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

500 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. Brewed 15.2.2007, BB date 15.2.2009. ABV is 7.5%. Black beer, huge chocolate brown coloured head. Lovely aroma of coffee, chocolate and roasted malts / roasted barley. Also notes of woodwork, tobacco and tar. The flavour abounds with coffee (maybe too much?), the finish is very bitter (both from the coffee that has been added to the beer, the roasted barley and the hops). The mouthfeel is still relatively smooth. With all the dominant coffee and bitterness, this is not a stout of the "easy drinking" kind, but a beer to savour and sip slowly, be it for breakfast or any time of the day or night.

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

500 ml can, ABV is 4.5%. 30% less calories and 70% less carbohydrates than in a normal pilsener, hmmm .... Even less carbohydrates than Hansa Ultra Lavkarbo. At least you get a pretty good idea what to expect .... Crystal clear very pale yellow colour, decent head first, does not last forever. Moderate sweetish aroma, some fruit, candy, maize and boiled vegetables. Fizzy and thin mouthfeel. Very bland flavour with a little sweetness, slightly grainy and sourish, very "industrial" character. Congratulations, Hansa: probably your worst product so far.

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

Brownish golden colour, moderate head, modest aroma. Light bodied, some spices and corn sweetness in the flavour. Easily drinkable, but I expect more from a Christmas beer.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 5 | Mouthfeel: 4 | Flavor: 4 | Overall: 5

330 ml can, thanks to yngwie. "Brewed and canned by Albani, Ceres and Faxe". ABV is 5.6%. Deep golden to amber colour, large and lingering head. Moderate nutty and grainy aroma. The flavour is sugary sweet with notes of alcohol, molasses and some caramel. Bittersweetish finish. Dry aftertaste. Not really what I want for Christmas.

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

On tap at the brewpub / farm / guesthouse. Cloudy brown colour, creamy head. Distinctly malty (carahell) aroma, also notes of yeast, caramel and some pinewood, just a little hops (Saaz). The flavour is very fruity and acidic, unfortunately well on its way to vinegar, some residual sweetness. Minimal hops.

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 3 | Mouthfeel: 3 | Flavor: 3 | Overall: 3

500 ml can, ABV is 4.5%. "Ice brewed", 30% less calories and 70% less carbohydrates than a normal pilsener - great ... Crystal clear and very pale yellow colour, decent head. Sickly aroma of maize (corn) and maybe a little fruit. The mouthfeel is fizzy, thin and watery. The flavour has some weak grainy notes, a little sweetness, and hardly any bitterness. Utterly boring.

Aroma: 5 | Appearance: 3 | Mouthfeel: 3 | Flavor: 3 | Overall: 4

500 ml black can. When we hope for a black beer inside, we get just another pilsener / pale lager! Crystal clear very pale yellow colour, large to low head. Strong and sweetish industrial pale lager aroma with notes of artificial candy and maize. The flavour is bland and sweetish, with a slight hoppy bitterness in the finish. I am amazed that Lervig can’t make a better show of it. With this crappy effort from the brewers, even Stavanger local patriotism can’t keep the Lervig brewery alive in the long run. Shame on you!

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

500 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub, Stavanger. 2008 vintage (new recipe, new style, new label). Bottle conditioned, ABV is 7.5%. Cloudy brown colour, huge off-white head. Nice "Belgian" aroma, spices (incl. coriander), yeast and woodwork. The flavour is also spicy / peppery and woody, relatively dry with just a slight fruitiness. Good beer.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 5 | Mouthfeel: 5 | Flavor: 5 | Overall: 4

500 ml can, ABV is 4.6%. Golden colour, decent head. Sweetish fruity aroma, notes of artificial candy. The flavour has some malts and a little caramel, but is mostly bland and boring. The promised "hoppy bitterness" is actually minimal.

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 2 | Mouthfeel: 3 | Flavor: 3 | Overall: 3

500 ml can. Pale golden colour, decent white head. The usual n/a sickly "boiled" notes (over-boiled vegetables, maize grit) in the aroma (and to some extent in the flavour too). The flavour also has some malty sweetness and noticeable hops, which means that the beer is not totally undrinkable. I’d be fairly desperate for something cold and wet if I ever buy this n/a beer again, though.

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

12 fl. oz. bottle, thanks to my son Steinar. Orange to amber coloured beer, clear first, hazy when the sediment is poured in the end. Big off-white head with an orangey hue. Strong aroma of malts with vinous notes, oak, alcohol and molasses. The flavour is intensely sweet and alcoholic, notes of oak and figs, with a certain peppery and hoppy bite which nearly disappears behind the alcoholic sweetness. You don’t expect a 15% beer to be "easy drinking", and this one certainly isn’t. Too sweet for me, still quite impressive. Would probably improve by aging.

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

500 ml can, thanks to KnutAlbert. ABV is 4.5%. Normally the "export" version of a beer is stronger than the "ordinary" version, but in this case it is weaker! Crystal clear very pale golden colour, big white head. Moderate fruity aroma, citrus and candy. Light bodied, thin mouthfeel. The flavour is sweet and sugary, with minimal hops. Not much to write home about here - nor to export.

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

12 fl. oz. bottle, thanks to my son Steinar. ABV is 7.2%. Cloudy dark brown colour, big and creamy tan head. Very nice aroma of fruity American hops and oak, blackcurrants, marmelade, some vinous notes too. The mouthfeel is first soft and creamy and the flavour is first fruity smooth and alluring, then a treacherous and distinct hoppy bitterness sets in, accompanied by oaky and smoky notes. Very bitter aftertaste. An "arrogant" beer, perhaps - but not quite as arrogant as I feared. I am worthy!

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

330 ml green bottle, thanks to Ole_R. I also bought a couple bottles at Fenaknoken, Oslo. ABV is 4.65%. Batch #81, BB 26.09.08. Unfiltered and unpasteurised, sediment in the bottle. The beer is intended as an accompaniment to "rakfisk" or "rakaure", = half-fermented trout (or other freshwater fish). Olav Wangensten AS produces this strange smelling but lovely tasting treat, and has commissioned this beer from Atna to go with it. Amber coloured beer, very cloudy when the sediment is poured. Moderate creamy head. Nice aroma of yeast, fermenting fruit and farmhouse kitchen. The flavour is quite yeasty with a moderate fruitiness and pleasant hops. Maybe a good idea to pour carefully and leave the sediment in the bottle with this one. I’m sure the beer goes well with rakfisk, but it is worth drinking on its own too.

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

Bottle, thanks to my son Steinar. Golden colour, large head. Nice aroma of fruity American hops. The flavour is sweet and hoppy with a very bitter finish, but I don’t get much complexity, let alone subtlety. I’m not a big fan of this one.

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

500 ml bottle with pull-off cap, thanks to KnutAlbert. ABV is 5.1%. Deep copper coloured beer, decent off-white head. Moderate aroma of malts, some fruit and caramel. The flavour also has some malts and fruit, but is fairly bland and lacks hops. The mouthfeel is more watery than you expect from a beer this dark. Nothing offensive about it, just boring.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 4 | Mouthfeel: 2 | Flavor: 2 | Overall: 3

330 ml can, thanks to KnutAlbert. ABV is 5.0%. Ingredients include maize (corn). "Brewed and canned in the EU under licence of and distributed by Bierbrouwerij de Vriedenkring, Breda Holland." Pale golden colour, large and lasting head. Moderate sweetish and fruity aroma. Boring industrial pale lager flavour, notes of artificial sweetener. Minimal hops. Bad beer.

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

330 ml stubby bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. BB 0608. ABV is 6.5%. Refermented in the bottle. Copper coloured beer (clear first, cloudy when the yeast is poured in the end), large tan head with an orangey hue. Very nice aroma of spices, candi sugar, yeast and raisins. Soft mouthfeel. The flavour is moderately spicy with some caramel and toffee, lacks hops. The finish is kind of "empty", relatively light bodied for its strength. Still a nice and drinkable dubbel, but could have been better.

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 4 | Flavor: 4 | Overall: 4

250 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 5.2%. Black colour, creamy brown head. Strong and sweet aroma of treacle / caramel, roasted malts, molasses, bakery and chocolate. Nice! Very sweet flavour, largely the same elements as in the aroma, but far too sugary and overwhelmingly sweet for me.

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

330 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 8.0%. Reddish amber colour, slightly hazy, huge and rocky off-white head, lasts "forever". Nice fruity and spicy aroma. Spicy flavour too, notes of oak, some caramel and fruit. Good stuff. By Satan, I think I’ll have another one!

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

330 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 5.4%. Clear reddish amber colour, decent off-white head. Moderate aroma, some malts and caramel. The flavour has quite a bit of caramel with moderate hops, some grain and fruit. Hints of alcohol. Not too bad, but Palm Dobbel was more to my liking.

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

330 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 6.5%. Dark brown colour, huge tan head. Nice aroma - some fruit, notes of malts, caramel and bakery, hints of spices. The flavour is malty sweet with plenty of caramel, also raisins (a certain fruitiness) and chocolate. Some hops in the finish. A good beer, but slightly too much on the sweet side.

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

330 ml bottle, daft label replete with bikini-clad girl to rub. ABV is 5.0%. Courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. Pale golden colour, large to moderate lasting head. Moderate carbonation in the glass. Sweetish aroma, notes of candy. Sweetish pale lager flavour with some lemony notes. Very moderate hops, but there’s a slightly metallic bitterness in the aftertaste. You may think the label is sexy, but the beer is not.

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

500 ml bottle, at Internasjonalen, Oslo. ABV was 8.0%. Organic, unfiltered, unpasteurised. Dark amber colour, cloudy when the sediment is poured, moderate head. Unusual sweetish fruity aroma and flavour, notes of ripe raspberries and blackcurrants. Nice beer.