UPDATED: SEP 13, 2022 2007 bottle. Time to open another cellar queen. Malty and sugary smell hits me even as I'm prying off the cap. Nose holds up wonderfully, with a hint of oatmeal raisin cookie. Deep brown color in the glass, with a thin layer of foam. Happy to report the taste is just fine. Some prickly carbonation along the sides of my tongue, and a deep, sweet malty backbone. No side bitterness, of course. Some pretty big chunks of sludge brought up from the bottom of the bottle, however. I always forget to hold the last drips of the bottle in reserved until I've drained my glass.

From old tasting notes. Deep reddish brown color. Big bubbly tan head. Interesting fruity malt nose hints at pears and maple syrup. Bittersweet toasted malt flavor has hints of whiskey, smoked malt and treacle. Complex and assertive with a cloying mouthfeel. Potent and interesting.

Bouteille. Nez fruité aux notes boisées (prunes, léger de raisins et de cerises, petites notes de pommes), malté de caramel sucré et léger de sucre brun, d’alcool doux (notes liquoreuses), légèrement épicé (léger de coriandre, notes de cannelle) et avec des notes de réglisse noire et de chocolat. Moyennement ronde en bouche avec un pétillement moyen-fort et une texture légèrement crémeuse aux notes vineuses et liquoreuses. Goût de levures fruitées aux notes boisées (prunes, léger de raisins, notes de cerises et de pommes) avec un léger goût épicé (léger de coriandre et notes de cannelle) lors de l’entrée en bouche auquel se rajoute un goût malté de caramel sucré foncé (notes de toffee rôti) et léger de sucre brun (faibles notes de sucre bonbon) parallèlement à un goût amer d’alcool moyen et réchauffant (notes liquoreuses, vineuses et des petites notes métalliques) avec des notes de chocolat noir en finale accompagné d’un léger goût de réglisse noire. Arrière-goût long-moyen, moyennement amer d’alcool moyen (vineux et aux notes métalliques) avec un goût aigre de fruits (moût de prunes et de raisins). [notes 2006]

Bottle 33cl / Botella 33cl. @ Cerveceria Internacional, Sevilla, España. A: Dark amber / Ambar oscuro. T/S: Roasted malt, sweet, fruity, alcohol / Malta tostada, dulce, afrutado, alcohol.

Tasted long time at Cervecería Internacional, as a recommendation of the owner when I told him I didn’t like dark beers. It was the first dark beer that I, indeed, liked.

From file last updated 2010. Bottle. Pours ruddy brown with slight head. Dark fruit aroma. Med body. Flavor is mixed fruits and light treacle. Liked it.

One of the beers which did not survive Riva’s bankrupcy. Deep burgundy colour, clear, with thin off-white head. Raisins, caramel, candi syrup and alcohol in the nose, malty taste, sweet, a bit resinous, with toasted bitterishness and hops in the finish. Relatively decent but nothing more than that.

28/III/14 - 75cl bottle @ home, Bier van de Maand blind tasting for Gentse Biervereniging, the extra’s - BB: II/1990 (2014-321) Thanks to JefVerstraete for sharing the bottle!

Clear red brown beer, small beige head, unstable, non adhesive. Aroma: very portorized, some mildew cork. MF: soft carbon, medium body. Taste: lots of raisins, raisin bread, little sweet, portorized, basement, some mildew, caramel, bit sweet. Aftertaste: sweet, oxidized, little metallic, bitter touch, bit spicy, sugary, raisins, raisin bread. Yeah, this one did not survive. Too bad. I used to drink this quite often when I was a student (about 10 years ago). If they would still make this today, I’d probably think it was way too sweet, but back then I enjoyed it a lot.

Vintage 1988. Red/brown colour, still a bit of foam. Aroma of dark fruit and port. Sweet with light bitter aftertaste. Good if you like old beers.

UPDATED: MAR 24, 2014 1990 vintage at DHVL. It pours clear deep ruby-brown with a small-medium beige head. The nose is toast, roasted malt, dark fruits, cola, concentrated orange juice and ref grapes. The taste is smooth, toasty, roasted malt, cocoa, caramel, earth, light alcohol, faint tart dark fruits and wood with a dry finish. Medium body and fine, soft carbonation. Smooth and well rounded. Has aged gracefully.