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

(Bottle). A good but somewhat overrated beer. Aggressively carbonated. Better in the Good Old Days when it was stronger. Rerate, draught in Newcastle: I found the colour to be darker brown than the bottled version (can that be?), and the flavour was fuller and richer - even though the pub tried to ruin it by serving it ice cold.

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

"(Bottle). A good but somewhat overrated beer. Aggressively carbonated. Better in the Good Old Days when it was stronger. Rerate, draught in Newcastle: I found the colour to be darker brown than the bottled version (can that be?), and the flavour was fuller and richer - even though the pub tried to ruin it by serving it ice cold."

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

Rerate, draught in Newcastle: I found the colour to be darker brown than the bottled version (can that be?), and the flavour was fuller and richer - even though the pub tried to ruin it by serving it ice cold.

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

(Bottle conditioned, 500 ml. ABV was 4.8%.) Gushes out of the bottle, pours with an enormous light tan head. Aroma is malts, caramel and overwhelmingly fermenting fruits (apples, pears, plums). Flavour is overwhelmingly acidic and fruity, bordering on vinegar. This acidity masks all other flavours, just a hint of hop bitterness on the back of my tongue. Some metallic sidenotes. My beer was still drinkable (2 months left till expiry date), but had clearly set sails for a voyage to the promised land of Vinegaria.

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

(250 ml bottle). Dark but clear red-brown colour, large fluffy head. Aroma of heather honey, caramel and plums. Flavour is malty sweet, some caramel, very little hops, watery-dusty (does that make sense?) finish. OKish, but not remarkable.

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

Can, at RBESG 2007 in Glasgow, Grand Tasting. Dark reddish brown colour. Aroma and flavour of moderately roasted malts. Quite nice. Maybe not a piece of genius, but certainly much better than your average swill in a can.

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

Bottle, at RBESG 2007 in Glasgow, Grand Tasting. Cloudy dark brown colour, beige head. Malty aroma, a bit "unfresh". Malty flavour, slightly spicy, moderate hops. Drank it too warm though.

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

conditioned, ABV is 7%. Dark brown opaque colour, huge tan head. Moderate aroma of malts, bakery, caramel and coffee, hints of chocolate. The flavour is malty with some caramel and weak coffee, with hints of chocolate, but the finish has unfortunately distinct and unpleasant notes of wet cardboard and cigarette ashes, some metallic notes too. Could have been a good beer - as it is, it is not good enough.

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

500 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 4.7%. Very dark brown colour, moderate beige head. Nice malty aroma , notes of dark münchener malts, caramel and brown bread. The flavour is very malty throughout, but not too sweet. Some notes of caramel. Minimal hops. Tastes like an ale (which it probably is), but has also much in common flavourwise with a Münchener dunkel.

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

Draught, sampled at Gladmatfestivalen, Stavanger. Unfortunately served far too cold. This is a good dark amber/brown ale (and Norwegian ales are rare!), not a stout as the name implies. Slightly cloudy appearance. Moderately hopped, malty well balanced rounded flavour. Hints of yeast. Caramel malts must be among the 5 types used. This "farm brewery" is about 7 years old, built in an old sheepshed! Their 3 ales are mainly available in Valdres, mostly draught but some of their production is bottled too. They also have a tiny pub at the brewery that's open only Friday nights, or at other hours for groups by appointment.

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

Cask at the GBBF 2008. ABV was said to be 5.0%. Brown colour. Nice aroma, malts, caramel, hops. The flavour is slightly less interesting, some fruitiness and malts, but like most brown ales it lacks hops. Drank it too warm though.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 4 | Mouthfeel: 3 | Flavor: 3 | Overall: 3

500 ml can, ABV is 4.5%. Golden brown colour, big to moderate head. Dull and boring aroma, weak hints of malts and caramel. The flavour is also dull and boring but not offensive, moderate notes of malts, a weak hint of toffee but the beer is not sweet. Hardly any noticeable hops at all. Thin mouthfeel. Yawn. Zzzzzzz.

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

355 ml brown bottle, now available in Norway (Vinmonopolet). ABV is 5.0%. Chestnut coloured beer, large and lasting off-white head. Moderate aroma of hazelnuts, malts, caramel and chocolate. Malty flavour, moderately sweet with plenty of caramel, nutty finish with moderate hops. Nice enough, definitely better than Newcastle "Broon", but not really outstanding.

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

Sampled 330 ml green bottle, RBNAG 2007 in Grimstad. Brown colour. Very moderate "dunkel" aroma. Rounded, mellow and soft flavour with some caramel. Not impressive, average at the best.

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

Sampled bottle, RBNAG 2007 in Grimstad. TV2 Øst Bryg No. 17, ABV was 7%. Dark brown colour. Malty sweet aroma and flavour, hints of oak. (AFAIK, this beer was brewed when a regional TV channel, TV2 Øst, made a program about this tiny micro brewery.)

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

500 ml bottle, thanks to Ole_R. Like all Haandbryggeriet beers it is bottle conditioned. ABV is 4.5%. Malts include wheat malt and Münchener malt. Batch No. 102. Brewed Oct. 2007, BB date March 2009. Mahogany coloured beer, hazy when the sediment is poured. Moderate beige head. Moderate aroma of malts, bakery and chocolate, hints of spices. The flavour is fruity and slightly acidic, with distinct notes of Münchener malts. The finish is spicy with a sharp bitterness. Not a bad beer, but it somehow seems a bit unbalanced - the flavour elements don’t blend together very well. I am not sure if this is a recipe worth repeating next year.

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

500 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 5.7%. Dark brown to chestnut colour, large and lasting creamy beige head. Complex aroma of malts, bakery, nuts, some spices, caramel and fruits. The flavour is malty and nutty with some caramel, some fruitiness too, hints of chocolate. Not much bitterness. A good try from Dalane.

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

12 fl. oz. bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. Dark brown colour, moderate cream-coloured head. Aroma and flavour of lightly toasted malts, brown bread and nuts. Notes of burnt bread crumbs in the finish. Fairly dry beer.

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

330 ml bottle, bought in Denmark. ABV is 4.6%. Brown colour, big to moderate cream-coloured head. Sweetish malty aroma, notes of toffee, caramel and marmalade. The flavour is moderately malty and nutty with "dusty" notes, hints of caramel and brown bread, but it is not very sweet. Very moderate hops, not much of an aftertaste. Fairly boring, but otherwise not unpleasant to drink.

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

500 ml bottle, as Belhaven Robert Burns Scottish Ale, bought in Denmark. ABV is 4.2%. Copper coloured beer, big and lasting off-white head. Predominantly malty aroma, but also some fruity hops and vinous notes, hints of berries, oak and honey. The flavour has notes of the same elements, but the hops are very moderate, and do not leave much bitterness for the aftertaste. Still a decent and very drinkable beer.

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

500 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 4.7%. Beautiful ruby colour, moderate beige head. Moderate but nice aroma of brown malts, hints of caramel. Malty and nutty flavour with notes of caramel, quite nice. Very moderate "dusty" English hops in the finish.

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

330 ml bottle, at Murphy’s 8541 Irish pub, Skødstrup, Denmark. ABV is 5%. Beautiful mahogany coloured beer, big to moderate off-white head. Nice aroma of caramel malts and dark syrup. The flavour has also caramel and possibly biscuit malts, but not much else. Dull finish. Okay overall though.

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

355 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal pub, Stavanger. Imported to Europe by www.bierenco.nl . ABV is 4.8%. The beer starts gushing out of the bottle when opening. Deep golden to amber colour, decent head. Nice aroma of fruity hops, malt and raisins, hints of bakery and oak. Low carbonation in the glass, soft mouthfeel. The flavour is malty sweet with caramel and some crisp hops. Decent hoppy bitterness in the aftertaste. Uncomplicated, but okay.

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

Sampled bottle, RBNAG 2007 in Grimstad. This steam beer has a deep golden colour and pours with a huge head. Fairly hoppy aroma. Hoppy flavour with some resinous and "cellar / homebrew" notes.

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

Beer No. 3 of my 7 beers flight at the brewery tap. Copper coloured beer, white head. Malty aroma and flavour first, nutty and caramel notes, then a fairly solid bitterness in the finish. A decent steam beer / Cal Common, probably more bitter than Anchor Steam.