stefanje (937), (Santee) San Diego, California, USA Oct 29, 2008 12 oz bottle from Bev4less. Fresh batch of the 2008 release. Pours a hazy amber-brown with a fair khaki head that has good retention and leaves some lacing. The aroma is moderately strong with berries, caramel and dust. The flavor is well balanced between biter hops, sweet berries, nuts (almonds and pecans) and caramel. The mouthfeel starts a bit thin and crisp, but builds to a sticky, malty conclusion. The finish is long and biter-sweet. Overall: This is one of the better winter beers. Recommended. iwc046 (22), Kansas City, Missouri, USA Oct 27, 2008 Just a really pleasant beer. Plenty of spice and layers of favor keep you guessing and make the beer enjoyable. The label is reason enough to give this beer a chance. biz82 (1328), austin, Texas, USA Oct 27, 2008 Deep clear red in color with a thin head. Full, malty aroma with a heavy fruitiness a hint of chocolate. Full bodied and rich. Sweet, fruity flavor with noticeable but not prominent hops. Has some astringency, probably from the excessive use of crystal malt. Moderate bitterness. Ibrew2or3 (2714), Safety Harbor, Florida, USA Oct 26, 2008 This 2007 offering poured clear brown with copper hues and thin tan head. The aroma is inviting to say the least with rich dark fruity esters coupled with rich and varied roasty malts. Very nice. The taste hits first with a bit of hop bitterness followed by roasty malts heading toward being highly roasted combined with dark fruity esters. The finish has notes of malt astringency rising up and drying it out a bit. Delicious brew. VitaminR (422), Colorado, USA Oct 24, 2008 2008 Holiday fruitcake nose, some licorice. Deep ruby brown color with a thick long lasting head. Rich cherry malt sweetness, big bitter balance. Full body, subtle carbonation, long finish. Nice beer, the fruitcake component is unique. steview (901), Los Angeles, California, USA Oct 23, 2008 murky, dark brown body, orange-ruby highlight, moderate light tan head, moderate lacing; bitter, earthy, floral, some of those ’’dark fruits,’’ and also soy sauce; not quite my thing unless this was served at the proper food pairing... trevor211 (500), Seattle, Washington, USA Oct 22, 2008 2008 version. Pours a port red. Good head, though dissipates quickly. Aroma of dark fruits, malts, barley wine, raisins. It seems like an effort to use american ingredients to make a dark Belgian-style beer. Slightly dilute, but actually very good. Aquilo (248), California, USA Oct 22, 2008 I have to give full marks for appearance here. Pours deep clear mahogany with a thick tan head that overflowed my glass. It was picture perfect. Aroma is roasty and nutty, but kinda faint. The flavor is roasty and sweet. I can taste caramel, pecans, and some piney hops. Quite nice all around; a very enjoyable beer.
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