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

Bottle, as Whole Milk Mild, at Schouskjelleren, Oslo. ABV 3.5%. Brewed for Alex Liberati at Brouwerij de Molen. OG 1037, FG 1011, IBU 22.1. Hops are Premiant and Sladek. Unfiltered. "Each label scratched by a genuine cat." Dark brown colour, large beige head. Intense aroma of pine wood, stale sea water and ashes, possibly infected? The flavour is lactic and smooth, a slight roastiness, just a hint of wood and sea water.

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

500 ml bottle, as Saku Rock Alternative Premium, from a potential importer. ABV is 5.3%. Pale golden colour, large and lasting white head. Moderate sweetish aroma, some pilsener malts. The flavour is not too sweet, but very bland, and the hops are very moderate. However, there are no offensive off-flavours, and I can see that this beer may "go home" with its apparent target group, young people who are really not into beer yet. Tolerably refreshing when cold.

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

330 ml bottle, from Ølfestivalen Nærbø 2011. Bottle No. 0270 out of 2000. Still available at Vaaland, Bryne. Hazy golden colour, moderate white head. Strong aroma of catty and citrussy hops, notes of blackcurrant leaves and pine needles. The flavour is distinctly hoppy throughout, quite dry and very refreshing. Notes of pine needles with a strong grapefruity bitterness.

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

500 ml bottle, from a potential importer. ABV is 6.7%. Chestnut to mahogany colour, large beige head. Fairly ordinary aroma of lightly toasted malts, brown bread and caramel. The flavour is medium sweet and malty, notes of caramel and brown bread, hints of burnt sugar. Not bad.

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

500 ml clear bottle, from Vaaland, Bryne. ABV is 4.7%. Golden colour, moderate white head. First a fairly nice aroma of Fuggles and Goldings hops, and, as our American friends would point out: some "skunk" due to the clear bottle. Hints of toffee too, but ending "artificial" and weird. The flavour is fairly dry, and the mouthfeel is not particularly rich. Some toffee again, and tolerable hops - but really not a beer to blow my socks off. Won’t buy again.

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

Rerate, 500 ml bottle, Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV 19%. Very dark brown colour, nearly black. Just a little tan foam on top, not what you would call a "head". Malty and roasty aroma, hints of salty liquorice, old rope and oak. The flavour is intensely malty and roasty, with loads of sweetness and salty liquorice. The alcohol is clearly present. Interesting beer, but a bit too far out on the weird side. 15% ABV (2010 version) was strong enough ... Original rating: Sample at Ølfestivalen Nærbø. Very dark brown colour, nearly black. Strong and intensely malty aroma and flavour, moderate roasty notes. Also notes of fortified wine. Decent hoppy bitterness too. Warming mouthfeel, of course - but the beer feels surprisingly balanced, and not extremely alcoholic for its 19% ABV. Will rerate as soon as I get a whole bottle.

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

500 ml bottle, simply named Saku Porter, from a potential importer. ABV is 6.9%. New bottle and label design, quite stylish. Very dark brown colour, nearly black. Large tan head. Malty aroma, notes of brown bread and caramel, okay but not very exciting. The flavour is also very malty with caramel and bready notes, also some burnt sugar and burnt breadcrumbs. Minimal hops. Nice enough to drink.

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

330 ml clear bottle, from a potential importer. ABV is 5.0%. Golden colour, pours fizzy with a short-lived white head. Fairly nice aroma of sweet eating apples and oxidised cider apples. Moderate carbonation in the mouth. Flavour of sweet eating apples, not really dry, but not as sugary and "artificial" as I feared either. Very drinkable.

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

330 ml bottle, as Santa Margarida Cerveza Artesanal de Trigo, from Carrefour, Cartagena. ABV is 4.2%. Golden colour, hazy in the end, huge white head. Wheaty aroma, notes of cloves, hints of citrus, banana and dust. The flavour is citrussy and somewhat acidic, minimal hops. Refreshing, but not very interesting.

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

500 ml swingtop bottle, bought in Spain. ABV is 5.0%. Very pale yellow colour, large to moderate white head. Aroma of "dusty" malts and grassy and slightly herbal hops. Light bodied and refreshing, soft mouthfeel. The flavour has a subtle presence of pilsener malts and German noble hops - nothing spectacular, but nice enough to drink. No offensive off-flavours.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 3 | Mouthfeel: 3 | Flavor: 3 | Overall: 3

500 ml bottle, Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger, as Lade Gaards Juleøl Sterk Type. ABV is 6.5%. (No, this won’t be part of the pub’s regular selection, thank God - it’s just in for the Grand Christmas Beer Tasting.) Very dark brown colour, large beige head. Sourish metallic aroma, some malts and caramel. Thin body. Sourish metallic flavour too, like sucking 5" galvanized nails. The most miserable strong ("Vinmonopolet strength") Christmas /Yule beer you can get in Norway.

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

330 ml bottle, from my local grocery store. ABV 4.7%. This is a completely new recipe this year, from Lervig’s head brewer Mike Murphy. Dark brown colour, moderate beige head. Moderate malty aroma, some caramel. Easy drinking Münchener dunkel flavour, some caramel but not too sweet, some mild roasty notes, hints of brown bread. Has not the body of stronger Yule beers, of course, but should satisfy the average Norwegian’s need for a beer to go with his traditional pork rib dinner, especially with a dram of aquavit at the side.

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

330 ml bottle, Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 6.8%. Copper to brown colour, large off-white head. Spicy aroma, notes of star anise, ginger and brown kandij sugar. A hint of vomit. Fairly light bodied for its strength. The flavour is rather sweet with notes of caramel, brown kandij sugar, anise and ginger. Too moderate hops. As I hate star anise in beer (if not used with the utmost moderation), this beer starts with a real handicap in my book. And if you use ginger, a slight ginger burn in the finish would be nice. But hey, Lervigs Jul is drinkable - just not Mike Murphy’s best.

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

500 ml bottle, Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. Batch #671. ABV is 7.5%. Hazy brownish-golden colour, huge white head. Attractive fruity aroma, notes of citrus, gooseberries and tropical fruits, some piney hints too. The flavour is medium sweet and fruity, notes of saison yeast, distinct hops in the finish. Bitter, peppery and dry aftertaste.

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

500 ml bottle, Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. Batch #677. ABV is 6%. Very dark brown colour, nearly black. Moderate beige head. Aroma of smoked malts, a hint of roasted malts / coffee in the background. The flavour is fairly smooth, with some mild roasty notes and hints of coffee and chocolate - and plenty of smoke, of course. I am no fan of extremely smoked lagers, but this one is not too extreme. Fairly drinkable, but probably not a beer I’ll buy very often.

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

330 ml bottle, Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. Brewed at Fanø Bryghus. ABV is 7.0%. Amber colour, large off-white head. Aroma of American hops, notes of grapefruit, spruce and pine. The flavour is distinctly hoppy throughout, grapefruit, pine and spruce again, very bitter and nearly medicinal aftertaste.

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

500 ml shared bottle, as Craft Weiss Beer, thanks to our beerpal Jan Magnus who brought it from Greece. ABV is 5.0%. Cloudy orange colour, moderate white head. Aroma with notes of malt and wort, overshadows the typical h.w. notes of cloves and banana. Also notes of over-ripe berries. Wheaty flavour, refreshing, with a more pronounced hoppy bitterness than in many other hefeweizens.

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

330 ml shared bottle, provided by our beerpal Jan Magnus. ABV is 4.5%. Beautiful ruby colour, moderate off-white head. Pleasant vinous aroma, hints of caramel. Nice medium sweet flavour, notes of red berries and toffee, moderate hops.

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

330 ml shared bottle, kindly provided by our beerpal Jan Magnus. ABV 5%. Very dark brown colour, moderate beige head. Mildly roasty aroma, notes of chocolate and mild coffee. Fairly dry flavour, medium roasty, notes of mild coffee, hints of dark bitter chocolate. Tolerable hops in the finish.

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

750 ml corked bottle, as Bøgedal No. 219, from Vinmonopolet Vika, shared with beerpals. ABV was 7.0%. Hops are Perle, Cascade and Celeia (not Centennial and Northern Brewer), so I really think the 219 ought to be listed as a separate beer. Hazy orange-brown colour, large and fluffy head. Fruity, hoppy and herbal aroma. Medium sweet flavour, balanced by distinct hops.

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

330 ml bottle, kindly shared by our beerpal Olav. ABV 9.6%. Golden colour, low white head. Herbal aroma, a hint of caramel and alcohol. Rather sweet flavour, some caramel and alcohol, really not my cup of tea.

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

Bottle shared by gunnar, thanks! - as Cigar City Humidor Series H India Pale Ale, aged on Spanish cedar. Jai Alai is not mentioned on this label, but it is apparently the same beer. Deep orange colour, large white head. Strong aroma of cedar wood and fruity hops, hints of spices. Distinctly hoppy flavour throughout, very bitter and minty finish and aftertaste.

Aroma: 10 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

Bottle, kindly shared by gunnar. ABV 10.8%. Black colour, big tan head. Strong roasty aroma, notes of coffee, bourbon, vanilla and oak. Strong roasty flavour, medium sweet, notes of strong coffee, caramel and bourbon, hints of liquorice. Bitter finish.

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

Shared bottle at RBNAG 2011 in Oslo, ABV 6.1%. Bronze colour. Well hopped aroma and flavour. This is a nice strong ale in a "typically English" style, well balanced between the malts and hops: Very good. This is a kind of beer I always appreciate - even in the course of a long tasting with lots of beers.

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

Shared bottle at RBNAG 2011 in Oslo. "Anno 2010 Anniversary". 25% of this ale had been aged in bourbon barrels, the remaining 75% were not barrel aged. Sampled at a time of the tasting when I was slowly getting slightly inebriated, and the 14.5% ABV of this beer did not help much ... Cloudy brown colour. Malty sweetish aroma, loads of molasses and alcohol. Rich malty flavour, a certain fruitiness balances the sweetness. Moderate but noticeable hops.