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

330 ml bottle, as Slaapmutske Christmas, at the Christmas beer tasting of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. Beautiful dark reddish brown colour, huge, creamy and long lasting off-white to beige head. Both aroma and flavour have a distinctly malty presence (not too sweet though) with some mild spicy, fruity and caramel notes, the hops are moderate - but the beer is overall so well balanced and highly drinkable that it deserves a high rating, even without being so very "special", nor extreme in any way.

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

330 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal pub, Stavanger. Also available in Norway at Vinmonopolet. ABV is 8.1%. According to the label it is brewed by Brouwerij Slaapmutske in Melle, but bottled in Lochristi. Original gravity is 16 degrees Plato, IBU is 31. Deep golden to orange colour, slightly hazy. Huge off-white head. Lovely strong aroma of Belgian yeast, fruits and spices, hints of leather. Complex spicy flavour with some fruit in the background. Warming mouthfeel. The aftertaste could have lasted longer, but this is still a very good beer!

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

440 ml can, as Slakteren Breeze Session IPA #85, batch #1184, from Gulating Ølutsalg, Stavanger. ABV is 4.7%. Hazy pale yellow colour, moderate white head. Aroma of pineapple and other tropical fruits, also citrus. Thin and citric mouthfeel. Flavour of citrus / grapefruit, a hint of pineapple, with a resinous bitterness in the finish.

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

November 2021: 440 ml can, batch #1108, from Gulating Ølutsalg, Stavanger. ABV is 4.7%. Hazy pale yellow colour, large white head. Aroma of spruce, tropical fruits and citrus. Fairly dry flavour, notes of sprucetips and pine needles, grapefruit and hints of tropical fruits. Moderate bitterness.

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

440 ml can, as Slakteren Switch Session IPA #84, batch #1183, from Gulating Ølutsalg, Stavanger. ABV is 4.7%. Medium hazy pale yellow colour, moderate to small white head. Aroma of citrus, hints of spruce. Citric and thin mouthfeel. Citric flavour, also notes of pine needles. Okay.

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

440 ml can, batch #1171, as Slakteren Syklon Sabro #79 Session IPA. ABV is 4.7%. Purchased at Gulating Ølutsalg, Stavanger. Hazy pale yellow colour, large but coarse white head. Pleasant aroma of mixed tropical fruits, hints of citrus and spruce too. Light bodied, fizzy and citric mouthfeel. Flavour of citrus and tropical fruits, not too sweet, with some spicy and piney hints in the finish, but the bitterness is low.

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

440 ml can, as Slakteren The Butcher #93 Brown Ale, from Vaaland, Bryne. ABV is 4.7%. Dark reddish brown colour, nearly black. Large to moderate off-white head. Aroma of malts and brown bread, hints of burnt breadcrumbs. Malty flavour, a slight acidity in the background. Notes of brown bread and burnt breadcrumbs, hints of prunes.

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

440 ml can, from Gulating Ølutsalg, Stavanger, as Slakterens Dual IPA Sabro & Azacca #78 Session IPA. Batch #1169, ABV is 4.7%. Opaque pale yellow colour, large white head. Nice aroma of citrus and tropical fruits, also "spicy" hops. Thin, citric and fizzy mouthfeel. Distinct "spicy" hops in the flavour, also citrus, but the bitterness is moderate.

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

Cask conditioned at the Lord Moon of the Mall, London, as Slaters Premium Bitter. Amber colour, low head. Moderate aroma, some fruit and toffee. Smooth flavour, tolerably well balanced between the malts and hops. A decent bitter, "typically English".

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

500 ml clear bottle, from EkoMarket, Stavanger. ABV is 3.5%. Clear and very pale straw colour, small white head. Aroma of lime and pilsener malts. Medium sweet and citric flavour, notes of lime, pilsener notes in the background, low bitterness. Not undrinkable.

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

330 ml bottle, from Systembolaget. ABV is 5.5%. Black colour, big brown head. Lovely aroma of roasted malts, dark bitter chocolate and coffee, hints of English liquorice. The flavour is roasty with notes of coffee, hints of liquorice, dark chocolate and burnt toast. Some fruity notes in the background. Distinct bitter finish, both from the hops and the roasted malts.

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

Bottle, vintage 2001, RBESG 2005, Grand Tasting. Hazy brown colour, malty sweet (far too sweet) flavour. Haven't had the ordinary Kloster yet, but this stronger Christmas special is too sweet to go with any traditional Scandinavian Christmas fare, except cakes, cookies and dessert.

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

330 ml bottle, ABV is 9.0%. Very dark reddish brown colour, nearly black. Excellent large and thick brown head. Lovely roasty aroma with strong notes of dark chocolate. Flavour is very roasty with strong notes of coffee, also some chocolate but not very sweet. Bitter finish, it’s hard to tell how much of the bitterness comes from the roastiness and how much from the hops - obviously both elements are plentiful. A first class imperial stout!

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

(500 ml bottle). Golden brown colour, good head, moderate but pleasant hoppy aroma with some caramel; malts and heavy bitterness in the flavour and aftertaste, perhaps too bitter in the finish. Not very complex. Decent effort, but the English do it better!

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

RBESG 2006 Grand Tasting. Brewed with Swedish hops. Pale golden colour, low head. A moderate but quite clean hoppiness in both aroma and flavour. Not too bad for a pale lager with an ABV this low (3.5%).

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

500 ml bottle, Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is moderate 4.5% - still it is defined as a "starköl" according to Swedish law (sic). Golden colour, moderate white head. Moderate aroma of sweetish crystal malts, caramel and orange marmalade. Moderate carbonation. The flavour is first soft and smooth with a nice balance between the malts and hops, then some "dusty" notes, immediately followed by a less pleasant and very sharp and medicinal bitterness, which lasts throughout the long aftertaste. A weird effect of Nelson Sauvin hops.

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

500 ml bottle, 2009, bought at Systembolaget. ABV is 5.3%. Copper colour, big to moderate off-white head. Sweetish aroma of oranges and spices (cinnamon, ginger and cloves). The flavour is not as sweet as the aroma made me fear, there is some sweetness but it is not overdone. Notes of said spices again, noticeable hops in the finish . The beer is fairly light bodied and drinkable, not too bad.

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

Bottle, at Plan B, Copenhagen. Orange colour. Fruity / orangey aroma. A bit fizzy, quite dry. Fairly bitter hops, hints of metallicness. Not the best from Slottskällans this one.

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

(330 ml bottle). A "Swedish profile Bohemian pilsener" - whatever that may be, this is supposed to be it. Typical pils golden colour, moderate head. Above average hoppy aroma, good but not remarkable flavour, well above average bitterness. Not as good as the best Czech pilseners, but far better than the average "neutral" swill.

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

330 ml bottle, from Systembolaget. ABV is 5.0%. Reddish brown colour, big cream-coloured head. Very nice fruity aroma (ripe berries), also strong notes of bakery and lightly toasted malts.The flavour is more roasty than the colour and aroma made me expect, notes of burnt breadcrumbs. Not entirely pleasant.

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

Bottle, at RBESG 2007 in Glasgow, Grand Tasting. 2006 vintage, bottle #459. Reddish brown colour, off-white head. Strong aroma of rhum-raisin, malts, aromatic hops and alcohol. Malty sweetish flavour, somewhat alcoholic.

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

(500 ml bottle). Pitch black (= very dark brown) colour, low head. Aroma of liquorice, coffee and roasted malts. Extremely dry (not even a hint of sweetness) roasted and well rounded flavour, good bitterness - perhaps slightly too tart and salty in the finish. Not easy drinking, but a good beer.

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

(500 ml bottle). Beautiful dark reddish brown colour, low head. Interesting strong aroma, initially it's overwhelming horse stable / fresh horse droppings(!), later the caramel, molasses and malts come through. Malty sweetness is well balanced by the hops, pleasant mellow aftertaste. I'll leave it to the "style police" to discuss if this is Vienna or Munich dunkel - IMO the Swedes have done a reasonably good job with this beer.

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

Cask at the GBBF 2008. ABV was said to be 7.2%. Amber to copper colour. Lovely aroma of fruity American hops. The flavour has dominant American hops throughout, but is not overdone. Drank it too warm though.

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

330 ml bottle, bought at Hotel Havana (which is not a hotel, but an upmarket delicatessen / grocery store in Oslo). Brew #1, BB May 2009. ABV is 4.7%. Cloudy amber to orange colour, moderate but lasting off-white head. Nice hoppy aroma, also notes of citrus and white wine vinegar. The flavour has a moderate hoppiness, but unfortunately also some vinegary notes which may mean that an infection is on its way. Dry and sourish finish.