 Ughsmash (2835), Waukesha, Wisconsin, USA
Mar 28, 2006
Rating # 700 !! 2005 Bottle #258/400. Thank you CaptainCougar for this near-religious experience! Poured a highly-viscous, remorseless shade of black, with a short ring of caramelly-beige head. Nose was absolutely perfect... glorious, deep-roasted, rich dark chocolates, toffee, caramel and a dose of plum are enveloped by a heavenly aire of sweet bourbon, vanilla, and oak. This is what everyone else is trying to do with their barrel-aging! Balance was phenominal in the flavor department, too... dark, roasted chocolates, hints of espresso, and just enough coffee and floral bitterness... all expertly blended together. Palate was smooth where it needed to be, bitter where it needed to be, and had oaky, earthy bourbon accents in all of the right places. Whoa!
omhper (10145), Stockholm, Sweden
Jul 16, 2008 Bottled at Petalax Beer Festival. Transparently black with brief beige head. Strong oaky vanilla aroma with licorice behind. Sweet and near full bodied. Restrained and reasonably balanced. There’s licorice, vanilla and oak with syrup underneath. Flavourful, extrovert and really good, but Great Lakes is one of those brewers that can do more subtle beer really, really good I still prefer some of their lesser heralded beers.
oh6gdx (5208), Vaasa, Finland
Jul 15, 2008 Bottled. Pitch black colour, mediumsized beigeish brown creamy and lasting head. Aroma is smoothly roasted malts, some wooden notes, licorice as well as mild coffee, chocolate and licorice. Flavour is roasted malts, licorice, vanilla and wood along with some caramel, chocolate and coffee. Aftertaste is vanilla, wood, coffee and some mild notes of roasted malts. Hides the alcohol quite well, and is wellbalanced.
sayravai (3029), Helsinki, Finland
Jul 12, 2008 (Bottled, 0.66l) Black with a small, beige and lacy head. Strong, roasty and coffee-licoricey aroma. Roasty-malty, licoricey, vanilla-oaky flavor with rhum, calvados, truffles, moderate bitterness. Quite full-bodied, slightly syrupy palate with low carbonation. A pleasant, beautiful and balanced brew with not too much oak effects.
mabel (1246), Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Jun 15, 2008 [1223-20080328] 1pt6floz bottle. Aroma of mild wet dog food and chocolate-covered burnt wood pellets. Hazy, dark dark brown red body with a quick creamy light tan head. Dry boozy roast malt flavour with a nice hint of chocolate in the aftertaste. Full body is dry. Very nice to try.
(c/o HogTownHarry, w/ him, blankboy, GregClow, jerc, tupalev)
Crosling (1605), Loveland, Colorado, USA
Jun 14, 2008 Dark ruby brown color with a small, light tan head. Needs to be much darker. Timid nose, with only a light hint of the barrel element
Thin mouth feel, low complexity and fairly depthless character overall. Some hints of caramel and corn whiskey, but there is hardly much of a beer underneath. This is a rerate of the newer bottling, but its a lot like the first: bland, poorly concentrated, lacking texture and just dull overall.
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