Odeed (1482), Bakersfield, California, USA Dec 9, 2006 Updated: Apr 9, 2008 (BOTTLED ON OCT. 25TH 2006)after much searching i finally found a few bottles of this.poured my snifter 3/4 full and witnessed a dark brown body with red highlights.a small light brown head surfaced and left nice lacing with the tip of the glass.the first whiff gave me a wonderful mix of chocolate,coffee,molasses,brandy,bourbon,dark fruits,sherry,and pine hops.the first sip put me in total shock!so many different flavors greeted my tounge it was hard to keep up.cherries,chocolate,molasses,bourbon,brandy,dark fruit,cocoa,alcohol,pine hops.....it just keeps going.its pretty hot but i bet 6 months and this thing was be perfect.im glad i have two more bottles to hold onto cuz this is a truley classic beer.(RE-RATE ON 4-09-2008)same color body with no head.the alcohol heat in the nose has mellowed substantially.i grab everything i got in the nose from the first few bottles i had,although everything is more melted together.the flavors have done much of the same honestly.in fact right now its drinking a lot like a port wine.id say htis is in its prime right now.
GregClow (2332), Toronto, Ontario, Canada Sep 1, 2008 Bottle shared with HogTownHarry, blankboy, tupalev, jerc & garthicus - courtesy of garthicus. Ruby-brown with a wispy tan head. Aroma of wood, dark malt, vanilla and booze. Flavour is very strong, but tasty as hell, with lots of wood and bourbon, roast malt, caramel, and quite a hot finish. A very nice treat - thanks for sharing, Alan! pantanap (749), Chicago, Illinois, USA Aug 29, 2008 750ml bottle from a trade long ago. shared with the wife for our one year anniversary....dark brownish black pour with a moderate yet quickly fading light beige head.... aroma of wood, light bourbon, and soft sweet notes mostly of caramel and vanilla.... flavors were pretty sweet and roasty. spicy pepper and other barrel-aged bourbon flavors. finish incorporated more of that spicy and boozy qualities that lingered on the tongue for a bit. still very warming despite the aging....i think i prefer 11 to this one actually. garthicus (550), Toronto, Ontario, Canada Aug 27, 2008 My bottle shared with HogTownHarry, GregClow, Tupalev,Jerc & Blankboy -- courtesy of Irishboy in a trade we did! After weeks and weeks of staring at this bottle on my shelf and fighting the temptation to open it, I finally got to give it a go. Appearance: Ruby red/brown colour with a nice brown head. Aroma: Coffee, honey, alcohol and the wonderful hint of turf/peat. Flavour: Whiskey and coffee, toffee too with a warming alcohol finish. Thanks a million Richard! fiver29 (305), Strongsville, Ohio, USA Aug 23, 2008 Tasted at Cleveland tasting on 8-23-08. Thanks!! Bottle pours dark brown/black with a tan head. Aroma is all over the place. I sense oak, vanilla, caramel, roasty malts, molasses, and nuts. Has a medium to full body. Taste is very nice. Mostly sweet caramel, roasted malt, chocolate, and burnt oak. This is very well done. Overall this is a truely world class brew. ABUSEDGOAT (1903), California, USA Aug 22, 2008 Bottle from Toronado. Yeah, I could probably save this for 1900 but I have something just about as ridiculous in the fridge so whatever. Dark colored, tan head with average lacing and retention. You can smell a little bit of age on this already. Aroma is a mixed bag of course. Chocolate, caramel, oak, vanilla, nut, molasses, more. Full bodied, silky mouthfeel. However, it felt a little off balance, where I remember the 11 being better balanced. Time has probably helped it though. Alcohol was hidden very well though. Decadent, enjoyable and almost definitely never again.
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