Tap. Pours clear ruby, small pink head, some lacing. Aroma is oak, cherries, barnyard, bit of acetone. Flavor is light plus tart, light funky, cherries, red wine. Medium body.

Batch#012014 bottle date-1/12/14 picked up at OEC a few weeks ago. This is my first try of this series of beers and boy is the labeling confusing. Pour has a deep brown color with a thin cap of off white head that fell right back to a ring on the glass. Aroma has big barrels, rich red wine, grappa heat, whiskey sweetness, rich dried dark pit fruit, and a fair bit of underlying sweet malts. Very complex like a Christmas warmer meets barrel extravaganza. Mouth feel is medium light and there is low side carbonation but it is there. Flavor has a nice sweet malted center, light contrasting sherry tartness, plenty of red wine tannins, some clean grappa heat, dark dried fruit, and a pleasant smooth finish that brings all the crazy flavors together very well. I thought this would be a dark beer heavily barreled but it comes off closer to a Flemish red style. I quite like it as you get much of what I like in a scotch ale with interesting barrel treatments and a light sour acidity.