bottle, pitch black with strong alcohol presence, strong woody flavor and dryness, finish is lacquer

Bottle. Aggressive pour results in a dark black brew with a 4 finger foamy tan head. Nose is dark malt, brown sugar, cocoa, dark fruit and booze. Taste is dark chocolate, oak, vanilla, biscuity yeast and a touch of hops/alcohol in the finish. Medium creamy mouth feel. Tastes like a cross between an old ale, a stout and a barley wine. Complex and tasty.

Pours a visibly viscous oily black with a thin mocha head with decent retention. It has a smokey, meaty nose with hints of molasses, oak and citric hops. The flavour is decadently rich and full with coffee, soy, oaky vanilla, meat, spruce-like hops, dried fruits and heavily roasted malt. The palate is syrupy and sticky, but not chalky. Booze is well hidden for the abv and the palate duration is very long. Well-matched tingly and soft carbonation. Whew its complex and intense. A quality sipper

Smell is vanilla, wood, malts, smokey, meaty, chocolate, and coffee. A lot going on. Black in color with a decent beige head. Taste is malts, roasty, meats, smoke, wood, and alcohol.

Reviewed 12/25/2008 (bottle): Pours an extremely dark black brown colored body, tan colored head, somewhat lasting. Alcoholy aroma, dark fruit like plum and raisin. Very strong aroma. Coffee aroma too, wood and toffee. Sweet spiciness. Coffee taste with a strong roasted coffee aftertaste. A little alcohol, wood and roasted flavor, some chocolately sweetness.