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

August 2017: On tap at Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. Deep orange colour, large off-white head. Aroma of smoked malts, smoked meat and smoked fish. Slightly dry flavour, with a certain fruitiness that helps the drinkability a lot. Also distinct notes of smoked malts, moderate hops. I might not be the world's biggest fan of smoked beers in general, but this is one I could happily drink again - and again.

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

(700 ml bottle, bought in Denmark). Hazy copper colour, good head that doesn’t last too long. Aroma is citrussy (Cascade) with hints of prunes and caramel. Flavour is malty and quite bitter (Carlsberg have been generous with the hops here), the rye doesn’t really stand out - this beer reminds me more of an American IPA than anything you’d associate with rye bread. Still, this is an interesting beer, and a likely favourite with people who can’t get enough Cascade hops.

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

Cask conditioned at Mannings, Ipswich. Deep amber colour, pleasant aroma of red fruits. Flavour is malty and fruity with pronounced blackcurrants and blackberries. Dusty finish. Interesting beer!

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

500 ml bottle, bought in Germany. Deep copper colour, large beige head. Intense aroma of red fruits, dried fruits and jam / marmalade, also notes of cloves, oak and sherry. Flavour is moderately malty, slightly acidic with some vinous qualities, red fruits, caramel and rye bread in the background. Moderate carbonation, soft mouthfeel, smooth and pleasant to drink. A very nice rye beer.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 5 | Flavor: 4 | Overall: 6

500 ml, bottle conditioned, incorrectly labeled as 700 ml. Very cloudy amber colour, large fizzy head that soon subsides, low remaining carbonation. Initially lovely yeasty and fruity aroma with notes of rye bread, oak and leather, but as carbonation dies out, some strange detergent notes remain in the aroma. Flavour has notes of rye bread and yeast, with some strange soapy notes in the finish / aftertaste. Dead yeast? Seems to me the brewers have been working on a really good brew here, without succeeding.

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

Brewed for the Finnish market. Sampled RBESG 2006 Grand Tasting. ABV is 4.5%. Hazy brownish colour, decent head. Sweetish aroma, notes of rye bread. Surprisingly light bodied, refreshing but nothing spectacular.

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

330 ml bottle, from the Norwegian importer. ABV is 8%. Deep golden to amber colour, moderate to small white head. Pleasant aroma of Speyside whisky, notes of caramel, toffee, vanilla and berries, hints of rye bread. The flavour has some sweetness, but not too much. Distinct whisky notes, but still well balanced, with the same elements as in the aroma. Moderate hops.

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

At Copenhagen Beer Festival. Black colour. Moderate roasty (coffee) notes in both aroma and flavour, hints of rye bread. Drinkable, absolutely nothing wrong with it, but as this is Amager, I expected something even better. BTW, we brewed a homebrew porter last year with exactly the same ratio of rye malts in it, and thought it was better than this. Did not taste them side by side, though - and we might have been slightly biased, or slightly drunk ...

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

On tap at Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV was said to be 7.7%. Hazy dark brown colour, creamy beige head. Lovely fruity aroma of American hops and rye. Distinctly hoppy flavour (100+ IBU) with some grapefruity notes. Very bitter finish and aftertaste. The beer is not very sweet, but there is still a tolerable malty backbone, with a hint of rye bread.

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

Bottle, at local tasting, as Shorts Brew Ginger in the Rye, Imperial Rye Munich Ale. Orange to amber colour, large white head. Strong sweetish aroma of stale jam and ginger. Medium sweet and spicy flavour, with a moderate ginger burn in the finish.

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

On tap at Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. Chestnut colour, creamy off-white to beige head. Unusual fruity perfumed aroma, notes of over-ripe raspberries. Smooth and pleasant mouthfeel. The flavour is moderately fruity (hints of raspberries again) with a nice balance between the malts (with notes of rye bread and a hint of caramel) and American hops (with moderate piney and grapefruity notes).

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

355 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 6.6%, 70 IBUs. Reddish brown colour, big and lasting off-white head. Nice aroma of floral and citrussy hops (dry hopped with Amarillo), also sweetish notes of caramel and orange marmalade. The flavour has also notes of orange marmalade and caramel malts, but is not extremely sweet. There is a distinct hoppy bitterness towards the end, with grapefruity and resinous notes, lasting through the long aftertaste. Good stuff.

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

Shared bottle from the brewery, as The Kernel Big Brick Collaboration Red Rye Ale. ABV was 8.9%. Beautiful red colour, moderate off-white head. The aroma is malty with notes of Christmas spices, caramel and "spruce" hops. The flavour is malty with caramel, notes of piney hops.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 5 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 6

On tap at Copenhagen Beer Festival. Gruit brewed with meadowsweet, yarrow and bee balm. Cloudy golden colour. Nice herbal aroma. The flavour has an unusual sweetish herbal character, but lacks the balance of bittering hops (or other bittering agents).

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

Dec. 2018: 330 ml bottle, from Vinmonopolet. ABV is 6.0%. Black colour, large tan head. Aroma of roast malts, coffee and dark chocolate. Dry flavour with the same elements. Moderate but fairly distinct hops.

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

Shared 330 ml can. ABV is 4.7%. Amber colour, slightly hazy. Moderate off-white head. Aroma of rye malts and citrussy hops. Distinct citrussy hops in the flavour too, on a background of malts and rye bread. Decent beer.

Aroma: 3 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 3 | Flavor: 3 | Overall: 3

500 ml bottle, from Tesco Express, Belfast. ABV is 5%. Deep golden to amber colour, moderate white head. Meaty aroma, notes of broth - weird. Bland and boring dry flavour - weak malts, and no sign of the Mosaic and Cascade hops. What a sick joke!

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

750 ml bottle, Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 8.6%. Orange to amber colour, huge off-white head. Distinct aroma of rye whiskey oak barrel, hints of caramel and dark dried fruits. The flavour has a slight malty sweetness, again followed by notes of rye whiskey or bourbon oak barrel, caramel and brown sugar, dark dried fruits and mild spices. Moderate hops. Overcarbonated, fizzy mouthfeel.

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

Rerate, 330 ml can, Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 6.2%. Less sharp aroma this time, but pine needle extract dominates. The flavour seems also slightly less sharp, but is hoppy enough. Dry finish. Original rating: Shared 330 ml bottle at local tasting. Cloudy orange colour, large head, slightly off-white. Sharp aroma of spruce, pine needle extract and solvent. Sharp hoppy flavour, mellowed by some rye "ripe berries" notes. Not in perfect balance.

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

330 ml bottle, Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 5.3%. Golden brown colour, slightly hazy. Moderate white head. Dryish aroma of wood and lightly roasted malts, hints of ashes. Dry flavour with a slight fruity acidity, notes of wood, rye bread and lightly roasted malts again, some resin. Medium bitter aftertaste.

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

300 ml bottle, from Bio Station Store, Antwerpen Centraal. Organic. ABV is 8.5%. Reddish brown colour, small off-white head. Aroma of malts, rye bread and caramel. Malty and medium sweet flavour, again notes of rye bread and caramel, some mild spicy notes.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 5 | Mouthfeel: 5 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 6

330 ml can, from leske.no . ABV is 0.5%, IBU 42. Clear golden colour, small white head. Nice citrus aroma. Light bodied as expected. Flavour of citrus / grapefruit, and pine needles / resin. Bitter finish. Not bad for a n/a beer.

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

Shared 330 ml bottle. Reddish brown colour, moderate head, slightly off-white. Moderate aroma of malts, toffee, dark berries and earthy hops. Flavour has the same elements.

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

750 ml paper-wrapped bottle, Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 6.5%. Pale straw colour, huge white head. Pleasant aroma of spicy saison yeast, some fruity hints too. Spicy and fruity notes in the flavour too, with decent herbal hops. Very good beer.

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

Sample from bottle, RBNG 2014 in Halden, Grand Tasting, as Glazen Toren Saison d’Erpe-Mere Lentebier. ABV was 9%. My notes recall a fresh and spicy aroma and flavour - I liked it!