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

650 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 11.0%. Pitch black colour, moderate creamy tan head. Intense aroma of cocoa / chocolate. The flavour has also loads of chocolate and cocoa, but the sweetness is not too extreme. Also some roasted coffee notes. A moderate hoppy bitterness in the finish (Chinook and Willamette) balances some of the chocolate sweetness. Very drinkable for an 11% beer. I had no problem finishing the bottle - but if you hate chocolate, this is clearly not a beer for you.

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

750 ml bottle, blend 3, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 7.5%. Hazy amber to brown colour, huge off-white head. Nice fruity aroma (esp. oranges), notes of cinnamon, I can’t single out the cocoa. Also hints of apples and farmhouse kitchen. The flavour is sourish and oaky, with fruity and spicy notes, distinct hops in the finish.

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

750 ml bottle, blend 3, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. Hazy dark brown colour, huge off-white head. Strong sourish aroma of red wine vinegar, lemon, farmhouse, spices and hops. Sour flavour, some malts, hints of brown kandij sugar, oak, moderate hops. Okay, but I’m not excited.

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

750 ml bottle, batch #617, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 5.9%. Hazy deep golden to amber colour, large white head. Strong sweetish aroma of marmalade, cider apples, oak, farmhouse, vinegar and pickled pumpkin. The flavour is sour / acidic with notes of vinegar and pickled pumpkin. Not my cup of tea.

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

750 ml bottle, blend 3, courtesy of Cardinal Pub 6 Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 6.8%. Pink colour, large pinkish off-white head. Strong aroma of oxidised cider apples, red wine vinegar, farmhouse kitchen, oak and flowers. Moderately sour flavour with fruity notes (rose hips). Peppery and hoppy dry finish. Quite interesting, but not my favourite beer.

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

330 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 10%. Pitch black colour, impenetrable for light. Moderate brown head. Strong roasty aroma, coffee, liquorice and leather, very good. Very roasty flavour, notes of strong coffee and plenty of liquorice, slightly salty finish. Dark chocolate in the aftertaste. The bitterness is not extreme - but that will change if Yin is mixed with double IPA Yang, as recommended.

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

330 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 10.0%. Amber colour, large off-white head. Aroma of piney and fruity American hops, notes of orange marmalade. The flavour is medium sweet with loads of American hops, bitter of course, but not quite as extreme as expected. Mixing with imperial stout Yin is recommended.

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

355 ml bottle, from Voldby Købmandsgård, Denmark, as Samuel Smith's Organic Best Ale. ABV is 5%. Golden colour, large to moderate white head. Lagerish aroma, notes of grassy, herbal and fruity hops. The flavour is rather sweet, fruity and grassy, with a moderate bitterness in the finish. Lagerish mouthfeel. Drinkable, but did not blow my socks off.

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

330 ml bottle, from Ølbutikken. ABV is 5.5%. Golden colour, slightly hazy, with a huge white head. Nice aroma of citrussy hops, also some piney and "dusty" notes, hints of orange marmalade. Soft mouthfeel. Excellent flavour of citrussy and piney hops, some sweetness but not too much, well balanced and very pleasant to drink.

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

500 ml bottle, from MENY Grønland Torg, Oslo. ABV is 4.3%. Pale yellow colour, large white head. Moderate aroma of smoked sausage. Ordinary helles flavour with a little smoke added. Moderate hops in the finish. Nice enough to drink, but did not blow my socks off.

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

On tap at Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. Dark brown colour, moderate beige head. Nice aroma, floral and fruity with a hint of chocolate and smoke. Light bodied. The flavour has notes of lightly roasted malts, nuts, chocolate and moderate hops. (Might have been even less hoppy than I thought it was, as I may still have been influended by the aftertaste of the IPA I had before.)

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

750 ml corked (plastic) and wired "champagne" bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 8.0%. Black colour, huge brown head. Nice roasty aroma, notes of coffee, dark chocolate and liquorice, hints of smoke, tar and spices. Smooth mouthfeel, but lots of flavour: roasted barley (but not too much), coffee, liquorice and dark bitter chocolate, some smokiness, hints of spices, distinct hops in the finish and the dry aftertaste.

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

330 ml bottle, 2010 vintage, bottle No. 25823, from Voldby Købmandsgård. ABV is 6.5%. I don't think there has been a recipe change from 2009, the commercial description is basically the same. Mahogany colored beer, large and lasting beige head. Sweetish malty aroma, notes of caramel and molasses, just a hint of orange peel. The well balanced flavour is also malty but not too sweet, moderate notes of caramel and treacle, also hints of mild spices and orange peel, moderate but sufficient hops. Quite enjoyable.

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

330 ml bottle, batch 01.01, from Voldby Købmandsgård. ABV is 6.6%. Malts are pilsener, pale and münchener (+ flaked oats), hops are Tomahawk for bittering and Tettnanger for aroma. Hazy golden colour, huge white head. Herbal and slightly spicy aroma, soon overtaken by less pleasant strong notes of stale orange marmalade. Lagerish mouthfeel. The flavour is initially refreshing, but is soon dominated by notes of stale orange marmalade again. Moderately bitter finish. Mikkeller’s least successful beer so far? Drinkable of course - but hey, this is Mikkeller, I expect something better than this!

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

330 ml bottle, a gift from OleR. Wow - I really owe that man a few beers now! Vintage 2009. ABV is 13%. Pitch black colour, huge chocolate brown head. Lovely complex aroma of roasted malts, leather, oak, bourbon, vanilla and dark chocolate. The flavour is roasty with notes of strong coffee and dark bitter chocolate, but also notes of oak and bourbon, hints of liquorice. A distinct hoppy and roasty bitterness in the finish. Impressive stuff!

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

500 ml bottle from NETTO, Denmark, as BB Økologisk Påske (= Organic Easter). ABV is 6.5%. Amber colour, large off-white head. Quite nice sweetish aroma of malts, caramel and grassy hops, some fruity hints too. The flavour is moderately malty and slightly sugary with hints of caramel, hints of fruit too, with a very moderate bitterness. Okay, but not impressive.

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

330 ml swingtop bottle, from Voldby Købmandsgård, Denmark. ABV is 9%. Very dark brown colour, nearly black. Large beige head. Aroma of moderately roasted malts and Belgian ale yeast, notes of mild coffee, hints of chocolate and dark dried fruits. The flavour is sweeter than the aroma made me expect, notes of malt sugar and molasses, hints of caramel and chocolate, roasty coffee notes in the finish, a moderate hoppy and roasty bitterness in the aftertaste. Decent, but a bit too far out on the sweet side for me.

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

330 ml clear bottle, from Voldby Købmandsgård, Denmark. ABV is 4.1%. Mahogany coloured beer, large and creamy beige head. Nice malty aroma, with a moderate roastiness, notes of mild coffee and a touch of wood and ashes. The flavour is malty and sweet, with more caramel than roastiness, minimal hops. Not your typical stout, but nice enough.

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

At Copenhagen Beer Festival. Cloudy brown colour. One-dimensional malty sweet aroma and flavour, caramel and maybe a touch of chocolate. Lacks the complexity and spiciness I hoped for. Not a winner by me.

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

On tap at Copenhagen Beer Festival 2011. Golden colour. Tolerably well hopped aroma and flavour - a fairly decent pilsener, but not really remarkable.

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

At Copenhagen Beer Festival. Brown colour. Lovely aroma and flavour of brown and lightly roasted malts, caramel, rye bread and a little chocolate, mixed with distinct fruity (apricot, melon, citrus) hops. I was sceptical how well Citra hops would fit in a brown ale, but Beer Here have succeeded. Good stuff!

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

Sample from bottle, Copenhagen Beer Festival. Not in the festival programme, and not mentioned on the brewery website yet. This was a very limited release of a few bottles, in the series of ales brewed with various rare old grain varieties from Nordisk Genbank. I am not entirely sure about the ABV, that may have to be corrected. Cloudy golden colour. Served too warm, but still a very tasty beer. Both aroma and flavour have a very nice and attractive balance between the malts and hops. What a pity that this beer most likely will never be brewed again.

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

500 ml bottle, from Ølbutikken, Copenhagen. ABV is 4.8%. Hazy pale golden colour, huge white head. Nice wheaty aroma, notes of coriander and cloves, hints of sea water and citrus. Wheaty and refreshing flavour, medium sweet, hints of coriander and citrus, only faintly salty. Very moderate hops.

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

341 ml bottle, from Voldby Købmandsgård, Denmark. ABV is 5%. Crystal clear pale yellow colour, large white head. Boring aroma, like an industrial pale lager: a little "dusty" malts, boiled vegetables and a weak hint of grassy hop. The flavour is much like a "premium" industrial lager, with some fruity and malty notes, and very modest hops in the finish. Not undrinkable, but pretty far from anything a decent brewery with some self respect would call a "pale ale".

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

330 ml bottle, from Voldby Købmandsgård, Denmark. ABV is 8%. Brown colour, large off-white head. Strong sweetish malty aroma, notes of caramel and brown kandij sugar, hints of dark fruits and chocolate. The flavour is also malty with notes of caramel - sweet, but not too much. Also notes of brown kandij sugar, and a very moderate spiciness in the finish. Very moderate hops. Smooth and pleasant to drink.