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

500 ml bottle, at Internasjonalen, Oslo. ABV was 4.8%. Organic, unfiltered, unpasteurised. Golden colour, moderate head. Cloudy when the sediment is poured. Moderate hops in the aroma, some flowery and honey notes. Refreshing hoppy flavour, well above average for a pilsener.

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

On tap at the brewpub, ABV was 5.2%. "Orange brown" colour, low head. Lovely hoppy aroma (American hops), fruity / citrus / blackcurrants. The flavour has also a decent amount of American hops, decent malts too. A very nice and drinkable beer.

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

On tap at the brewpub. ABV was said to be 4.7%. Black colour, dark ruby in the highlights, low head. Moderate roasty aroma, notes of chocolate. Roasty flavour, nice but fairly mellow, notes of chocolate but fairly dry. Good, but too "modest" in its touch.

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

On tap at the brewpub. ABV was said to be 4.7%. Pale golden colour, low head. Pleasant aroma of butterscotch, honey and some fruit. Tolerable pilsener flavour, slightly above average, but some more hops would have been nice.

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

On tap at the brewpub, the ABV was said to be 4.3%. Is this really supposed to be a kölsch, or is it a pale lager? A "summer beer" ? - well, we had it on the 4th of January! Very pale golden colour, low head. Pleasant aroma of butterscotch (diacetyl). Notes of butterscotch in the flavour too, but very (too) light bodied, without sufficient hops. I had most of the beer with my burger and sweet chili sauce - the beer was definitely no match for the meal.

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

On tap at the brewpub. The ABV (2007 batch) was said to be 5.0%. Beautiful dark ruby colour, low head. The aroma has dark fruits, moderate malts and hints of spices. The flavour has some burnt caramel and is fairly malty, with some smokiness and hints of tar, dry finish. Nice.

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

330 ml bottle, now available in Norway (Vinmonopolet, bestillingsutvalget). Imported to Europe by Hamana Ltd. Herts, England. Bottle conditioned. ABV is 5.2%. Golden colour, nearly clear (just a faint haziness), rich head. Lovely hoppy aroma, notes of citrus and tropical fruits. The flavour is distinctly hoppy but not too bitter, citrus again, on a base of moderate but nice malty sweetness. A very nice pale ale!

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

(330 ml can, bought in Finland). Golden lager, low head, some hops in the aroma but not much, slightly sweet, at least some malts are detectable in "the best Finnish ground water". Drinkable (not offensive), but far from great.

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

500 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal pub, Stavanger. ABV is 7.3%. Colour somewhere between mahogany and black, large and lasting beige head. Moderate but nice aroma of roasted malts and bakery, hints of oak and leather. Very malty and well rounded flavour, medium sweet, notes of mild coffee and black bread. Moderate but sufficient hops, fairly smooth and easy to drink for a 7.3% beer. Nice one!

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

500 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal pub, Stavanger. ABV is 5.4%. Deep golden brown to amber colour, large off-white head. Moderately spicy aroma, quite nice, with some notes of bakery, also a certain fruitiness. The flavour is quite fruity but also distinctly malty, notes of toffee and mild spices, decent hops in the finish. A lager well above average! A bit too much carbonation for my taste though.

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

500 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal pub, Stavanger. ABV is 6.5%. Mahogany coloured beer, large beige head. INTENSE and pretty extreme aroma of smoked meat and burnt-out ruins of wooden houses, hints of tar. The flavour is also intensely smoky, but there is also a malty sweetness to back it up. Moderate hops in the finish. You have to be impressed (one way or another) by this beer - but I have trouble deciding if I really LIKE the overwhelming smokiness. I know a lot of people LOVE it - I’ll just say: Give it a try!

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

375 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal pub, Stavanger. Also bought at Vaaland Ølutsalg, Bryne. Bottle conditioned, sediment in bottle. Pale golden colour, slightly hazy, large head. Very nice and fruity aroma, moderately spicy. The flavour has also spicy and fruity notes, slightly more rounded than their Sparkling Ale. Inspired by English (Burton-on-Trent) pale ales, but there seems also to be a "Belgian" touch here. Very nice and drinkable.

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

375 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal pub, Stavanger. Bottle conditioned, sediment in bottle. In the first pour the beer is crystal clear golden, hazy in the final pour. Sparkling indeed, but when the initial huge head subsides a little, the carbonation in the glass is not too bad. Fruity aroma with notes of spices. The flavour is also fruity and moderately spicy. Alcohol is noticeable but not disturbing, the beer is fairly light bodied and easy drinking.

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

330 ml green bottle. Like all Grans beers, it is available only in REMA 1000 stores. Bronze coloured beer, large off-white head. The aroma has notes of malts, caramel and cooked vegetables, hints of spices. Fairly thin mouthfeel, as expected from a 2.4% beer, but the flavour actually has SOME malts and hops, with a slightly sourish finish - so the beer is a little "better" than I feared.

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

500 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal pub, Stavanger. Brewed in Denmark while Dalane Brygghus are setting up their own facilities. Chestnut coloured beer, moderate tan head. Despite being "inspired by German bocks", it has the strength and flavour of a Münchener dunkel, with Christmas spices added. Nice aroma of caramel malts and Christmas spices. The mouthfeel is somewhat "flat" or even "dead". The flavour is malty with very modest hops, and rather moderate spices. Okay, but lacks the full and rich flavour of the stronger Juleøl that we REALLY want for the Yuletide.

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

330 ml clear bottle, thanks to yngwie! ABV is 4.7%. Pale golden colour, large head. Aroma of pilsener malts and boiled vegetables. Fizzy mouthfeel. The flavour has, unlike most Norwegian "Sommerøl", actually traces of both malts and hops, with a moderate sweetness. Not a great beer, but better than I feared.

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

568 ml bottle, as Magners Original Irish Cider / Vintage Cider. Produced by Wm. Magner, Clonmel, Ireland. ABV is 4.5%. Contains sulphites. Pale and clear golden colour with a pinkish hue. Short-lived head. Fairly strong apple aroma, notes of candy too. Thin and watery mouthfeel. The medium sweet flavour has very moderate apples and makes me wonder how much really is fermented apple juice and how much is water in this product. Not offensive though.

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 4 | Mouthfeel: 2 | Flavor: 3 | Overall: 3

330 ml bottle. ABV is 2.5%. Pale golden colour, large to moderate head. The aroma has malts, hay and cooked vegetables. Thin and watery mouthfeel, unpleasant dusty and grainy flavour. Hardly any bitterness. Not good.

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

500 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal pub, Stavanger. ABV is 4.6%. Like all Svaneke / Bornholmer Bryg beers it is unfiltered, but the bottles are now pasteurised. (The beers are still available unpasteurised on tap in the brewpub.) Hazy golden colour, large and lasting off-white head. Moderate but pleasant aroma of floral hops, also notes of malts, hints of honey. The flavour has moderate but nice hops on a decent malty base, hints of nuts and toffee. Soft mouthfeel, very pleasant to drink.

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

500 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal pub, Stavanger. ABV is 4.6%. Like all Svaneke / Bornholmer Bryg beers it is unfiltered, but the bottles are now pasteurised. (The beers are still available unpasteurised on tap in the brewpub.) Pale yellow colour, hazy. Large and lasting head. Pleasant aroma and flavour of flowery and fruity hops (3 different kinds are used, they don’t say which ones, my guess is Hallertauer Mittelfrüh, Tettnang and Spalt), there is a subtle base of pilsener malts, hints of honey. Some bitterness in the finish and aftertaste. Soft mouthfeel, very pleasant to drink. A pilsener well above average.

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

750 ml bottle, unlabeled, many thanks to yngwie! Orange to amber colour, huge off-white head. Lovely hoppy aroma (Styrian Goldings), notes of spices, hints of oak. The flavour is fairly sweet and fruity with notes of oranges, apricot, brown sugar and spices (notably coriander). Some bitterness in the finish. Good beer!

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

500 ml can. Crystal clear pale golden colour, large and lasting head. Sweetish aroma, notes of boiled vegetables and candy. Some sugary sweetness in the flavour too. Minimal hops. Not undrinkable, but nothing to write home about.

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

(330 ml bottle). Beautiful red colour, good thick head. Malty aroma with plenty caramel, hints of Christmas spices. Flavour is not very complex or exciting, mouthfeel a bit watery as expected from a "klasse D" (grocery store version) juleøl. A slight hoppy bitterness in the finish.

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

(330 ml clear bottle). Pours with a good head, beautiful copper colour. Aroma of caramel, oak and spices. Flavour is malty and a bit alcoholic, more bitterness than most "juleøl" - but not very complex. Quite dry for a juleøl. Aass "klasse F Juleøl" is a better choice. Rerate 2007: More malty sweetness this year, but not overdone like Ringnes Juleøl. Nice.

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

500 ml can. ABV is 4.6%. Deep golden colour, large head. Weak sweetish and "unfresh" aroma with notes of boiled vegetables, hints of cinnamon. Moderate carbonation. The flavour is like one of Ringnes’ other uninteresting and sweetish "modern" lagers, with some cinnamon added. Drinkable, but not a beer that will bring much happiness to your Christmas, that’s for sure.