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

An outstanding beer, very close to "perfect". I agree with all the positive things said by other reviewers, and has little more to add. The spicy, oaky complexity of the aroma and flavour is "out of this world". Wonderful, lingering aftertaste. Alcohol is well hidden. Simply exceptional!

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

(330 ml bottle). This superb Trappist ale pours with an enormous thick head, colour is cloudy dark brown. It has a lovely aroma of oak, leather, dried fruits and a hint of cigar tobacco. Flavour is malty and spicy with a warming mouthfeel, otherwise alcohol is well hidden. Dangerously drinkable! Moderate bitterness, rounded aftertaste. This ale truly belongs in the Premier League of Beers

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

330 ml mock "stoneware" glass bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 8.5%. Chestnut coloured beer with a big and lasting tan head. Lovely aroma of various fruits and spices, hints of farmhouse kitchen and red wine vinegar. The flavour is malty with moderate notes of dried fruits and spices. Nice one.

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

(33 cl bottle, bought in Denmark). Deep golden brown colour, no haziness, large head. Aroma is not very strong, but pleasant - yeasty and fruity (canned plums), some spices and herbs too. Full bodied sweet flavour, still quite smooth. Brown candy sugar, Christmas fruit cake spices and herbs prevail. Some alcoholic warmth, but not dominant. A great sipping beer!

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

(33 cl bottle, bought in Denmark. ABV was 8.5%.). Cloudy brown with floaties, enormous thick creamy head. Lovely complex aroma of cherries, figs, prunes, spices, oak and sandalwood. Flavour is not quite as complex - malty, some fruit and spices, rather alcoholic, bitter finish. I wish the aftertaste had been as good as the aroma. A beer well above average, but not as good as I expected.

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

(330 ml bottle). Beautiful deep amber colour, just slightly hazy. Great head. INTENSE aroma of spiced alcohol (nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon), hints of ammonium chloride too. Flavour is malty and spicy, but not as intense as you'd expect from the aroma. Sweetness seems just right. Aftertaste is good, but a bit short. An interesting beer, like so many Belgians.

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

(33 cl bottle, bought in Denmark). Pours cloudy golden with floaties, large head. Strong yeasty and flowery sweet aroma , some spices (pepper) and herbs too. Flavour is fairly malty with a distinct peppery touch, hints of oak. Some alcoholic warmth, not unpleasant. Moderate but sufficient bitterness. Not bad at all.

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

330 ml painted lightproof bottle, ABV 9.0%. Large head, surprisingly pale golden colour, slightly cloudy when yeast is poured. Excellent aroma, red fruits, barnyard and yeast, some oak. Flavour is reasonably malty, quite yeasty. Alcoholic warmth, relatively light bodied despite its strength. Aftertaste is a bit too sweet IMO. Overall quality does not quite live up to the beer's gimmicky name and bottle.

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

(330 ml capped bottle, bought at Borough Market, London.) Pours with a collossal head, beer is clear reddish brown but with an enormous amount of lumpy yeast floaties which are not dissolved in the beer when pouring, thus making the beer in the glass look rather unappetizing - you may actually feel the lumps when drinking. I normally prefer to pour the yeast in with most bottle conditioned beers (enhances the flavour IMO), even when the brewers tell me not to - but in this case it is definitely not to be recommended! Aroma is initially surprisingly mild and one-dimensional malty sweet, improves as the beer warms up - vinous notes with some toffee and oak appear. Flavour is caramelly, oaky and spicy, with a nice alcoholic warmth. Decent enough, if disregarding the lumps.

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

250 ml Scaldis Noël bottle, bought at Borough Market, London. Pours with an an enormous lingering head, beer is clear, colour is deep reddish amber. Aroma of dark rum, sherry, oak, raisins, spices. Flavour is very sweet with dried fruits and whisky elements, but a distinct spiciness and decent hops prevent it from falling in the "cloying sweet & undrinkable" ditch. Alcoholic warmth in the mouthfeel, as expected from a 12% ABV beer, but not overwhelming or unpleasant. A very fine Christmas special in my book.

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

330ml bottle, bought at Borough Market, London. Pours with a large light tan head, colour is brown, slightly hazy. Excellent aroma: Oak, sandalwood, camphor, caramel, toffee, spices. Flavour has caramel, spices, oak - but is not quite as complex as I hoped. Still very good - it’s a Trappist! Moderate but decent hops + spices in the finish.

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

Bottled 2004, 500 ml swingtop bottle (Thanks, JensenTaster!). ABV was 8.3%. Murky dark brown colour, very good & lingering tan head. Lovely aroma of dark malts, dark chocolate, Christmas spices, caramel and candy sugar, hints of cherries. Flavour is very rich & malty with some alcoholic warmth, spices and dark chocolate are present. Plenty of hops (maybe a tad too much?? - or maybe not) in the finish balances the sweetness nicely. This is good. This is very good. Maybe not quite as exquisite flavour as Nøgne Ø God Jul (at least it’s a bit different) - but very, very good.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

750 ml corked "champagne" style bottle, packed in metal gift box. Now available in Norway (Vinmonopolet). Very dark reddish brown colour, slightly hazy. Moderate tan head. Very nice aroma of Christmas spices, oak, raisins, old sherry, toffee and treacle. Flavour is very malty sweet, plenty of caramel and some spices, hints of smoke, tart/bitter finish. Fizzy mouthfeel - due to the aggressive carbonation and tart finish this beer was not a "silky smooth" experience for me. I actually preferred du Bocq’s Regal Christmas to this one (haven’t tried them side by side, though). R.C. is also somewhat less expensive.

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

25 cl bottle, bought at Selfridge’s, London. Amber colour, large and fluffy lingering head. Vinous dry sherry-like aroma, elements of oak and leather too. Flavour is again sherry-like, medium dry (or medium sweet, if you like), loads and loads of oak, hints of German "Weinbrand", warming mouthfeel as expected from a 12% ABV beer, but the beer doesn’t feel inappropriately alcoholic. A substantial hoppy bitterness in the finish balances the sweetness nicely. Plays in the Premier League of beers, this one.

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

33 cl bottle, bought at Selfridge’s, London. Deep amber colour, hazy. Large head. Aroma and flavour are rather alcoholic, with caramel, brown sugar, oak and hints of barnyard. Sweetness is reasonably balanced by the hoppy bitterness, which also has some not-so-desirable metallic edges. Mouthfeel is warming and a bit peppery. An unusual beer, well worth sampling, but DIVINE?? I don’t think so - go for the Trappists in stead, they have better connections "upstairs".

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

I had this beer at Café t'Arendsnest in Amsterdam (bottled - is it available on tap at all??). Cloudy brown colour, strong and powerful, warming mouthfeel. Flavourful, yeasty, heavy carbonation. It is not a bad brew, but I find the yeast flavour too dominant to give it a definite top rating.

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

1.5 liter magnum bottle, RBESG 2005 Grand Tasting. ABV was 10%. Intense oaky and malty aroma. Flavour is also intensely oaky and moderately sweet. I probably drank it too warm, will need to rerate when available at cellar temperature. As it was, it’s not my definite favourite, but obviously a well crafted beer.

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

Bottle, RBESG 2005 Grand Tasting. Brandy coloured. Spicy aroma (nutmeg, ginger?). Oaky and spicy flavour, quite dry. A bit thin mouthfeel for a beer this strength

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

Bottle, RBESG 2005 Grand Tasting. Strong aroma, verging on the unpleasant, with notes of oak, brown sugar, lime and molasses. Flavour is oaky, alcoholic and too sweet, with notes of lime and lemongrass in the background. Not a love affair for me this one.

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

Draught at Den Tatoverede Enke, Copenhagen. Hazy golden / amber colour, decent head. Not very exciting aroma, just some faint notes of malts, hay and apples. Flavour has some malty sweetness and weak spices. Rather alcoholic. This is no masterpiece to offer a real Norwegian troll - and I should know what I’m talking about!

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

Bottle, RBESG 2005 Grand Tasting. Golden brown colour. Vinous aroma, oaky and sherry notes. Oaky flavour, brandy notes. Could have been even more complex, though. Still, this is another fine and strong Belgian ale.

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

Draught at Den Tatoverede Enke, Copenhagen. Deep brown colour. Moderate aroma of malts, caramel and brown sugar, not unpleasant. Flavour is malty sweet with spices, brown sugar notes.

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

750 ml bottle, corked "champagne" style. ABV is 10.5%. Deep chestnut colour, large light tan head, nice lacing. Malty sweet and spicy aroma - aniseed, cardamom, ginger, nutmeg, cloves(?) Notes of oak and leather too. Flavour is also dominantly malty sweet (too sweet) with caramel and spices, a certain hoppy bite too. Alcohol is evident, but not overwhelming. A fairly complex beer, but too much malty sweetness keeps me from giving it a top rating.

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

Bottle, at Plan B, Copenhagen. Deep brown colour. Fine spicy and oaky aroma, vinous notes. Flavour is spicy and VERY sweet. Would go well with Christmas cakes, I guess.

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

Bottle, at Den Tatoverede Enke, Copenhagen. Pale golden colour, slightly hazy. Moderate fruity sweet aroma. Fizzy mouthfeel. Fairly decent flavour (some oak, spices and a little brown sugar), a noticeable alcoholic warmth but not unpleasant.