UPDATED: MAR 19, 2024 Tap at Gourmet Haus. Pours black with brown highlights and light brown head. Slight patterns. Chocolate, roast and coffee aromas. Flavor is rich malt, chocolate, vanilla, and whiskey. Nicely rounded and has aged really nicely over the last 8 or so years.

UPDATED: SEP 2, 2023 Bottle split at the 2nd CBJ tasting, thanks to Kenny 31/08/23. Light black with a decent beige cap that clears to the edge. Nose is chocolate, toffee, light spice, dark malts, dried fruits, figs. Taste comprises caramel, fruit cake, booze, dark malts, toffee, molasses, mellow barrel. Full bodied, fine carbonation, semi drying close with a good kiss of booze. Tidy.

UPDATED: AUG 12, 2023 Bottle shared in NH. Cheers to Rick. Pours rich brown with a creamy yellow-tan head. Medium to big sweet flavour with rich layered malts, very slight oxidation, toffee, raisins, figs, light earth, bourbon. Medium to full bodied with fine, massaging carbonation. Lightly warming finish, dark mats, a little barrel. Delicious. Nice complexity.

UPDATED: JUL 30, 2023 30th July 2023
Almost clear deep amber - brown beer, good tan head that audibly fizzes away rapidly. Palate is light and mildly dry and has a good fine minerally crispness. Smooth malts, some creamy sweetness, some mild chocolate and caramel. Oaky vanilla sits way underneath. Smooth but rich and slightly spicy bourbon. Fruity bourbon and rich fruit cake. Smooth fruity brandy on the back end. Some alcohol spice but that's a good thing here. Another sublimely put together FW Anniversary beer, smooth, rich, tasty and drinkalble. Lovely. All that good stuff said, I would love to see FW do an Anniversary edition without using Bourbon barrels.

UPDATED: MAY 20, 2023 Roast, brander and oak. Caramel and toffee. Dark brown murky pour with decent head. Sweet finish with some booze in it. A hint of florals. Dark chocolate. Tap at Fireworks.

UPDATED: JAN 15, 2022 Black pour with a thin beige head and large spots of lacing ….. aroma of brandy and bourbon, very nice balance, molasses, cherry, nougat, tobacco, little booze, chocolate and berries/dark fruits ….. taste is of brandy and bourbon, berries, dry oak, molasses, tobacco, nougat, chocolate, cherry and dark fruits ….. full bodied and finish has bourbon, brandy, spicy with some dry oak and chocolate …. Awesome brew as usual

UPDATED: DEC 26, 2021 330ml bottle. Pours a dark brown with hints of red and small amounts of off white head. Strong vanilla and cacao with hints of bourbon and oak. Subtle roasted malts with soft tequila and red wine at the end. Medium to full body with strong velvety notes. Mild roasted malt at the front which develops into lactose, residual sugars, red wine, and cacao and vanilla. Supurb blend as usual.

UPDATED: DEC 13, 2021 22oz bottle. Rating #10,000. Pours dark brown with a medium sized tan head, light lacing. Dark malts, chocolate, vanilla, woody, leather, cherries, raisins and mild spicy finish. Very good.

UPDATED: OCT 10, 2020 Aromas of massive oak nougat barrel wood sugared caramel vanilla bourbon malted barley toffee sawdust deep aged wort syrup black malts cocoa chocolate prune dark fruits raisins figs dates blackberries sweet belgian candi syrup from the stickee monkee and boysenberries. Taste is immense dark fruits dates figs raisins plums prunes toffee espresso brown sugar oak barrel wood sawdust corkscrew bourbon sugared caramel blackberries boysenberry port wine sherry complex cabernet chocolate cocoa nibs dark malts soy sauce umami belgian candi syrup belgian yeast charcoal earth motor oil oats aged wort syrup and nougat. Overall, quite remarkable. Aged beautifully.

UPDATED: AUG 23, 2020 Bomber to snifter. Looks good; a lightly translucent darker cola with fizzy beige head that steadily dissipates into lacing. Smells malty and oaky with notes of dark fruit, leather, chocolate, and a touch of brandy. Tastes like it smells with a mildly but pleasantly bitter and warming medium-full to full-bodied mouthfeel. Enjoyable, and holding up nicely.