5 AROMA 10/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 10/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 20/20 dolemike1 (1288) - Jeannette, Pennsylvania, USA - DEC 9, 2002
#500. Am i giving this a perfect score because it is #500? ... NO. I am giving this a perfect score because i can find nothing wrong with this beer. All the same outstanding flavors as last years version, and surprisingly no burning feeling from the alcohol. Utterly brilliant. The entire bottle was delicious. My new #1.
5 AROMA 10/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 10/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 20/20 mkobes (2123) - paramus, New Jersey, USA - SEP 6, 2003
Great flavor. High in alcohol content but you really can't notice it. Very smooth beer and flavorful. It has a great color.
5 AROMA 10/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 10/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 20/20 WISEGUY572 (1373) - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA - DEC 4, 2002
My first American perfect 5. I agree with Wakie that it is perhaps too intense. I found that a single 12 ounce bottle is meant to be shared with two or three friends, but not drunk by one person at one sitting. Is this beer or hoppy Kaluha? Screams of coffee, choclate, sweet dark roasted malt, kinds of hums about hops, and then slams you with a serious alcohol burn. The alcohol is probably necessary. I bet that it would not be possible to get such complex aromas and flavors to dissolve in a regular beer. I wonder how they kept the yeast from dying? Appearance is jet black, no more head than on a glass of Kaluha, sweet and syrupy thick, with more and more going on the longer it sits on your tongue. Of course if you try to drink the whole bottle you miss all this wonderful activity and end up giving the beer a lower score because it is, indeed, too hard to drink. The only thing you get out of the second half of the bottle is the remaining 333.3 calories. And enough alcohol to have a one-beer hangover.
5 AROMA 10/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 10/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 20/20 NickVega (154) - Eugene, Oregon, USA - AUG 13, 2007
First tasted this at the Beer Yard in PA - don’t tell anyone.... so I bought a case and after drinking 6 or so the first night (with a friend) I saved the rest for annual celebrations. Mess with the best and die like the rest -- this is a perfect strong ale. What it lacks in sophistication it amply makes up for in character.
4.9 AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 10/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 20/20 DrnkMcDermott (2444) - Downers Grove, Illinois, USA - MAY 30, 2003
UPDATED: NOV 10, 2006 Rated this in May, so it’s aged six months since bottling at this point Finally cracked open a bottle to share with my parish priest. Saw a fizzy head that, of course, disappeared quickly, almost like a Coca-Cola. Come to think of it, there could be a touch of cola in the taste. Brownish-black body with distict tastes of roasted coffee, sherry, molasses, maybe even some maple. Beautifully sweet, but not cloying. It’s a good thing we split one bottle between us, as the alcohol just sneaks up and warms you slowly… can you believe Binny’s carries this with none of those little “Staff choice” signs? Oh, well, that’s why it’s not sold out yet; more for me to buy… More? Why certainly…
…And now we rushed into the embraces of the cataract, where a chasm threw itself open to receive us. But there arose in our pathway a shrouded human figure, very far larger in its proportions than any dweller among men. And the hue of the skin of the figure was of the perfect whiteness of the snow. E.A. Poe
4.9 AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 10/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 20/20 Kevin (1953) - Colorado, USA - AUG 21, 2005
without a doubt the best beer i’ve had. poured a red hued black with almost no head. wow, there is some alcohol in this, very whiskey like nose. sweet malt and vanilla flavor rich grape notes, some nutmeg and very dark rich maple syrup. very strong, very good, rich plum and doughy notes. so damn rich, so damn good. there is no other way to say it. thanks to richlikebeer for this gem
4.9 AROMA 10/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 10/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 19/20 amx1970390 (478) - Southampton, Pennsylvania, USA - DEC 14, 2002
Holy F Batman!!
Pours black with no head at all, I every poured it from the bottle 12’ into the glass and no head.
Aroma is alcohol and barley and get this ’a fresh magazine’ don’t laugh smell and think Car and Driver. The brew is dark and black and lets no light pass thought it. Taste of port, brandy, banana and blackberry. Syrup and sweetness abound. (this beer has 666 calories in a 12 oz bottle. This in more of a really fine port than a beer. I cant wait to see how this tastes in a couple years. I feel that this ranks as good a Westvleteren 12 and is a little cheaper.
Cheers!
Rerate 12/14/2002 I had to up the aroma rating on this. As you drink it, the aroma becomes better and better, until there is 1/2’ in the bottom of your glass and you do not know whether to drink it or keep smelling it!
4.9 AROMA 10/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 10/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 19/20 Prostman (1077) - Pennsylvania, USA - DEC 31, 2002
UPDATED: JAN 7, 2003 Quite possibly one of the best beers that exist in the world. Amazing in every way.
4.9 AROMA 10/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 10/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 19/20 TheBeerGod (4131) - Newport News, Virginia, USA - JAN 28, 2003
UPDATED: SEP 24, 2003 WOW! WOW again! Poured pitched black in the glass. No head to speak of. Not very carbonated. Initial odor is of strong alcohol notes but some sweetness like cotton candy or dark chocolate. There is a slight alcohol burning in the mouthfeel. The finish is silky smooth but ends slightly dry and with an alcohol kick. Can't wait to get this again! HIGHLY recommended! ***Rerate-Just had this again tonight. This is one powerful brew. Strong sugary/alcohol taste. Stiff alcohol notes abound in the aroma. Wonderfully crafted beer. Highly recommended to all.
4.8 AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 10/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 19/20 legion242 (1870) - Richardson, Texas, USA - AUG 23, 2004
Wow. What is there to say. The alcohol is very evident- how can it not be? Beautiful black- jet black. Leaves lovely legs on the wine glass. Lotsof port notes. Much more palatable then that shite that Sam Adams keeps atempting. I shared this bottle with my wife, and I easily don’t think I would have liked to try it on my own. I was glad to share it with someone.Truly unique. Yummy.
Thanks Nuffield.
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