2006 version courtesy of mreusch. Pours brown with a thin white head. Smells of oak, dry malt, dark fruit, vinous. tastes of caramel, chocolate, earthy, nice bread pudding like finish. Excellent!

<b>2006</b> on tap &#64; the brewpub, 2 years old. Multiple snifter fills. The color is murky reddish brown, sometimes pours with a small but lasting head, other times no head. Aroma is is strong with sweet, malty, raisin bread with strong notes of rummy black bread. Not strong on hops but I have been told when fresh this is extremely hoppy. Its not over the top on the nose but its still strong. Taste is thick with light fruitiness &#40;in a good way, not astringent or anything&#41;, thick maltiness, with some faint roast that works well, and a lightly bitter rosy rum. Alcohol there but works well with the bigness of the beer, does not stick out much. Mouthfeel is very full yet not dead. Just a bit of burn down the throat on the first sip. Velvet-y feel on the cheeks. I kept drinking it, so I guess I liked it a lot. Stands up to the hype.

<b>Bottle at Fins ... Thanks to Fin for a great weekend and some Real intersting beers... Huge Thanks to Casey for this 3yr old Bottle ... But also a huge thanks to mcbackus who posted a thread in trade forum that made me realise i hadnt entered this and about a dozen others.</b> ... Amber ... sweet malts tofeee and vanilla nose .. Rich deep toffee ... some vanilla again ... deep vine fruits ... For me much better balanced that alesmith numbskull..

<i> <b> Tasting with Casey, Traci, Craig, Stella and Loz 27-09-08 </i> </b> Pours amber, with a thin white wispy head. Striking bittersweetness, some bonfire toffee. The bitterness is really strung out, good soft squidgy tangerine as well, very likeable.

Deep brown colour with a tan head. vague roasted, fruity and alcohol sweet aroma with a light hoppy note. fruit and alcohol sweet flavor with hoppy notes.