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

500 ml bottle, bought in Denmark, as B.B. (Budweis Bohemia) Dark (red label). The brown labeled 4.1% version was sold side by side. Pours copper coloured (darker than the 4.1% version), good light tan head. Aroma of caramel malts but also fruity aromatic hops. Flavour is one-dimensional caramel malts, a bit too sweet (even sweeter than the weaker version) but still drinkable.

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

500 ml bottle, bought in Denmark. The 4.1% and the 4.7% B.B. Dark versions were sold side by side, with a different label. This version pours relatively light reddish brown with a moderate off-white head. Moderate aroma of caramel malts, hints of oak and roastiness. Flavour is relatively sweet and one-dimensional of caramel malts, but not unpleasant. Notes of fresh rye bread. Light bodied, easy drinking.

Aroma: 10 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

Bottle, RBESG 2005 Grand Tasting. Black colour, dark brown in the "edges". Lovely roasty aroma with notes of liquorice. Dry roasty flavour with strong espresso coffee notes, very bitter - probably more from the heavy roastiness than the hops.

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

Cask at Ølbaren, Copenhagen, RBESG. Murky brown colour. Distinctly malty aroma with citrussy hops, notes of balsamico vinegar. Flavour is definitely citrus with some rye bread, decent hoppy bitterness in the finish. Distinctly hoppy aftertaste. Also sampled bottle at RBESG 2005 Grand Tasting. Lovely aroma of hops, hints of rye bread and spices. (9/10) The flavour is dominated by a substantial hoppy bitterness from start to finish, but there’s also a tolerable malty base to balance it. (8/10) (Overall 15/20)

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

Bottle, RBESG 2005, Grand Tasting. Cloudy golden colour. Elderflower aroma. Refreshing elderflower and cloves + coriander flavour. The high ABV is well hidden.

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 5 | Mouthfeel: 3 | Flavor: 4 | Overall: 4

330 ml can, called "Premium Dunkel", but must be the same beer. ABV is the same. Adding "premium" to the name of most of their beers will not hide the fact that Harboe is one of the least interesting discount breweries in Northern Europe. Brown colour, very thin for a dunkel. Decent head. Moderate malty aroma. Flavour has a very moderate maltiness, very thin and slightly metallic mouthfeel. Another poor brew from Harboe.

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

500 ml bottle. Sediment in bottle. Hazy reddish brown colour, large head. Moderate fruity aroma with hints of oak, leather and spices. Flavour is mildly spicy and oaky, fizzy mouthfeel. Not really a great beer.

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

500 ml bottle, now available at Vinmonopolet, Norway. What a surprise! - Berentsens Brygghus have decided to prove they can brew something better than the standard Norwegian pilsener. Copper coloured, moderate off-white creamy head. Very nice aroma of caramel and Cascade hops. Flavour is from start to finish dominated by a distinct hoppy bitterness from loads of Cascade on a background of caramel malts, but the beer is not really sweet. Finish is very bitter. The beer is not bottle conditioned and probably pasteurised, there is not much complexity, but any hophead will probably be satisfied by the Cascade dominance. My guess is that the Norwegian beer-drinking "general public" will find it too bitter, but they sure need a challenge! Not nearly the same quality as the best b/c Nøgne Ø beers, of course - but props to Berentsens for their initiative. May they continue (and improve) their efforts in the same direction!

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

700 ml bottle, b.b. date (handwritten on each bottle!) is 21.3.05. Poured carefully and got an initially clear brown ale with a large and lasting head, hazy in the next pour when the yeast was disturbed. Intense hoppy aroma on a background of malts and dried fruits. Flavour is malty sweet with strong chocolate notes, also notes of caramel and nuts, hints of spices. Fizzy mouthfeel. Not a bad beer this one.

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

500 ml bottle, bought in a NETTO store, Denmark. Very pale golden colour, large head. This is a reinheitsgebot beer, but the aroma still has strong elements of maize/corn-like sweetness, notes of boiled vegetables, honey and a flower bouquet on its way to the dustbin. Flavour is dominated by over-cooked vegetables and corn, far too sweet for a pilsener, lacks completely the freshness and crispness a good pils should have. A harsh bitterness in the finish does not help much. Disappointing, but I guess that’s what you should expect when crap brewers Harboe own the brewery.

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

500 ml bottle, now available in Norway (Vinmonopolet). Deep amber coloured, slightly hazy, large and lingering head. Pleasant aroma of fruity hops on a moderately malty background, hints of toffee and leather. Flavour is fairly malty with some caramel and a dominant hoppy bitterness, too bitter in the finish. A bit overdone on the hops in my book, but obviously a well-above-average beer.

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

330 ml bottle, now available in Norway (Vinmonopolet). Amber colour, large white head. Moderate malty aroma with notes of toffee and some fruity hops. Flavour is moderately malty with some caramel and tolerable hops, but this is really not much more than "average" beer. Some metallic notes in the aftertaste.

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

500 ml bottle, bought in Hvide Sande, Denmark. Deep golden colour, decent head. Moderate aroma with some malts and fruity aromatic hops. Flavour has some decent hops and notes of toffee, bitter finish. This is an okay premium bitter in my book, but not really outstanding. Like all beers from Fur Bryghus, it is overpriced

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

500 ml bottle, unpasteurised, bought in Hvide Sande, Denmark. Beautiful clear reddish amber colour, moderate lingering head. Malty aroma with some caramel and honey. I like my bocks darker than this, still this one has a pretty full body, some malty caramel sweetness with a moderately bitter finish. Alcohol is unfortunately too dominant. Does not live up to its high price.

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

750 ml bottle, corked "champagne" style. "Best before" date 23.03.2001! - brewed by De Smedt. Cloudy brown colour, large and lingering light tan head. Excellent vinous aroma, oak, red berries, leather. Pleasant oaky flavour with a nice acidity, vinous character. Notes of spices, well balanced hops. Very nice "cave beer".

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

Draught at Plan B, Copenhagen. Hazy brown colour. Oak, raisins, rye bread and caramel in the aroma. Flavour is moderately oaky with raisins, fairly sweet (too sweet?), decent hops.

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

Draught at Christian Firtal, Odense. Malty aroma with notes of toffee, caramel, butterscotch, hints of dried fruits. Flavour is reasonably malty with distinct butterscotch notes, hints of peaches and apricots. Decent hops, bitter aftertaste.

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

Draught at the brewpub. Pale golden colour, slightly hazy. There’s a considerable bitterness around, but not much else. A drinkable pilsener, but rather boring.

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

Draught at the brewpub, Beer of the Month for August 2005. Brewed with malurt (wormwood). Pale straw coloured. Aroma and flavour reminds me of the dark meat of Norwegian crabs. Very strange, a bit sickly. Not good.

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

Draught at the brewpub. Copper coloured. Aroma and flavour of pinewood smoke and black Finnish tar. Interesting "Finnish style" smoked lager. Fairly light bodied.

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

On tap at the brewpub. A hazy brown ale, not very different from the Herning Ale (same restaurant / brewpub chain). Malty aroma and flavour, fairly well balanced. Nice enough.

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

330 ml bottle. Deep golden colour, moderate head. Moderate aroma of hops and caramel. Flavour has some toffee and and a hoppy bitter finish, drinkable but not that interesting. Hope they brew something better for their next "jubilee"! (Berentsens are new as a brewery, they have produced industrial "ciders" for 10 years or so, and soft drinks for 110 years.)

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

From 2005 brewed at Berentsens Brygghus' own facilities in Egersund. My comments while it was still contract brewed by Aass Bryggeri in Drammen: (330 ml bottle). Deep copper brown colour, darker than most Norwegian "klasse D" grocery store juleøl (Christmas/Yule beers), moderate head. Malty aroma. Clean malty flavour, not too sweet, thin mouthfeel as expected, not very complex. OKish.

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

Now brewed in Egersund. My comments while it was still contract brewed by Aass Bryggeri in Drammen: (330 ml bottle). Typical fizzy pale Norwegian "sommerøl / summer beer". Maybe slightly sweeter and a tad maltier than most of our "sommerøl" - a pale lager style which is the work of the devil, aimed at people who think (or are fooled into thinking) that an ordinary pilsener would be too heavy (sic!) for them on a warm summer’s day. Oh well ... I will rerate when they actually have started brewing this beer in Egersund, but I don’t expect too much - style considered.

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

This beer is now finally brewed in Berentsens Brygghus' own facilities in Egersund. My comment while it was still contract brewed by Aass Bryggeri in Drammen: (330 ml bottle). Rogalands Pils is a new beer, temporarily brewed by Aass while Berentsens in Egersund are setting up their own brewing facilities. (Aass also brewed another Rogalands Pils a few years ago, for the Stavanger firm Middelthon). The beer has a typical pils golden colour, moderate head, quite strong fruity, flowery and slightly yeasty aroma. Flavour is clean, fresh and rather "neutral", just a hint of fruity sweetness. Moderate bitterness (too moderate). Average.