, to add another "beer country" to my list. ABV was 4.1%. Don’t expect me to search all over Lebanon for their "great" beers in the future, though. The whiff of fresh skunkiness when opening the bottle is actually the best thing with this beer. Pale golden colour, fizzy, low head that disappears rapidly, little lacing. In the glass the aroma is sickly, soap and rotting vegetables. The flavour (as far as there is any) is grainy and utterly forgettable. Soapy aftertaste. This beer might save your life if you happen to be stuck in the Lebanon heat, anywhere else it’s just a bad joke.

Aroma: 3 | Appearance: 3 | Mouthfeel: 3 | Flavor: 3 | Overall: 3

330 ml clear bottle, bought in Denmark. ABV is 4.9%. Very pale colour, decent head and lacing. Weak citrussy aroma. Flavour? Nearly flavourless, carbonated water with just a faint hint of crystal malts and citrus. Gets an extra point for not being quite as offensive as some other raters made me expect. The hints of dishwashing liquid in the finish are, after all, not overwhelming ....

Aroma: 3 | Appearance: 3 | Mouthfeel: 3 | Flavor: 3 | Overall: 3

(330 ml bottle. A friend left me a few bottles after a party.) Another beer of the "low carb" craze. Golden colour, moderate head. Unlike some other brewers of low carb beers, Grans have retained more of the flavour of their ordinary pilsener. In Gran’s case, that unfortunately also means the house character of over-boiled vegetables flavour and the metallic aftertaste. Avoid.

Aroma: 2 | Appearance: 4 | Mouthfeel: 2 | Flavor: 2 | Overall: 2

440 ml can. A new pale lager from Ringnes (again developed by the marketing department, rather than by a brewer with any self esteem). Allegedly inspired by Asian / Japanese dry lagers. Very pale clear golden colour, large head that soon subsides. Weak sweetish aroma with a faint hint of hops. Bland, watery and extremely boring flavour. A glass of sparkling water would be better. But then, sparkling water has no alcohol ... If you LIKE beer, avoid!

Aroma: 3 | Appearance: 3 | Mouthfeel: 3 | Flavor: 3 | Overall: 3

330 ml bottle. Light (which in Norway means low ABV) lager with some bitterness but otherwise little flavour. Like all light beers easily forgettable.

Aroma: 2 | Appearance: 3 | Mouthfeel: 2 | Flavor: 3 | Overall: 3

330 ml bottle, in Aalborg, Denmark. Pale golden colour, low and very short-lived head. Boring aroma and flavour, watery and sad. This light (= low ABV) beer is one to avoid.

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

330 ml bottle. Pale golden colour, decent head. Very moderate hops in the aroma. Light bodied of course, but an unexpected hoppy bitterness in the finish and aftertaste makes it stand above most other Norwegian "lettøl".

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

RBESG 2006 Grand Tasting. Brewed with Swedish hops. Pale golden colour, low head. A moderate but quite clean hoppiness in both aroma and flavour. Not too bad for a pale lager with an ABV this low (3.5%).

Aroma: 2 | Appearance: 3 | Mouthfeel: 2 | Flavor: 3 | Overall: 3

Sampled RBESG 2006 Grand Tasting. Very pale colour. Minimal aroma, tasteless light lager piss, 33 calories, slightly sweet. Avoid. Oh, well - Venezuela was a new "beer country" for me ...

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

RBESG 2006 Grand Tasting. This beer is intended as an accompaniment with "surströmming", the fermenting fish that only Swedes can love. Pale golden colour. Moderately hoppy and grassy aroma. Grassy flavour with some sweetish notes, thin and boring.

Aroma: 3 | Appearance: 3 | Mouthfeel: 2 | Flavor: 3 | Overall: 3

500 ml can. Another beer for the "low carb" craze people. Pale golden colour, head disappears rapidly. Moderate carbonation. Very weak aroma. I was thirsty when I drank it, it was refreshing - but so would a glass of mineral water have been. The lack of flavour is made more tolerable by the fact that there are no offensive side-flavours either. People who actually LIKE beer should avoid these low carb beers like the plague.

Aroma: 2 | Appearance: 3 | Mouthfeel: 2 | Flavor: 3 | Overall: 3

(440 ml can.) I knew what to expect here, but bought a can to rate it anyway! Pale golden colour, fizzy like a soda, no head. A slight fruitiness in the weak aroma, flavour is next to none. Fizzy water with alcohol. "To be served ice cold" - bah! Swill drinkers who love American "light" or low carb beers have now found a way to survive in Norway. People who love real beer, on the other hand, should avoid this sorry excuse of a "beer" by all means.

Aroma: 3 | Appearance: 3 | Mouthfeel: 3 | Flavor: 3 | Overall: 3

It works when you're thirsty enough. That's it. Hard to say how this one differs from the Skjærgårds Pils (they are both summer seasonals), they exist side by side so they can't be exactly the same beer. My impression is that the Sommerøl is even more tasteless, bland and boring. Hurrah!

Aroma: 4 | Appearance: 4 | Mouthfeel: 3 | Flavor: 4 | Overall: 4

Norwegian "light" beer always means low alcohol (<2,5% ABV). This is another "draught" (actually bottled) beer which means that it's marginally darker than an ordinary pils or light beer. It is, after all, not the worst example of this lousy style. Still, avoid it if you don't have to drive!

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

(500 ml bottle). The Swedish 3.5% weak grocery store version of Pripps 1828 Export (5%). Deep golden colour. Moderate hops in the aroma. Acceptable hops in the flavour and aftertaste. Not too bad for a weak Pripps beer (you don't expect much!)

Aroma: 4 | Appearance: 4 | Mouthfeel: 3 | Flavor: 4 | Overall: 4

500 ml red can, now available in Norway ("hooray!" - NOT!). I saw this low carb beer in England too (but resisted buying it there), it’s contract brewed by German brewers Gebr. Maisel for some shady London company wanting to profit on the American-inspired "low carb" craze. www.redlightbeer.com Maybe Maisel feel as if their brewing skills are sold for "prostitution" (in terms of craft pride) - that could explain the "redlight" name of the beer... I’m sure it will become popular in the "redlight districts" of Europe - or maybe not .... Anyway, like all(?) low carb beers the colour is very pale straw coloured, head goes from large & fluffy to none. There actually is some aroma: grass and hints of citrus. Not much flavour of course, but better than feared, at least it’s not offensive - fairly clean with a faint hint of hops. Watery and slightly metallic mouthfeel, as expected. Aftertaste is next to none. But seriously - why "low carb" beers? Go for a walk in stead!

Aroma: 4 | Appearance: 4 | Mouthfeel: 3 | Flavor: 4 | Overall: 4

Well, if the ordinary Amstel isn't bland enough for you... God bless! There's really not much to say in favour of this brew - but a glass of it IS drinkable if you have to drive afterwards.

Aroma: 3 | Appearance: 4 | Mouthfeel: 3 | Flavor: 3 | Overall: 3

(275 ml bottle). A low carb bitter - what an idea! Commercial description: "Full flavoured English beer" - my ass! Weak malty aroma, very weak flavour. They sure haven’t used too much of the Golding and Fuggle hops which the label boasts! Quite dry. I used most of it to wash down a meal. Definitely not a beer I’ll buy again!

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

Christmas seasonal, 500 ml cool swingtop bottle. Aroma like an average lager, rather weak. Golden colour, good to moderate head. Flavour is well balanced with a herbal character, moderate sweetness and decent hops. Flavour and aftertaste is better than the average lager, but this is definitely not what I want for CHRISTMAS! As a standard lager it passes the test, as a Christmas beer it fails!

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

500 ml bottle, bought in Bier Spezi, Hamburg. Very pale golden colour, large head. Moderate aroma of grass, fruits and pale malts. Flavour is surprisingly bland, some grassy and sweetish notes. Low bitterness. ABV is well hidden. Drinkable, but I expected more than this. Confirms my theory that the Octoberfest is a ridiculously over-hyped event for American and German binge drinkers, and has very little, if anything, to do with a great beer selection or beers out of the ordinary.

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

500 ml bottle, now available in Norway (Vinmonopolet, bestillingsutvalget). ABV is 5.6%. Golden colour, large to moderate white head. Nice grassy aroma of aromatic hops (in America it would probably be known as "skunky", sic), some flowery notes too, hints of honey. Easy drinking, the pale malts are fairly well balanced with the moderate hops, some alcoholic sweetness. Does not carry its 5.6% supremely, but this is another OKish German beer - not one I’ll search out again, though.

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

500 ml bottle with screwcap, RBESG 2006 Grand Tasting. ABV is 6.0%. Amber colour, low head. Moderately malty aroma with hints of caramel and oak. Fairly traditional lager flavour with some caramel malts added, but not sweet. OKish, but no masterpiece.

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

(500 ml bottle, European version, bought in Denmark). Pale golden colour, like a pils. Good to moderate head. Pleasant fruity aroma. Flavour is smooth, mellow and clean, hops are subdued. Easy drinking. Nice beer, but hardly worth a fest in its own right.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 5 | Mouthfeel: 5 | Flavor: 5 | Overall: 6

Nice brown colour and a thick head. Some hoppy initial aroma that doesn't last for long, just a hint of caramel in an otherwise weak aroma as the beer warms up. Flavour is weak, fairly bland, one-dimensional and uninspiring. Drinkable, but not much more.