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

Very light and pale thirst quencher for a hot summer's day. Not much taste, but not offensive either. Nice label! (The name and label refer to outdoor life and boating along the range of skerries on the coast, the favourite activity of many Norwegians in the summertime).

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

(500 ml can). There's a price war on cheap swill going on in Norway at the moment, and this lager is probably meant to be Ringnes' contribution. I'm not sure where they actually brew this, no mentioning is made of the Reinheitsgebot, so it's probably full of adjuncts. It's just another pale industrial lager, not unlike the ones made by Grans/Harboe/Faxe. The brewery's recommendation "to be served ice cold" is an appropriate warning. Totally forgettable. At least they had the decency not to call it a pilsener.

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

Formerly known as Ringnes Light. "Light" in Norway always means ABV below 2.5%. These beers (all are pale lagers) have been known as "driver's" light beers. Consider selling your car in stead. (Well, maybe it is not quite that bad, but aroma, flavour and not least mouthfeel are all very boring.)

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

Probably the best of the "klasse D" Norwegian Christmas beers (doesn't take much, really). The stronger "klasse F" beers are the way to go! But this is at least a nice try. Golden brown colour. Toffee sweetness, fruity, mild spices. Low bitterness. Good with food. *Seems now to have been replaced by the "Bryggerimester Spesial" series, where the recipe changes each year.

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

The last few years Ringnes have, in addition to their normal 'klasse F' Christmas beers, brewed a 'Juleklassiker' (Christmas classic) which changes every year, and allegedly is based on old recipes from the various breweries that have been engulfed (and in many cases closed) by the Ringnes group. Last year it was Aktiebryggeriet i Oslo, this year it's Ringnes' own recipe. As a gimmick every bottle is numbered, I had number 37089! This beer is not 'golden' like the label says, it is reddish brown (the label mentions that Ringnes brewed its first pilsener in 1877 - irrelevant information, as this is definitely not a pils!) - its flavour is very close to the weaker Frydenlund Bayerøl (Munich dunkel) though some may prefer to call it a Vienna (who the hell cares - the term 'Vienna' is unknown in Norway, even if our numerous Christmas beers belong to the borderland between dunkels and Viennas). Anyway this is a good beer, but it could use some heavier malts for its strength (6,5%). Not as spicy as the normal 'klasse F' Christmas beers. Good with food though.

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

Another "klasse D" (moderate ABV) Christmas brew. At least this one has some aroma and flavour of toffee, caramel and spices. Reddish brown colour. Drinkable, but far from impressive.

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

Not very successful, medium strong golden lager. Did not sell well. Discontinued. When it was discontinued, the stronger Ringnes Gold changed its name to "Extra Gold". Oh, well ...

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

Dark golden colour, moderate to low carbonation, head disappears instantly, aroma of caramel and oak. Malty flavour with caramel and fairly bitter hops that linger in the aftertaste. The Ringnes brewery group's "Tou Blå" ( which was distributed in South-West Norway only) was a better alternative in the same style.

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

One of the better Norwegian pilseners. Easily drinkable, but could with advantage be more heavily hopped, to balance the flowery and fruity sweetness.

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

(330 ml clear bottle). Very pale straw coloured, moderate head, very weak aroma but not offensive, flavour is close to zero, carbonated water with just some faint notes of malts and hops. Little aftertaste, the well known Munkholm metallicness is there, but not as dominant as in the ordinary Munkholm. I'd rather have carbonated water. Honestly, I would.

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

330 ml bottle. N/a beer with lactic acid and artifcial aroma added, hmmm..... Typical hefeweizen appearance, greyish pale yellow colour, large head. Weird aroma, reminds me of camomille shampoo, notes of ensilage and bouillion too. Camomille and soap is what I get in the flavour too, maybe a hint of carraway. A faint bitterness in the finish. Pretty bad n/a beer, but what could you expect?

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

440 ml can. Extremely pale golden colour, moderate head. The usual Munkholm aroma and flavour of over-boiled vegetables, but less pronounced than in other Munkholm varieties. In addition we are blessed with the disgusting aroma and flavour of artifical "lime" and "mint". No body or any flavour besides that. Absolute and utter crap. Half of it went down the drain.

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

440 ml can. It gets one point for LOOKING a bit like beer - very pale colour, but a tolerable head - but that’s about all. Sickly aroma and flavour of over-boiled vegetables. Absolutely disgusting. A real drainpour.

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

(330 ml bottle). Ringnes' attempt at making a non-alcoholic Christmas/Yule beer. The result is as poor as Santa Clausthaler. Looks pretty good though - reddish colour, thick lasting head. Aroma has some malts on a sickly background of over-boiled vegetables. Flavour is blah! again: over-boiled vegetables and sickly sweet porridge with some caramel. Thin and watery mouthfeel. Aftertaste leaves a real nasty medicinal and metallic bitterness. Another truly miserable n/a beer!

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

440 ml can. Brownish colour, moderate head. The usual disgusting Munkholm aroma and flavour of over-boiled vegetables. Some wet cardboard notes for good measure. Couldn’t finish it. Drainpour.

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

For a non-alcoholic beer (which in itself is a bad idea) this one at least has some traces of initial beer flavour, with an unpleasant medicine-like bitter finish. Good lasting head, weak aroma. Unless you INSIST on having a n/a beer, there's really no reason to sample this one.

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

Rerate: Apparently they have changed the recipe now. Colour is much paler, flavour more like a standard Ringnes pils. Average at the best. Original rating: Malty and fruity flavour with some bitterness, hints of spices. Lots of taste for a lager, not among the most 'easily drinkable'. You'd think the alcohol content was higher than it actually is.

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

(440 ml can.) I knew what to expect here, but bought a can to rate it anyway! Pale golden colour, fizzy like a soda, no head. A slight fruitiness in the weak aroma, flavour is next to none. Fizzy water with alcohol. "To be served ice cold" - bah! Swill drinkers who love American "light" or low carb beers have now found a way to survive in Norway. People who love real beer, on the other hand, should avoid this sorry excuse of a "beer" by all means.

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

(500 ml can). Very pale golden colour, decent head. Weak aroma, but some pleasant aromatic hops are there. Little flavour and aftertaste as expected, at least it’s not offensive. Hardly discernible from the ordinary Lysholmer Double Ice. Clean enough to be a tolerable thirstquencher - if you look for taste, look somewhere else.

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

"Double Ice Light" - well, at least the name tells you what to expect - pure misery. Ice beers are brewed to have as little flavour as possible, still keeping a normal alcohol content. (For people who don't like beer, but still want a buzz). Light (meaning low ABV) beers in Norway are brewed (unsuccessfully, mostly) for people who have to drive, but still want at least a trace of beer flavour. Behold - here's at last a beer that combines the worst of two worlds: no flavour and hardly any alcohol!

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

"Better" than most Norwegian ice beers - but still an ice beer! - which means that they are basically tasteless pale lagers for people who really don't like the taste of beer, but want the buzz.

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

This was my favourite Oslo pilsener many years ago when Frydenlund Bryggeri existed in its own right (and I literally lived next door to the brewery a couple years!), but Ringnes' revival of the brew is not bad - it just isn't quite as fresh and spritzy as i remember it. (But then my memory isn't what it used to be, either...) Well, this is a pale golden, medium hopped pils, perhaps more rounded than a pils ought to be, well worth sampling but nothing that will linger in your dreams.

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

Reddish brown colour, moderate head. Mild spicy aroma. Malty sweetness is not overdone, hops are there too. Well balanced, not bad for a "klasse D" Christmas beer - but of course the mouthfeel is a bit watery due to the low ABV.

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

Among the better Norwegian "klasse F" Christmas beers. Somewhat dryer than the bulk of them. Christmas is the only time of the year when the majority of Norwegians drink other types of beer than pilsener / pale lager!

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

Medium brown colour, moderate head, typical Munich dunkel malty and slightly spicy aroma, well balanced malty flavour, very close to the ordinary Frydenlund Bayer. Pleasant aftertaste. Very good for a "klasse D" (moderate ABV) beer. (Frydenlund was Ringnes' Oslo competitor, which they bought and closed about 15 years ago. At least they kept the recipes and the yeast - this is one of the beers that Ringnes now brew under the Frydenlund label.)