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

500 ml bottle, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. ABV is 6.5%. Reddish brown colour, huge off-white head. Aroma of malts, caramel and brown bread. Medium sweet flavour of malts and caramel, hints of roasted nuts, moderate piney and spicy hops. Warming mouthfeel, feels stronger than it is.

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

440 ml can, as Slakteren The Butcher #93 Brown Ale, from Vaaland, Bryne. ABV is 4.7%. Dark reddish brown colour, nearly black. Large to moderate off-white head. Aroma of malts and brown bread, hints of burnt breadcrumbs. Malty flavour, a slight acidity in the background. Notes of brown bread and burnt breadcrumbs, hints of prunes.

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

Shared 330 ml can at Mandag i Annen, Cardinal. ABV is 4.7%. Brown colour, moderate white head. Moderate and mellow malty aroma and flavour, hints of fruity kveik. Pleasant to drink, but not particularly exciting.

Aroma: 4 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 5 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 5

330 ml bottle, from Joker Vatlandsvåg. ABV is 4.5%. Hazy brown colour, moderate off-white head. Aroma of malts, yeast and brown bread, a hint of caramel. The flavour is nutty, malty, bready and yeasty, hints of fruity hops / dark fruits. A bit too yeasty for me.

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

330 ml bottle, as Ugly Duck Crumblé US Brown Ale, from BilkaToGo, Skalborg. ABV is 5.9%. Deep brown to mahogany colour, moderate to small off-white to beige head. Aroma of medium roast malts, burnt caramel, burnt breadcrumbs and hazelnut syrup. The flavour is better than expected, has the same elements as the aroma, also distinct bittering hops, not too sweet, all well balanced.

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

Oct. 2019: 330 ml bottle, batch #235, from Bris Ølutsalg, Jørpeland. ABV is 4.7%. Very dark brown colour, nearly black. Moderate off-white to beige head. Aroma of moderately roast malts, mild coffee, hints of spices. The medium dry flavour has also moderately roast malts with hints of chocolate and prunes, and moderate but still distinct spices. Smooth and pleasant to drink.

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

330 ml can, from the brewery. ABV is 8.1%. Cloudy brown colour, large to moderate beige head. Aroma of malts (some of it roasted), biscuits and burnt breadcrumbs. Medium roast, biscuits and burnt breadcrumbs in the flavour too, quite dry, with moderate earthy hops.

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

330 ml can, as ELØ Damnation Imperial Brown Ale, at Cardinal, Stavanger. ABV is 7%. Mahogany colour, moderate off-white to beige head. Malty and nutty aroma, hints of brittle and roasted nuts. The flavour is malty but not sweet, again notes of roasted nuts, hints of burnt breadcrumbs, moderate bittering hops. Well balanced and nice to drink.

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

330 ml can, from Holdbart Klepp. ABV is 4.7%. Dark brown colour, huge beige head. Aroma of roasted nuts, hints of caramel, burnt breadcrumbs and chocolate. The flavour has the same elements, but is not too sweet. Moderate hops. Nice to drink.

Aroma: 5 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 5 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 6

330 ml can, as Fjordfolk Juleøl Brown Ale, from Holdbart Klepp. ABV is 4.7%, IBU 18. Deep reddish brown colour, large off-white head. Aroma of brown malts, a hint of nuts. Malty flavour, not too sweet, a hint of nuts again, very moderate hops.

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

On tap at Cardinal, as Whiplash Bowsie Nitro Brown Ale. Deep reddish brown colour, creamy beige head. Nice aroma of brown malts, caramel and brown bread. Smooth mouthfeel. Fairly nice and smooth flavour, not very sweet, brown malts, lightly roasted malts, brown bread.

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

On tap at Pannrummet. Golden brown colour, low head. Moderate toffee, nutty and biscuity aroma. Fairly bland biscuity flavour, hints of toffee, minimal hops come faintly through in the finish.

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

RBESG 2006 Grand Tasting. Dark brown colour, low tan head. Very nice roasty aroma with notes of fresh coffee beans, oak and aromatic hops. Fine flavour of sweet coffee, nicely roasted, vinous notes. Very good beer.

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

(500 ml can.) Mack Bryggeri in Tromsø, the worlds northernmost commercial brewery (there’s a brewpub further north) is a macro brewery by Norwegian standards (not by American!), but they have recently also bought a full micro brewery equipment in order to brew "niche" beers (= ales, mostly) as a welcome change in the Norwegian pale lager desert. You have to give them props for trying, even if the results are not remarkable (and I’m not sure that the "micro" varieties, all named "Ludwig" something after the founder of the brewery, will help them out of their financial problems). Their attempt at an English brown ale has a deep golden brown colour and pours with a large head. Aroma is yeasty and fruity (apples). Flavour is very mellow, some maltiness but not much else. Minimal hops. Flat and bland finish. If Mack’s purpose is to brew a truly GREAT brown ale, they have a long way to go ....

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

500 ml, bottle conditioned. Dark brown colour, no head, minimal carbonation. Delightful, intense and complex aroma with strong fruity and roasty notes - plums, prunes, coffee, chocolate, leather. Also hints of oak and spices. Nutty and roasty flavour with a pronounced bitterness from the roastiness and the hops. Hoppy bitter finish / aftertaste. Interesting beer, even historically.

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

(500 ml bottle). Dark brown colour, slightly hazy, some sediment, good head. Lovely aroma of caramel, cedar wood, nuts and cookies. Flavour is nutty and biscuity with burnt edges. Not too sweet. Aftertaste has some bitterness with burnt notes. (Some might not like the burnt part, but I do!) If Newcastle Brown is your idea of a brown ale, you're in for a surprise!

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

Ex Vaux beer, now brewed by Robinsons for "The Double Maxim Beer Company Sunderland", website www.dmbc.co.uk . 550 ml bottle, straight from the fridge (= served too cold) at The Shipwrights, North Hylton, Sunderland. Deep brown colour, darker than Newcastle Brown. Decent head. Malty and nutty aroma and flavour, hints of toffee, low bitterness. Fuller flavour than NBA, but not remarkable.

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

Bottle, RBESG 2005, Grand Tasting (courtesy of the brewery). Brown colour. Yeasty, nutty, caramel and toffee aroma with hints of white pepper and ammonium in the background. Flavour is nutty with moderate hops, quite nice, a bit thin mouthfeel though.

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

700 ml bottle, b.b. date (handwritten on each bottle!) is 21.3.05. Poured carefully and got an initially clear brown ale with a large and lasting head, hazy in the next pour when the yeast was disturbed. Intense hoppy aroma on a background of malts and dried fruits. Flavour is malty sweet with strong chocolate notes, also notes of caramel and nuts, hints of spices. Fizzy mouthfeel. Not a bad beer this one.

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

500 ml bottle, bought in Denmark. An ale based on pilsener malts, with artificial colouring, hmmm? Filtered and pasteurised. Pours with a beautiful chestnut colour, with a good creamy tan head. Nice malty aroma with notes of caramel, oak and dried fruits, hints of roastiness and tobacco. Flavour is malty sweet with caramel, one-dimensional, minimal bitterness. Smooth and mellow, I expected something better than this.

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

750 ml bottle, bought in Denmark. Copper coloured, good creamy off-white head. Pleasant malty aroma, notes of chocolate, toffee and nuts, hints of roastiness. Smooth and mellow mouthfeel, low carbonation. Flavour has caramel, toffee and some chocolate, slightly sugary. Faint notes of English malt vinegar in the background. Very moderate hops. No masterpiece, and not worth the relatively high price.

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

355 ml bottle, bought in Denmark. Deep brown colour, large light tan head. Pleasant aroma of dark and dried fruits and caramel, hints of chocolate, tobacco, oak and leather. Nice malty and nutty flavour with some caramel but not too sweet, well balanced with sufficient hops, hints of spices. Easy drinking, refreshing, decent mouthfeel. Moreish.

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

500 ml bottle conditioned, courtesy of Cardinal, Stavanger (Norway’s best beer bar, untill someone proves me wrong). Sampled side-by-side with its "sister brew", Nørrebro Bryghus Double Knot Brown Ale (pasteurised and unfiltered keg, see separate rating). ABV is 7.5%, 19 degrees Plato, 40 IBU. Very dark brown colour, moderate head. Darker than Nørrebro DKBA. Lovely malty aroma with plenty of aromatic hops, notes of chocolate and leather too. Rich and roasty flavour, plenty of malts and oak. Roasty long aftertaste. Excellent beer!

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

Draught (pasteurised but unfiltered keg), courtesy of Cardinal, Stavanger. Sampled side-by-side with its "sister brew", Nøgne Ø Imperial Brown Ale (bottle conditioned), see separate rating. Deep brown colour, hazy, not as dark as NØ IBA. Minimal head. Malty aroma, but the aromatic hops are not as distinct as in NØ IBA. Full and rich malty flavour with oaky elements, but a less pronounced maltiness than NØ IBA. Slightly "rawer" in the edges. Still an excellent beer.

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

330 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal, Stavanger. Hazy deep reddish brown colour, minimal head. LOVELY aroma of red berries, honey and flowers. Pleasant malty flavour with caramel notes, but not really sweet. Mouthfeel maybe a bit thin, very moderate hops.