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

July 2012: 750 ml swingtop bottle, from Vinmonopolet Kvadrat. ABV is 5.9%. Amber colour, huge white (or slightly off-white) head. Sweetish malty, herbal and "spicy" (the chicory?) aroma. The flavour is pleasant, smooth and easy drinking, not too sweet, notes of caramel malts, chicory and moderate hops. Might buy again.

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

August 2017: Shared bottle at local tasting. Dark reddish brown colour. Spicy aroma, notes of cardamom, cinnamon and allspice. Some dark fruits too. Sweet and spicy flavour, strong notes of said spices.

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

330 ml bottle, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. ABV is 5.0%, IBU 15. Moderately hazy reddish brown colour, small off-white head. Aroma of lime, lemongrass and spices. Citric flavour, distinct notes of kaffir lime leaves and lemongrass, moderate notes of chili and other spices. Low bitterness. A moderate but nice chili burn in the aftertaste.

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

500 ml can, from Joker Vatlandsvåg. ABV is 4.7%. Hazy pale yellow colour, large to moderate white head. Aroma of tangerine and mild spices, particularly cloves. Nice flavour of citrus, cloves, nutmeg, cardamom and other spices. Moderate hops. Much better than I feared, might buy again.

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

330 ml can, at Cardinal, Stavanger. ABV is 11.7%, IBU 29. Moderately hazy brown colour, moderate off-white to beige head. Nice aroma of malts, caramel, brown sugar and mild spices. The flavour has the same elements, also some fruitiness (dried and fresh figs), and is not too sweet. Good beer.

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

500 ml bottle, from EkoMarket Stavanger. ABV is 4.6%. Hazy honey-coloured beer, small white head. Aroma of malts, grass and honey. Sweet flavour of honey and malts. Some bittering hops in the finish. Not too bad.

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

750 ml corked & caged bottle, as Licorne Noël Bière de Saison, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. ABV is 5.8%. Beautiful deep reddish brown colour, moderate off-white to beige head. Moderate aroma of malts, brown bread, caramel, brittle. Malty flavour with the same elements, spicy and dry finish.

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

November 2013: 500 ml bottle, batch #643, from the brewery. ABV is 8.5%. Very dark brown colour, nearly black. Moderate tan head. Started drinking it a bit too cold. The aroma is first surprisingly moderate, some mild roasty and spicy notes. Improves as the beer warms up a little. Smooth mouthfeel and flavour. Mild notes of caraway and liquorice, on a base of lightly roasted malts. Enjoyable.

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

On tap at Cardinal, Stavanger. Nearly black colour, small beige head. Moderate aroma of aquavit spices. Rich mouthfeel and flavour, distinct aquavit spices. Nice and tasty.

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

On tap at Cardinal, Stavanger. Dark brown colour, nearly black. Small beige head. Aroma of roast malts and burnt breadcrumbs, hints of figs and cinnamon. More distinct figs and cinnamon in the flavour, also roast malts, burnt breadcrumbs and moderate bittering hops in the background.

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

330 ml can, from Meny Hundvåg. ABV is 4.7%. Very dark brown colour, large to moderate beige head. Aroma of malts, Christmas spices and orange peel. Smooth flavour with malts and caramel, but not too sweet. The Christmas spices are distinct, but not overdone. Only a hint of orange peel. Very moderate hops. Pleasant to drink.

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

June 2013: 330 ml bottle, from Voldby Købmandsgård. ABV is 6.5%. Beautiful deep reddish brown colour, large beige head. Nice and medium sweetish aroma of hazelnuts, caramel, malt sugar and chocolate. Sweet and distinctly nutty flavour, also distinct notes of caramel and chocolate, hints of spices. Moderate hops in the finish. Would buy again.

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

January 2017: 500 ml bottle, batch #1713, from Coop Xtra, Sauda. ABV is 4.5%, IBU 20. Slightly hazy pale golden colour, moderate to low white head. Aroma of coriander and various Christmas spices, including anise or liquorice. Also some citrussy / wheaty notes. Citrussy / wheaty flavour, said spices are there, but in moderate amounts. A nice and unusual Christmas brew, suitable to accompany the season’s fish dishes.

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

330 ml bottle, from an Asian grocery store in Norway - I won't say which one, as they are not allowed to sell beers of this strength. ABV is 5.5%. Moderately hazy orange colour, small white head. Moderate aroma of ginger and tea. Refreshing flavour, medium dry, with notes of ginger, citrus and green tea. Moderate malts, low hop bitterness.

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

Bottle, at Haket, Göteborg. Deep reddish brown colour, creamy head. Herbal aroma, quite nice. Sweetish and herbal flavour, sourish in the finish. Not bad, but is it worth the price? Traquair House Ale is better!

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

(330 ml bottle). This beer is contract brewed by Aass by the initiative of Mr. Arvid Ystad. I had a nice conversation with him about the background of his initiative. He also sent me a memo about the use of herbs in Norwegian traditional brewing. However, this beer is not an ale like traditional Norwegian farmbrew, it is based on a standard Aass pale lager with juniper berries, caraway/cumin and tarragon (estragon) added in the brewing process. These are herbs recognizable by modern Norwegians from the flavouring of aquavit, and Mr. Ystad emphasizes that they were already well known in Norway from the art of brewing, when aquavit was invented at a much later stage. Balders Brygg (named after Odin’s son Balder, Norse mythology) looks like a standard pale lager with a moderate head, but the aroma and flavour are much better due to the herbs used. The tarragon and caraway (to some degree reminiscent of aniseed) dominate both aroma and flavour, while the juniper berries are more subdued. Mr. Ystad himself thinks that the tarragon is more dominant than he intended, I would also like the juniper berries to stand out more than they do. But these herbs can't hide the fact that the basis of this beer is a pale lager with a rather thin mouthfeel. Props to Mr. Ystad for his initiative, but Aass Bryggeri should clearly have taken a leap forward and made an ALE with these herbs. As it is, Balders Brygg is at least a nice change of pace from the standard pilseners / pale lagers that dominate the Norwegian beer scene.

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

750 ml bottle, corked "champagne" style. A beer brewed with algae, what’s next? This one pours deep amber / orange with a large pale orange head. Pleasant fruity aroma (oranges, apples), also notes of honey, flowers and hay. Flavour is also fruity / slightly acidic with some strange notes I can’t identify, probably the algae. Acidic and salty finish / aftertaste. Not the best beer I’ve had, but interesting. At least it’s something out of the ordinary ...

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

Draught at the brewpub, Beer of the Month for August 2005. Brewed with malurt (wormwood). Pale straw coloured. Aroma and flavour reminds me of the dark meat of Norwegian crabs. Very strange, a bit sickly. Not good.