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

330 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 6.0%. This is Old Tom blended with Fentimans Ginger Beer (the latter is actually not a beer at all, but a softdrink like "ginger ale" - only with REAL ginger as an ingredient). Mahogany coloured beer, big beige head. Distinct aroma of ginger, also fruity and slightly vinous notes, hints of caramel. The flavour is rich and sweet, a bit too much on the sugary side, with distinct notes of stem ginger in syrup. Some hops and a ginger burn in the finish. I definitely prefer the "ordinary" Old Tom to this one - and also Chocolate Tom if I need a change. However, Ginger Tom is far from undrinkable, if you happen to like ginger - which I fortunately do.

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

Sampled bottle, RBNAG 2007 in Grimstad, haute cuisine beer lunch at Apotekergården. ABV was 9%. Accompanied the goose liver. Deep golden colour, minimal head. Lovely complex aroma with vinous notes, oak, honey and hops. Spritzy mouthfeel. Sweet, fruity (Muscat grapes), oaky and well balanced flavour. The honey and saffron are fairly subdued elements.

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

355 ml bottle, vintage 2007, courtesy of Cardinal pub, Stavanger. ABV is 5.5%. BB Sep.09. Very dark reddish bown colour, nearly black. Large and lasting tan head. Nice vinous and sweetish aroma, notes of malts, herbs, oak, spices and caramel. Malty flavour with moderate notes of caramel and herbs, moderate hops and spices in the finish and aftertaste. A very pleasant beer to drink.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 5 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 7

500 ml bottle, thanks to Beer_2000. Bottle conditioned. ABV is 4.7%. Amber to brown colour, large head with an orangey hue. Nice aroma of Christmas spices, toffee and some malts. The flavour also has Christmas spices and a moderate sweetness, but the mouthfeel is still very thin - too thin for a Christmas/Yule brew. Very moderate hops in the slightly metallic aftertaste, but this beer definitely needs more hops. Actually it needs more malts and more alcohol too!

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

500 ml bottle, bought at Vaaland Spesialbutikken, Bryne. Bottle No. 0689 (out of a total of 7733). Brew No. 1 in Berentsens new Innova-Brygg range. ABV is 4.7%. Brewed with hand-picked heather and local honey. Unfiltered, matured 6 months in tanks at the brewery. Golden colour, large to moderate head. Nice honey aroma. The flavour is dominated by heather and honey as expected, hardly any bitterness, but the beer is not too sweet. The mouthfeel is maybe a bit thin, but this is a fairly easy drinking beer for spring and summer. The finish is rather bland though.

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

500 ml screenprint bottle, bought in Riga. ABV is 4.5%. Filtered, but not pasteurised. Strange pale greyish brown colour, moderate white head. Strong sweetish aroma of malts, ginger, honey and cooked vegetables. I drank it too cold - but found an initially sweetish pale lager flavour with ginger, and a very dry finish with a hint of lemons. Minimal bitterness. Thin mouthfeel. Still quite refreshing and drinkable.

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

500 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 3.8%. Clear deep golden to orange colour, decent white head. Interesting aroma of fresh coriander, spicy and herbal notes, some fruit too. The flavour has loads of fresh coriander, a slight fruitiness, hints of toffee, decent hops (and more coriander) in the finish and aftertaste. Not too sweet. An interesting beer with a moderate ABV, but probably not my choice for a whole "session".

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

330 ml stubby bottle, thanks to oh6gdx and chris_o. ABV is 5.7%. I admit I had never heard of manuka before I got this beer! Clear amber colour, huge off-white head with an orangey hue. Moderate aroma of malts and spice, and something undefined which I suppose is the manuka leaves. The flavour has moderate malts and some caramel and undefined spice, with a noticeable bitterness in the finish, which might or might not be caused by manuka leaves, in addition to the hops? Definitely drinkable, but not particularly exciting.

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

330 ml bottle, now available in Norway. ABV is 4.3%. Website for this beer is www.ikibeer.com . Hazy pale yellow colour, big and lasting white head. The sweetish aroma is a bit strange, after all green tea and yuzy fruit are not common ingredients in beers. Some rubbery notes too. The flavour has some wheaty notes, but is most of all reminiscent of lemon ice tea. Minimal bitterness. Not undrinkable, but won’t buy again.

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

500 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. Based on Nøgne Ø God Jul, matured with spruce and blended with a wild forest cranberry ("tyttebær") "lambic" (brettanomyces fermented). Very dark brown colour, nearly black, with a low beige head. Distinct notes of spruce in the aroma, also notes of fruit / berries, coffee, chocolate and liquorice. Very unusual flavour where the spruce and wild forest cranberries dominate, but I’m not entirely sure how well the various flavour elements really do blend. The mouthfeel is a bit fizzy. Still an interesting beer.

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

500 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 4.5%. Very dark brown colour, nearly black. Moderate creamy beige head. Nice aroma of malts and juniper / resin, hints of spices and smoke. The flavour has a noticeable acidity, some malts, also a hint of resin and a faint hint of smoke. Minimal hops. The mouthfeel is too thin.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 5 | Flavor: 5 | Overall: 6

A new "klasse D" (grocery store strength) beer, introduced Christmas 2006. 330 ml green bottle. Copper coloured, large and creamy light tan head. Moderate but pleasant aroma of bakery, caramel, juniper berries and wild cranberries. Flavour has a noticeable malts and caramel sweetness with some bready notes, faint hints of spices, minimal hops, short and slightly dusty finish. Minimal and boring afteraste. Too thin mouthfeel for a "juleøl", despite the initial sweetness. Won’t be my choice for "the meat dishes of Christmas" this one.

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

330 ml green bottle. Amber coloured, large off-white head. Weak aroma with hints of berries (incl. juniper berries?) and boiled vegetables. Flavour has very moderate malts and hops (and possibly bog myrtle), notes of caramel but not very sweet. Thin and faintly sourish mouthfeel. A very boring beer, but not offensive.

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

500 ml brown bottle, courtesy of Cardinal pub, Stavanger. "Hand brewed" by RCH Brewery, but bottle conditioned by Branded Drinks. ABV is 6.0%. Contains coriander seed oil. Deep amber colour, just a slight haziness, low head. Enticing and very special aroma - coriander, cloves and ginger, rum-drenched raisins, fortified sweet wines and herbal shampoo. Flavour is very spicy - one of the spiciest beers I've had so far, initially sweet and vinous, but with a ferocious attack of coriander, dry ginger and bittering hops in the finish. Dry aftertaste. I'd say they could with advantage have gone a little easier on the spices here, and we'd have a softer and more drinkable beer. The ale "base" seems decent enough. As it is, this is an INTERESTING beer, to say the least. Not for people who hate coriander and ginger.

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

On tap at Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV was 5.5%. Brewed with lemongrass. Cloudy brownish golden colour, creamy off-white head. Moderate but nice aroma of lemongrass and undefined mild spices, with a faint hint of butterscotch. Refreshing flavour and mouthfeel, the lemongrass is there, but is not overdone. Moderate but noticeable hops. Very moreish. Could well be made a permanent brew - should appeal to "the general public", as well as beer geeks who want a nice refreshment.

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

500 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 5.2%. Contains sulphites. Deep golden colour, big head rapidly diminishing. Aroma of ginger, syrup and and some fruit, hints of toffee. The flavour is very sweet, syrupy and sugary, with a moderate but nice ginger burn in the finish. Hardly any hops. Not really my kind of beer, but drinkable.

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

500 ml bottle, bought at Fenaknoken, Oslo. ABV is 4.5%. The label advertises "Vikingfestivalen 2009". Dark brown colour, big to moderate beige head. Interesting aroma of juniper, resin and hops, hints of lightly roasted malts, some smoke, mild coffee and chocolate. The mouthfeel is fairly thin and dry. The flavour is dominated by juniper, the finish has some coffee and resin and is otherwise dry and "dusty", with just a slight acidity.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 10 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 8

750 ml "champagne" green bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. Limited edition of 7500 bottles, my botttle No. 3470. ABV is 11.0%. Deep golden to brown colour, moderate head, slightly off-white. Excellent aroma of sherry, whisky, figs, vanilla and oak, also notes of heather honey. The flavour is fairly sweet with a warming mouthfeel, again notes of sherry, whisky, vanilla, heather honey and raisins. Still relatively light bodied for an 11% beer. Some "dusty" bog myrtle and very moderate hops in the finish.

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

Bottle, RBNAG 2009 in Vatlandsvåg. ABV was 6%. Orange to amber colour, low head. The aroma has notes of cinnamon and other undefined spices, some American hops. The flavour has notes of cinnamon, but they are not overdone, and blend in quite nicely with the malts and hops.

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

600 ml bottle, as Nørrebros Julebryg, now available in Norway at Vinmonopolet (bestillingsutvalget). ABV is 7.0%. Cloudy brown colour, big beige head. Nice aroma of Christmas spices, some caramel and malts. The flavour is far less sweet than the aroma made me expect, fairly dry and "dusty" with some slightly sourish notes. Moderate notes of Christmas spices, but they feel kind of "out of place" without any real malty backbone. The hops are also very moderate. The mouthfeel is fairly thin. The beer is drinkable of course, but this is not Nørrebro’s best beer.

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

330 ml clear bottle, from BilkaToGo, Skalborg. ABV is 5.8%. Clear deep golden / amber to orange colour, moderate white head. Aroma of sweetish malts, sea buckthorn berries and sweet gale / bog myrtle. The flavour is not as sweet as the aroma made me fear, fruity notes of sea buckthorn berries, fairly distinct notes of bog myrtle, minimal bitterness (hops are not on the ingredients list).

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

330 ml bottle, from Coop Extra Jørpeland. ABV is 4.6%. Nearly clear pale golden colour, large to moderate white head. Distinct sweetish aroma of ginger, grain and malts, a hint of lime. Light bodied. The flavour is not too sweet, there is a distinct ginger and chili burn, again only a hint of lime. Not really great, but at least it feels nice to have a "ginger beer" that actually is a beer, and not a n/a mixer.

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

330 ml bottle, from Vinmonopolet. ABV is 7%. Deep golden colour, minimal white head, low level of carbonation. Aroma and flavour of honey, pomegranate, hazelnuts, resin and herbs. Medium sour, low bitterness.

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

June 2015: 750 ml bottle, as Birra del Borgo Genziana con radici, from Vinmonopolet. BB date March 2015. ABV is 6.1%. Clear deep golden colour, moderate white head. Strong sweetish malty and herbal / vegetable aroma. The flavour is also quite sugary sweet, notes of malts, caramel, herbs and vegetables (the radishes, I assume). Low bitterness. Not really my cup of tea. Drank it moderately chilled - might be more refreshing ice cold.

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

March 2016: 750 ml bottle, as Birra del Borgo CastagnAle, probably from Matkroken Stokka. BBE 12/2014. ABV is 4.2%. Beautiful reddish colour, unfortunately spoiled by loads of floaties that don’t dissolve in the beer. Moderate off-white head. Aroma of malts, chestnuts and over-ripe fruits, hints of solvent. Slightly sweet flavour, with the same elements as in the aroma. Might be somewhat better fresh, but probably not my cup of tea under any circumstance.