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

250 ml bottle, from Vinmonopolet Kvadrat. ABV is 8%. Murky brown colour, large off-white head. Moderate aroma of malts, yeast and banana. The flavour is very sweet (too sweet), with notes of brown malts, caramel and squashed bananas, minimal bitterness. Drinkable if you have a sweet tooth, but not a beer I’ll buy again.

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

Baladin Super Bitter. 330 ml bottle, Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 8%. Hazy orange to brown colour, large white (or slightly off-white) head. Pleasant aroma of mild spices, brown sugar and malts, hints of dark fruits. The flavour is mid between dry and sweet, with the same elements as the aroma. Moderate bittering hops in the finish. Nice beer.

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

341 ml bottle, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. ABV is 9%. Hazy yellow colour, moderate white head. Strong aroma of apricots, candy and Belgian ale yeast. Fruity flavour, again notes of apricots and Belgian ale yeast, hints of citrus peel, some hops in the finish. Not a beer I'll bother to buy again.

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

Shared 500 ml bottle at local tasting. Black colour, beige head. Aroma of liquorice and roast malts, hints of snuff. The flavour is kind of boring, not very sweet, with minimal hops. Some roast malts.

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

Shared 300 ml bottle at local tasting, from Voldby Købmandsgaard. ABV is 10%. Very dark brown colour, large beige head. Strong malty aroma, notes of molasses and brown kandij sugar, some alcohol, Lovely and well balanced flavour, malty but not too sweet, brown kandij sugar and oak, notes of dark dried fruits, some mild spicy notes.

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

330 ml bottle, vintage 2020, batch #114, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. ABV is 11%. Black colour, small tan head. Aroma of dark kandij sugar syrup, medium dark malts, only a hint of orange peel and coriander seed. Medium sweet and malty flavour, with the same elements as the aroma.

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

On tap at Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger, February 2019. Dark brown colour, hazy. Minimal head. Aroma and flavour of rum cask, brown sugar, mild spices and Belgian ale yeast. Decent beer.

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

February 2015: Shared 355 ml bottle, vintage 2010, from Voldby Købmandsgaard. ABV is 8%. Amber to brown colour. Oxidised malty aroma, reminds me a bit of Thomas Hardy’s Ale. The malty flavour is better, somewhat oxidsed but still nice, notes of oak and dark dried fruits, not very sweet though.

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

750 ml stylish "champagne" bottle, Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. Amber to brown colour, large cream-coloured head. Nice vinous aroma, notes of oak and "fruits of the forest", hints of farmhouse. Vinous, oaky and well balanced flavour with moderate but sufficient hops. Extremely drinkable for its strength.

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

25 cl bottle, under its alias "Scaldis" Caractère, 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: 9 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 9 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 9

330 ml bottle, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. ABV is 10%. Dark brown colour, large beige head. Aroma of malts, brown kandij sugar, dark dried fruits incl. raisins, oak, hints of mild spices. Medium sweet flavour with the same elements as the aroma, very distinct kandij sugar. Very moderate hops.

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

330 ml bottle, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. ABV is 8%. Copper colour, more like a Dubbel than a Tripel. Large white head. Pleasant aroma of Belgian ale yeast, mild spices, ripe yellow fruits and dark dried fruits. Medium sweet flavour with some caramel and brown kandij sugar, hints of mild spices and dark dried fruits, moderate hops.

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

330 ml bottle, from Vinmonopolet Kvadrat. ABV is 8.2%. Dark brown colour, large beige head. Aroma of malts, brown kandij sugar, mild spices and exotic woodwork. Medium sweet flavour with brown malts, brown kandij sugar and caramel. Minimal hops.

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

330 ml bottle, shared by my son. ABV is 9.5%. Hazy brown colour, moderate off-white head. Aroma of Belgian ale yeast, brown kandij sugar and caramel. Flavour with the same elements, also some nice spicy notes, medium sweet. Moderately warming mouthfeel.

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

330 ml bottle, Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 11%. Colour mid between mahogany and ebony, moderate to low beige head. Lovely aroma, malty with strong notes of brown kandij sugar and caramel, also notes of dark dried fruits, hints of mild spices, leather and oak. Malty and medium sweet flavour, notes of dark dried fruits, brown sugar and caramel again, also hints of mild spices, chocolate and oak, moderate hops in the finish. Moderately warming mouthfeel. Excellent stuff.

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

33 cl bottle (as Kasteel Bier Bruin), at Les Moules Belgian restaurant in Prague. Served too cold. Beautiful deep brown to ruby colour. Large head which disappears rapidly. Aroma of dark malts, oak, old sherry, spices and leather. Flavour is very malty and sweet with a warming mouthfeel, elements of Christmas spices and old sherry. Very good. Yummy!

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

330 ml bottle, as Kasteel Barista Chocolate Quad. ABV is 11%. Very dark colour, mid between mahogany and ebony. Low tan head. Strong aroma of coffee and chocolate, hints of vanilla and caramel. The flavour is fairly sweet, but not cloying. Distinct notes of chocolate, vanilla, caramel and coffee, dark dried fruits and a little hops in the finish. Moderately warming mouthfeel.

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

440 ml can, Cardinal Pub, Stavanger. ABV is 5.5%. Opaque yellow colour, moderate white head. Aroma of lactic acid, blood orange, passionfruit and mango. Sour flavour with the same elements as the aroma, also notes of lemons. Low bitterness. Refreshing.

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

330 ml can, probably from Bris Ølutsalg, Jørpeland. ABV is 4.7%. Nearly clear golden colour, moderate white head. Aroma of lemons and lactic acid. Refreshing and medium sour flavour, lemons / citrus again, some lactic acid, very moderate hops.

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

On tap at Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. Hazy yellow colour, white head. Aroma of lactic acid, over-ripe raspberries and passionfruit. Sour flavour of lactic acid, lemons and grapefruit, hints of passionfruit. Refreshing.

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

330 ml can, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. ABV is 6%. Hazy orange colour, large to moderate white head. Aroma of lactic acid and strawberry jam. Medium sour flavour of lactic acid and strawberries. Refreshing.

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

330 ml bottle, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. ABV is 4.8%. Hazy and "dirty pink" colour with a lot of unappetizing floaties, small head, slightly off-white. Aroma of lactic acid and over-ripe raspberries. Very sour flavour, lactic acid galore, notes of over-ripe raspberries, "empty" finish. Won't buy again.

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

Small sample from can at Vectura-messe. Cloudy beer. Aroma and flavour of lactic acid (lots of it) and nothing else. Uninteresting. There's thirteen in a dozen of these beers nowadays. I will rerate if a get a larger sample, but only if it's for free.

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

473 ml can, from Vinmonopolet Madla. ABV is 5.9%. Deep red colour, moderate to small pink head. Distinct aroma of ripe and over-ripe raspberries, also lactic acid. Medium sour flavour of raspberries and lactic acid, not too sweet, low bitterness.

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

330 ml can, from Vaaland, Bryne. ABV is 2.5%. Cloudy "ancient pink" colour, large to moderate pale pink head. Aroma of raspberries, with strawberries, lactic acid and yoghurt in the background. Sour flavour, with the same elements.