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

November 2013: On tap at Amundsen, Oslo. ABV was 6.9%. Ruby red colour, moderate off-white head. Nice aroma and flavour of Christmas spices, malts and caramel. Not too sweet, pleasant. Would buy again.

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

500 ml can, bought in France. ABV is 7.5%. Deep amber colour, nearly clear. Large off-white head. Pleasant malty aroma with notes of aromatic hops, leather and oak. Malty and oaky flavour with tolerable hops, notes of toffee and caramel. Not bad at all for a canned beer!

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

750 ml corked bottle, bought in France. Golden nearly clear colour, large lasting white head. Pleasant flowery and fruity aroma, also notes of honey and leather. Flavour is spicy and somewhat alcoholic, with a peppery finish. Well worth sampling.

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

Bottle, at Delirium Café, Göteborg. Amber to copper colour. Vinous aroma. Notes of blackcurrants, redcurrants, oak and bakery in aroma and flavour. Good beer.

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

Bottle, at Delirium Café, Göteborg. I think the ABV was 6%, but I'm not quite sure. Cloudy golden colour. Notes of coriander and orange peel in aroma and flavour. OKish beer, but the Ambrée is a tad better.

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

(330 ml bottle, ABV 5.9%). Weird beer! - but then, mixing cognac in beer IS a weird idea! The result: Aroma and flavour neither of beer nor cognac - but of RASPBERRIES!! and boysenberries. Rather sweet, but not as sweet as the aroma makes you fear. Not really godawful, but definitely not a beer I'll buy again. Beer is beer, and cognac is cognac - and never shall the two meet (again)! BTW, I think the beer used in this blend is a lager, not an ale - but I'm not 100% sure.

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

750 ml bottle, corked "champagne" style, bought in Denmark. Pale golden colour, like a pilsener. Enormous and lingering fluffy white head, leaves a nice lacing. Delicate yeasty aroma with notes of grass, flowers and honey. Pleasant mild flavour with a certain spicyness and decent hops, but light bodied for its 6.4% ABV. Well balanced and "dangerously drinkable".

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

(750 ml corked bottle). Pale golden pilsener-like colour, . Large lasting head. Spicy aroma. Flavour is spicy white wine-like, a bit alcoholic. Well balanced, nice aftertaste. A good beer, but I don't find it quite as complex as some other raters do.

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

1 pt. 9.4 fl. oz. corked and wired bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 7.0%. Hazy golden colour, big white head. Moderate spicy aroma, hints of wood. Fizzy mouthfeel. Refreshing flavour with spicy and slightly woody notes, fairly dry. Moderate hops. Nice beer.

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

1 pt. 9.4 fl. Oz. bottle, as "Jolly Pumpkin Oro de Calabaza Artisan Golden Ale - Ale Aged in Oak Barrels", courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. Batch 463. ABV is 8%. Golden colour, slightly hazy, with a huge white head. Lovely fruity and spicy aroma, which also carries strong notes of "farmhouse" / wild yeast and white wine vinegar. The flavour is equally excellent, spicy and fruity notes, some acidity, with a hoppy and peppery bite in the finish. Extremely drinkable and refreshing for its strength.

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

650 ml green glass bottle, entirely covered in very "christmasy" plastic foil. Courtesy of Cardinal pub, Stavanger. Also available in Norway at Vinmonopolet, bestillingsutvalget. ABV is 5.8%. Clear and deep golden colour, large and lasting head. Fruity and spicy aroma with notes of farm kitchen, quite nice. The flavour has some of the "spritziness" of other bières-de-garde, but is sweeter, with caramel. Artificial "aroma" (whatever that may be) has been added, hmmm ... That is probably what I get some candy / pear drops notes from. Moderate hops in the finish. Not your typical Christmas beer, but drinkable.

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

750 ml swingtop bottle, as St Germain Page 24 Réserve Hildegarde Bière de Garde Blonde, now available in Norway at Vinmonopolet. ABV is 6.9%. Pale golden colour, just a slight haziness, big white head. Nice aroma of "Belgian" (French, actually) yeast, with spicy / peppery notes. Some fruit and grass too. The flavour is first crisp and moderately spicy / peppery, leading to a fruity moderate sweetness, ending in a moderately hoppy and spicy finish and aftertaste. A truly enjoyable bière de garde - will buy again.

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

Bottle, Blend 4 2008, ABV 7.2%, RBNAG 2009 in Vatlandsvåg. Amber colour, moderate off-white head. Very nice sour & sweet & funky aroma. Moderately sour and oaky flavour, fairly light bodied.

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

500 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. Like all bottled beers from this brewery, it is filtered to remove all remaining yeast (but possibly not pasteurised?). ABV is 4.2%. Brewed with "bere", traditional wild barley. Deep golden colour, low white head. Malty and distinctly "dusty" aroma, weak hints of fruit. The flavour has much of the (lack of) character of a standard English bitter, "dusty" notes again, quite dry, with a very moderate fruitiness in the finish. The aftertaste has a distinct hoppy bitterness, with a hint of resin. I’ve had better, I’ve had worse.

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

500 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. Like all bottled beers from this brewery, it is filtered to remove all remaining yeast (but possibly not pasteurised?). ABV is 4.0%. Pale golden colour, moderate white head. Fairly boring "dusty" aroma. Soft mouthfeel. The flavour is better than the aroma, some fruity hops, quite refreshing. A sharpish bitterness in the aftertaste.

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

500 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. Like all bottled beers from this brewery, it is filtered to remove all remaining yeast (but possibly not pasteurised?). ABV is 4.0%. Golden colour, low white head of poor retention. Moderate aroma, some fruity hops on a grainy background. Moderate carbonation in the glass, initially a soft mouthfeel. The flavour has first some fruity hops, ending in a sharpish bitter finish, also some sharpish grainy notes, which seem to be part of this brewery’s "house character".

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

330 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 4.5%. Reddish brown colour, big beige head with orangey hue. Very nice aroma of fruity hops, notes of red berries, hints of toffee. The flavour has also fruity hops throughout, also notes of burnt toast, hints of caramel. Moderate hops in the finish, but the bitterness actually gets more pronounced through the long aftertaste.

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

500 ml bottle, thanks to my beerpal Olav who brought it home from the Orkneys. ABV is 4.4%. Golden colour, big to moderate white head. Moderate but nice aroma of fruity and herbal hops. Fairlyt light bodied. The flavour has herbal notes throughout, with a dry and "dusty" finish. Moderate bitterness in the aftertaste.

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

500 ml bottle, bought in Norway. A new beer from Adnams, developed from their long gone Champion Pale Ale. Amber colour, big off-white head. Biscuits, some malts and a moderate fruitiness in the aroma. The flavour has fruity hops on a decent malty base, and the mouthfeel is very good for a 3.4% beer.

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

500 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. Copper coloured beer, decent off-white head. The aroma has a nice blend of malts and fruity hops, notes of prunes, toffee and some chocolate. The flavour has earthy notes, some malts and fruit, hints of caramel, but the finish is "dusty" and dry with noticeable hops. A very nice bitter.

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

Cask at the GBBF 2008. Golden colour, low head. Very moderate aroma, just a hint of fruity hops. The flavour has also some moderate fruity hops, leading to a moderate "dusty" bitterness in the finish, but is otherwise relatively bland. The mouthfeel is fairly thin.

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

Cask at the GBBF 2008. Golden colour, minimal head. Lovely strong aroma of butterscotch and caramel. The flavour has notes of butterscotch and malts, but is still fairly dry, with a reasonably hoppy finish.

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

Cask at the GBBF 2008. Golden colour. Very nice aroma of butterscotch and caramel, some oaky notes too. Moderately malty flavour with hints of honey, dusty finish.

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

Cask at the GBBF 2008. Brown to copper colour. The aroma has grain and butterscotch. Fairly watery and thin mouthfeel. The flavour has some malts with caramel, and "dusty" hops in the finish.

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

Cask conditioned at the Great British Beer Festival (GBBF) 2008. Golden colour. Nice and moderately hoppy aroma and flavour, with notes of flowers and tropical fruits.