4.2 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 18/20
Sample courtesy of cgarvieuk. Thank you! Reddish black pour. Massive nose, rich sherry fruit, chocolate, booze, oak. Amazingly powerful. Similar flavours, overwhelmingly sweet sherry front, treacle, molasses even, slight roast chocolate malt flavours and a huge boozy warm finish. Wow. Need more of this!
4.2 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 17/20
[12floz bottle, courtesy of cgarvieuk] [2002 vintage] Pours brownish/black, no real head to speak of. Thin bubbled lacing. Pure barrel-aged alcohol aroma. Viscous, super sweet, smooth syrupy on the palate. Some barrel oakyness on the flavour. Sweet sherry – it’s like drinking a pillow. Smooth. Figs and more marzipan – really amazing considering how old the beer is, it’s retained all of it’s punch over the years [13012012]
3.9 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
From bottle. Thanks Craig. Pours black with no head. Aroma has huge whiff of alcohol, chocolate. Taste has chocolate and licorice, roasty, dark fruits, fruity alcohol notes. Sweet with an alcohol finish. Could do with being reigned in a bit but very tasty
3.8 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 2/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 17/20
2002 bottle. Pours a very dark brown colour with a lacy tan head. Lots of alcohol aroma, a little fishy smoke with roasty malt, dark chocolate, caramel and a sake yeast character. Similar flavours with alcohol quite prominent, raisins, figs, roasty malt, chocolate and caramel again. A woody, sherry character also. Mild carbonation and an oily mouth-feel. Nice.
4.5 AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 19/20
This 2002 vintage is courtesy of the tasting host and now father of two, Douglas. Thanks for this amazing treat and congratulations. It pours super dark void with thin mocha head and some legginess. The aroma is pulsing yumminess with sweet caramel candy, molasses, chocolate, more molasses and smooth sweet chewy maltiness. The taste is smooth yummy sweetness with molasses, sweet maple nectar and some rich maple pancake syrup. It then picks up rich sweet prune juice reduction and chewy rich smooth sweet maltiness. This seems it can’t get much better than this with additional aging. It seems near perfect today. Wow!
4 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 17/20
I got this bottle many years ago, perhaps 4 in a trade. Thanks to someone. Pours out a black sticky mess with legs and no head. The aroma is sweet nutty and boozy notes. A hot dark flavor with roast and dark juicy fruits, loads of heat, nutty and some coffee. Very good, this could age forever. Nine years has not mellowed it at all.
4 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 17/20
12oz bottle (11/2002) shared by Doug, thanks man and congratulations!
Appearance: Dark brown with a small white head, no lacing but good legs
Aroma: Roasted malts, dark fruit, chocolate and some hot alcohols
Taste: Roasted malts, dark fruit and chocolate
Great, smooth. This held up great for being 10 years old, probably has many years left.
4.2 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 17/20
2002 Vintage 23% ABV "Made With Vim and Vigor" is crossed out with a black magic marker. A big thanks to dickensonbeer on RB for tossing this legendary brew in as one of many extras on a great trade!!! Paul you are a trading/brewing god amongst men!
Bottle gave a faint carbonation hiss when the cap was opened.
Appearance: Pours black as night with a minimal brown crown that shows no retention or lace.
Smell: Deep roasted malt, hints of soy, umami, raisins, molasses, and a hint of salt!
Taste: WOW this is interesting! Very intense and full flavored! Fair amount of sugary malt sweetness as well as that saltiness up front, roast underneath, raisins, prunes, a hint of sherry, and some alcohol on the tale end.
Mouthfeel: Thick, thick, thick!
Overall: Not a session beer but a flavor explosion none the less!
Serving type: bottle
Reviewed on: 07-30-2011 01:10:29
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