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

440 ml can, as Salikatt Timeless 2023 Barrel-Aged Dark Lager, from Vinmonopolet Sola. ABV is 7.3%. Very dark reddish brown colour, nearly black. Large tan head. Aroma of roast malts, coffee, bourbon, vanilla and oak. Medium sweet flavour with the same elements, pleasant and well rounded. Moderate bitterness. Enjoyable.

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

440 ml can, as Salikatt Embla 2023 Bourbon Barrel-Aged Bock, from Vinmonopolet Sola. ABV is 8.5%. Black colour, large tan head. Aroma of bourbon, roast malts, coffee, liquorice, chocolate, vanilla and oak. Medium sweet flavour with the same elements, moderate hops.

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

Oct. 2014: 500 ml bottle, Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 7.2%. Deep and beautiful golden brown colour, large off-white head. Pleasant aroma of bakery and caramel (both brown bread and Danish pastry), hints of dark dried fruits. Sweet and malty flavour, caramel, dark dried fruits and Danish pastry. Luverly!

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

750 ml bottle, probably from Vinmonopolet Norheimsund. ABV is 9.5%. Chestnut colour, moderate off-white to beige head. Aroma of malts, caramel and bakery. Malty flavour, plenty of caramel, also dark syrup and brown bread, hints of burnt breadcrumbs, noticeable earthy hops, medium bitter finish. A solid beer.

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

On tap at Cardinal, Stavanger. Deep ruby colour, moderate off-white head. Malty aroma, notes of caramel and toast. Pleasant malty flavour, some sweetness as expected, but not too much. Notes of caramel and brown bread, hints of dark dried fruits and mild spices.

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

Brewed for every Christmas since 1999, this year (2002) unbelievably is the first (but definitely not the last!) year I have had this excellent beer. The recipe this year is supposed to be slightly less sweet than in 2001. Dark reddish brown colour, low head, pleasant but initially surprisingly weak roasted aroma (improves as the beer warms up). This is par excellence the most flavourful beer in Norway for nearly a century (between 1909 and 1999 max. ABV was 7%). Not as subtle and complex flavour as Aass Bock, but robust as hell. Roasted malts and coffee abound, Christmas spices and decent hops are balanced by a sufficient sweetness. Alcohol (9,9%) is well hidden. Robust aftertaste. Now THIS is a beer for the big boys! (OK, for big girls too.) Rerate Christmas 2004: Still excellent! Robust and "raw" in the edges, but I love it!

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

(500 ml bottle). Black (= very dark brown) colour, moderate tan head. Aroma of lightly roasted malts, tar and dark chocolate. Notes of smoke and woodwork. Flavour is rich, malty and full of molasses. Very sweet, too sweet in my book - nearly sticky. The 10% ABV is extremely well hidden behind the overwhelming sweetness, could (nearly) pass for a 1.7% ABV Danish "hvidtøl"! The Danes might use it to put hyper-active children to sleep on Christmas eve! Despite the sweetness, I kind of like it, due to its very full mouthfeel. A love-hate relationship, you might say.

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

Sampled in Denmark. Aroma of oak and brown sugar, improves as the beer warms up. Rich sweet flavour (a bit too sweet?), quite alcoholic but still nice. Hancock obviously have put some real effort into this beer.

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

500 ml bottle, bought in Germany. ABV is 7.1%, not 7.0% like the brewery website says. Deep chestnut colour, large and creamy light tan head. Very nice roasty aroma with notes of rye bread, caramel, hints of liquorice and chocolate. Fairly dry roasty flavour (roast malts), notes of coffee, toast and rye bread. Dry and hoppy bitter finish. An excellent doppelbock, not as smooth and sweet as some others of this style.

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

Bottle, RBESG 2005, Grand Tasting. Very dark reddish brown colour, no head. Strong malty sweet aroma with caramel. VERY sweet wort, molasses and caramel flavour. Sticky. Too sweet for me.

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

500 ml bottle, bought at KaDeWe, Berlin. Dark reddish brown colour, large tan head. Pleasant roasty and malty sweet aroma, notes of dark chocolate, prunes and leather. Lightly roasty and malty flacour, hints of chocolate, pumpernickel bread and mild coffee. Pleasant and easy-drinking bock.

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

Draught at The Jolly Butcher, Frederikshavn. Deep amber colour, hazy, moderate off-white head. Caramel and barnyard aroma. Soft malty flavour, some caramel. Moderately warming mouthfeel. Decent.

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

500 ml bottle, bought in Bier Spezi Hamburg. ABV is 7.5%. Reddish amber colour, large orange to light tan head. Surprisingly alcoholic aroma, elements of molasses, caramel and syrup, hints of dried dark fruits, port wine and oak. Flavour is also rather alcoholic, malty sweet (a little too sweet for me) with plenty of caramel and molasses, a herbal spiciness and moderate hops in the finish. Not nearly as good as the much darker Weltenburger Kloster Asam Bock, but still a very powerful beer in any way. Definitely a "winter warmer".

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

500 ml swingtop bottle, bought in Bier Spezi Hamburg. Chestnut coloured, decent light tan head. Rich malty aroma with notes of moderate roastiness, caramel, marzipan and bakery, hints of red fruits. Flavour is malty sweet but not overdone, notes of caramel and dark bread, but a decent hoppy bitterness in the finish makes it very drinkable and moreish. Good beer!

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

(500 ml. bottle) Depending on the source of light, colour changes from dark brown to dark ruby. Good tan head that doesn't last very long but leaves a good lacing. Moderate aroma of oak, caramel and English pipe tobacco. Well balanced malty flavour with roast notes. Not too sweet. Roast bitterness in the aftertaste, maybe slightly too bitter/tart in the end - or maybe not. All in all a great beer! One of my favourite nightcaps.

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

(500 ml bottle). Another traditional Kloster Dunkler Doppelbock, ABV is 7%. Colour is dark brown to ruby, good light tan head. Fine aroma of oak, coffee and cigar box. Heavily roasted to burnt malty flavour, alcohol shines through. Roast bitterness in the aftertaste. Not quite as good as the Weltenburger Kloster Asam, but still very good.

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

(Bottled 2003). Deep golden/amber colour, moderate head. Aroma of sugary alcohol and hay. Grossly over-hyped and over-rated beer, mostly by people obviously fascinated by the high ABV. Sorry, I have difficulties respecting the ratings of people who actually LIKE this crap. Flavour is cloyingly & revoltingly sweet, alcohol, molasses, syrup, syrup and more syrup. And alcohol. Did I mention syrup? And alcohol? This is gross. This is REALLY gross. Half of it went down the drain. And I paid nearly US$10 (in Norway) for this bottle! (Sob!) Cellaring it for 30 years might have helped A LITTLE, but why cellar crap? A real drainpour, if I ever saw one. Thank God I drank it in November - "Samichlaus" would have ruined my Christmas completely.

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

RBESG 2006 Grand Tasting. 2000 vintage, ABV for this vintage was 8.1%. Hazy brown colour, low head. Surprisingly pale for a doppelbock. Sweetish bakery aroma, some alcohol. Flavour is cloying malty sweet and one-dimensional. Disappointing. Drank it too warm though.

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

330 ml can, as Mack Tradisjonell Julebokk, from Vinmonopolet Sauda. ABV is 9%. Dark brown colour, moderate beige head. Aroma of malts, brown bread and caramel. Rich mouthfeel. Medium sweet and rich flavour, notes of various types of malts, distinct caramel, burnt breadcrumbs, mild spices, dark dried fruits, moderate hops.

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

Dec. 2020: 330 ml bottle, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken, shared with my son. ABV is 8.8%. Very dark brown colour, nearly black. Moderate to small beige head. Aroma of roast malts, caramel, oak, whiskey?, vanilla, dark dried fruits. Nice roasty and oaky flavour, not too sweet, with the same elements as the aroma. Decent hops in the finish. Very good beer.

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

330 ml bottle, vintage 2022, from Vinmonopolet Egersund. ABV is 8.8%. Dark brown colour, large to moderate beige head, nice lacing. Aroma of medium roasted malts, roasted nuts, burnt breadcrumbs. Malty flavour, moderate sweetness, some caramel, again notes of roasted nuts, noticeable bittering hops, well balanced.

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

375 ml bottle, at Cardinal, Stavanger. ABV is 9.3%. Very dark reddish brown colour, nearly black. Large to moderate beige head. Aroma of malts, oak, vanilla, bourbon whiskey, a hint of crushed rowanberries. Sweet flavour with distinct notes of malts, oak and bourbon, again a hint of rowanberries. Good beer.

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

330 ml can, from Vinmonopolet Jørpeland. ABV is 8.0%. Very dark brown colour, nearly black. Moderate beige head. Aroma of medium roast malts, brown bread and dark rye bread. Sweet and malty flavour, distinct notes of caramel, chocolate and dark bread, moderate bittering hops.

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

330 ml bottle, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. ABV is 8%, IBU 21. Mahogany colour, moderate to small off-white to beige head. Aroma of dark bread, hints of dark fruits and liquorice. Medium sweet flavour of malts, caramel, liquorice and chocolate, low bitterness.

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

440 ml can, at Cardinal, Stavanger. ABV is 11.6%. Dark brown colour, small beige head. Aroma of malts, caramel, oak, aquavit and spices. Rich flavour, moderately sweet, with the same elements as the aroma. Very moderate hops.