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

500 ml bottle, at Vinmonopolet. The only commercially available Norwegian mead. Clear, nearly colourless like water, just a streak of greenish yellow. No head or carbonation. Weird strong aroma, with some good will I might say "interesting" - honey of course, lots of undefined herbs and spices, but also strong fruity (green apples) and grassy notes. Some unpleasant hints of vomit and cleaning agent. Very sweet with some honey notes, but tastes more like a sweet and really bad white wine with herbal off-flavours. Ugh. I guess meads are not my thing, and definitely not this one.

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

750 ml corked (plastic) and caged bottle, vintage 2022, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. ABV is 10%. Clear golden colour, pours sparkling with a shortlived white head. Aroma of honey and apple cider. Fairly dry and crisp flavour, notes of dry apple cider with honey added. Nice.

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

330 ml can, from Vinmonopolet Verksgt., Stavanger. ABV is 6.0%. Deep red colour, no carbonation. Distinct aroma of cranberries and honey, hints of lime and orange zest. Medium sweet and fruity flavour, with the same elements as the aroma.

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

330 ml bottle, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. ABV is 6.5%. Deep, deep red colour, small and shortlived pink head. Very moderate carbonation. Strong and intense aroma of blackcurrants, nearly masking the notes of honey. Very fruity flavour, medium sweet, with blackcurrants galore, a little honey in the background.

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

330 ml bottle, as Berryland Revenge, from Vinmonopolet Verksgt., Stavanger. ABV is 6%. Clear and very pale straw colour, moderately sparkling. Hazy when the yeast is poured in the end. Aroma and flavour of honey, birch sap and lemon juice.

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

Aug. 2022: Shared bottle at Bryne tasting. Golden colour, moderately sparkling. Aroma and flavour of honey and birch sap, medium sweet. Fairly interesting.

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

750 ml bottle, vintage 2021, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. ABV is 10%. Clear orange to pink-ish red colour, pours sparkling with a large but shortlived head. Distinct aroma of raspberries, honey and birch sap in the background. The flavour has distinct honey sweetness, again with strong notes of raspberries, hints of birch sap. Probably well made, but I find it hard to decide how much I really like this product - which means that I won't buy it again.

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

Oct. 2014: Shared 750 ml corked and caged bottle at local tasting, from the museum shop at Koldinghus castle. Deep amber colour, white head. Nice aroma of honey, sweet malts and mild spices. Sweet flavour, loads of honey, malts and spices. This is, after all, a beer with mead added - not a mead with beer added.

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

250 ml bottle, from Vinmonopolet Ølen. ABV is 13.1%. Golden colour, no carbonation. Aroma of heather honey and chestnut honey. Warming mouthfeel. Very sweet flavour of various types of honey, slightly bitter aftertaste.

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

650 ml bottle, from Costco, Sacramento, ABV is 7.5%. This braggot appears to be more of a beer than a mead. Golden colour, small white head. Brewed with clover honey, orangeblossom honey and chamomile, with alfalfa honey added (probably after fermentation). Sweetish aroma of honey, orange blossom and chamomile, some alcohol. Fairly sweet flavour, but still rather light bodied for its strength. Honey and chamomile notes. A slight alcohol sting. Very moderate hops. Well worth sampling, but not really my cup of tea.

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

750 ml green bottle, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. ABV is 12.3%. Deep golden colour, pours moderately sparkling with a small and shortlived white head. Aroma of honey, alcohol, elderflowers and lemon. Pleasant and slightly dry flavour with notes of honey, elderflowers and lemon.

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

330 ml bottle, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. ABV is 13.0%. Very dark ruby colour, nearly black. Small tan head. Aroma of honey, malts, vanilla, coconut, blueberry, bourbon and fusel. Very moderate carbonation in the mouth. Very sweet flavour of honey and coconut, also notes of vanilla, bourbon and blueberry. I recommend sharing the bottle between 2-3 persons.

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

Cask conditioned at the Alexandra Hotel ("The Alex"), Derby. Very dark ruby colour, nearly black. Low thick head. Aroma of leather and roasted malts. Very smooth and drinkable with a well balanced roastiness. Coffee elements. A truly enjoyable dark mild!

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

Cask conditioned at the 32nd Cambridge Beer Festival, gravity dispense. Black (= VERY dark brown) colour. Some natural carbonation, zesty, very nice. Pleasant roasty aroma. Flavour has dark chocolate, walnuts and roast barley. Not overdone, easy drinking.

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

Cask conditioned at the 32nd Cambridge Beer Festival, gravity dispense. Black / dark brown colour. Fruity aroma mixed with a moderate roastiness. A bit thin mouthfeel despite the ABV. Moderate roast flavour with coffee and prunes notes.

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

Beer Festival, gravity dispense. Pitch black (= very, very dark brown) colour, no head or carbonation. Strong roasted coffee aroma. Coffee flavour, a bit on the sweet and mellow side.

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

Cask conditioned at the 32nd Cambridge Beer Festival, gravity dispense. One of the craziest beer names so far - a fellow beer rater told me it’s adopted from a Cream song (I guess I should have known that). Dark brown colour, low head, some natural carbonation. According to the CBF programme it’s "a little too hoppy to be a classic mild" - still it is not VERY hoppy, just the typical Southern English dusty hoppiness. Aroma and flavour are malty with some caramel (but not really sweet), some cola notes.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

Cask conditioned at the 32nd Cambridge Beer Festival, as "Wensleydale Rowley Mild". Gravity dispense. Dark brown colour. Lovely aroma of dark fruits with slightly roasty notes. Flavour is moderately malty with a moderate fruity character - lacking in hops, but that’s the traditional mild for yer, mate. Not too much of a mouthfeel at 3.2% ABV, but decent enough.

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

Cask conditioned at the 32nd Cambridge Beer Festival, gravity dispense. Deep brown colour. Strong ensilage aroma, some would probably say "with a hint of vomit", some caramel too. Mouthfeel maybe a bit thin. Malty flavour with some caramel. Not much bitterness.

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

Bottle, RBESG 2005 Grand Tasting. Dark brown colour, nearly black. Pleasant roasty aroma, notes of coffee and dark bitter chocolate. Flavour is roasty and smokey, notes of tar. A solid beer!

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

Bottle, RBESG 2005 Grand Tasting. Dark reddish brown colour. Fine malty aroma with strong notes of oak and woodwork. Hints of tar. Oaky flavour with notes of tar and smoke. Low bitterness, fairly dry. A good strong mild!

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

Bottle conditioned, a dusty 500 ml bottle at Plan B, Copenhagen, august 2005 - "best before" date was Oct. 2004! Tasted definitely a bit "off". Black colour, low head. Weak roasty aroma and flavour. Sourish and thin. Very disappointing, as my expectations were high. Will need to rerate a fresh bottle or cask.

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

Cask conditioned in Northern England. Milds are really not my definite favourite style among cask ales - most of them are, well, too mild.... However, this one is probably about as good as a standard mild can get. (Well, some micro breweries make them better!) Smooth and easy drinking.

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

Cask at the Ipswich Beer Festival 2004, gravity dispense. Dark brown colour. Aroma of dark fruits / prunes, flavour is fruity and rather sweet. Nice. A decent mild!

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

Cask at the Ipswich Beer Festival 2004, gravity dispense. Black colour, roasted malty and ...err... MILD flavour. Smooth. Low on hops like expected from this style.