UPDATED: FEB 28, 2024 bottle. batch 102. Bottle was a minor gusher. Opaque dark brown pour with a big foamy head that has very good retention. The aroma is dark fruits, charcoal, molasses and toffees. The taste, like the aroma, is a complex blend of dark fruits, molasses and toffees. The palate is full and oily with soft carbonation. Finishes long and semi sweet. Overall: Decent: shame its out of production.

UPDATED: FEB 26, 2024 Ondoorzichtig donkerbruin bier met een 2-vingerdikke crèmekleurige schuimkraag van fijne structuur. Ik ruik het aroma van gedroogd rood fruit (vooral vijgen) met daarachter een beetje koffie. Ook in de smaak zit fruitigheid. Meer dan verwacht. De body is niet heel vol. Opvallend gezien de complexe smaak en het alcoholpercentage.

UPDATED: NOV 26, 2023 Bottle. Pours dark brown to black. Chocolate, delicate smoke, biscuit, Christmas drink, toffee, raisins, liquorice. Medium body. Very good.

UPDATED: NOV 5, 2023 X September 2023. Bottle from Deconinck (presumably). Batch 100 = Bottled: 9/7/2020. Hazy dark brown, stable, foamy, tan head. Aroma of walnut, tawny port, pear, tobacco, date, wet wood, brown sugar, red apple, brandy, vague cinnamon, liquorice. Taste has sweet date, pear & apple wrapped in a brown-sugary, walnutty and brown-bready malt body, balanced by softly phenolic spices and a sourish berry undercurrent. Herbal hoppy finish with lingering dried fruits, wood and warming port-like alcohol. Full body, oily texture, average carbonation. Elegantly sweet with delicate accents; gorgeous!

UPDATED: JUN 18, 2023 From 1997 bottle (batch 27) in tulip; thanks Tiff! Pours near black w/only a few fleeting bubbles of head, aroma of smoked malt. Rich complex taste: choc, dark fruits, spice, woody notes. The oldest beer I've sampled, an interesting experience!

UPDATED: OCT 17, 2022 1999 bottle, batch 41. Once again proving why I need to clear more old beers from my cellar. Popped the cap to be greeted by a strongly malty nose. Pour is deep blackish brown color, with just a few bubbles around the edge. Initial impression is that it's rather flat, again whether by design or age I'm not sure. Smoky taste, impressed that it's still there after 23 year, and it's still in the tolerable Bamberg beer range. Also a bit of plum and cherry after the next few sips. Not much hop bitterness left. Interesting beer, and since I don't know its intended historical style, I can't say how well it held up. Hmm, after finishing, there is a bit of a buzz one wouldn't expect from that somewhat thin mouthfeel. So notching it up a few more points.

UPDATED: APR 5, 2022 A dark brown beer, a head is big and light brown. Aroma has liquorice, sweet and dried fruits, prune, apricot, some smoke, caramel, marzipan, strenghtnesss, hint of alcohol. Taste has liquorice, caramel, light smoke, also fresh dried fruits and bitterness. Full bodied, velvety palate, enjoyable, not stickyness. What a brilliant beer. Complex, powerful, but at the same time so smooth and a way too easily enjoyable.

UPDATED: MAR 26, 2022 Tap at BeerTemple, Amsterdam, 23rd March 2022. Pours a dark chestnut brown. Taste is caramel, malts, heavy. Good, a little heavy, by interesting

UPDATED: DEC 30, 2021 Keg (Berlin by 5 Drunkmen, Athens). Pitch black color. Sweet, smoked, plums, alcohol, woody, grainy, leather in aroma/taste.

UPDATED: NOV 20, 2021 Aus der Flasche im 2021-11 getrunken. Dieses dunkle Ale mit einer feinporigen, beigen Schaumkrone kommt mit spannenden Aromen mit schwarzen Brot, eine malzige Süße aber auch eine deutliche Hopfen. Alles zusammen sehr gut abgestimmt und harmonisch. Ein leckeres Ale!