4.9 AROMA 10/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 10/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 20/20
Where to start... black oil, subtle and long-lasting smoke, big maltiness and roastiness. No head, low carbonation, no alcohol feel...I guess it’s pretty normal for this barrel-aged beer. Silky, full bodied, full of flavors, a real masterpiece!!!
4.8 AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 10/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 19/20
UPDATED: FEB 10, 2012 11.3 oz bottle poued Black witha thin tan head. Aroma and taste of coffee, chocolate and scotch. Delicious
4.7 AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 19/20
Aroma not as intense as the 12. Immediately thicker than the 12, this is the thickest of the bunch. Sweet and strong, it has a solid consistency from start to finish. Excellent.
4.7 AROMA 10/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 18/20
Bottle: Pours an opaque black with a thick tightly laced beige head. Sweet malty smell. This is a delicious perfectly balanced beer with exactly the right weight on the tongue. The flavors start with dark chocolate and some caramel before a bit of the smokey wood cask flavor shines through in the finish. I am a Highland Park Scotch drinker so this seemed like a deal I couldn’t pass up. The price is quite steep [$10 for 11oz.] but in this case, you really do get what you pay for and that is a magnificent beer with a complex flavor profile!
4.6 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 19/20
UPDATED: OCT 16, 2008 Dark brown, oily, small dark tan head. Reminds of Goose Island BCS with a little larger head. Strong but classy nose of whisky, chocolate, and wood depths. Taste is delicious: chocolate, alcohol, malt, dry wood, and a nice smoky peat touch. Medium bodied, super rich, long in peat, and ultra smooth, this is one hell of a beer for whisky heads, stout heads, dessert-beer heads, fireside-winter-beer heads...
4.6 AROMA 10/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 10/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 18/20
A: snifter. pours a dark rich brown, practically black. a light tan head on top and a low retention rate. light lacing.
S: coconut, cherries, vanilla and roasted malts, chocolate and caramel. light coffee hints. huge peaty whiskey aromas.
T: tastes like heaven. outstanding old ale, best yet IMO. coconut, vanilla, cherries, bourbon/scotch flavors. some light chocolate and toffee. hints of coffee.
M: medium body, low carbonation. huge roasted and barrel aged palate. so intense.
D: i could literally drink maybe 3 of these, but a dozen is my goal....absolutely delicious. worth getting...you better believe it!
4.6 AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 18/20
Tasted 2010-04-07. 1 year old bottle. Pours dark red/brown almost black with brown head. Nose is full of cocoa, vanilla and whiskey. Taste is smokey, slightly roasted and only slightly bitter with a hint of whiskey. Very balanced. Very tasty. Almost more a stout than an old ale. Quite expensive, but worth every damn cent.
4.5 AROMA 10/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 17/20
Bottle # 02672 and served in my NB worthy glass (vertical of 12/18/30): Nearly opaque with a fading but lasting head and some lace and some oily legs upon the glassware. Better head retention than the 12 y.o. or the 30 y.o.
The aroma has many of the same notes of the 12 but seem more concentrated, big charred wood and Black Patent malt, star anise, prune and dried raisin, liquid vanilla extract, massive alcohol vapours, and some lovely smoked peat bog.
The taste while similar to the 12 y.o., it is far more refined and smoother. Expressive dark fruits and charred malt with a kick in the face of wood and whisky. I get more than my fair share of iodine and peat bog towards the finish but it is more for rounded palate than a distraction. The mouth feel is smooth and oily with just the right amount of aggressive alcohol bite and woody dryness. What a work of art, right among the very best BA beer I have ever had. The best thing is that I believe these bottles will aged gracefully for years, so get ya some!
4.5 AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 17/20
UPDATED: JUN 4, 2008 courtesy of Laurent Mousson - dark black colour with a little dark beige head; roasted aroma of pralines, notes of cherries and a touch of mint; viscous, full-bodied; robust bitterness; very bitter chocolatey finish with notes of cookies and a warming alcohol kick
4.5 AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 18/20
Bottle@Home. Chocolate and Highland Park light peated whisky aroma. Opaque, light brown firm head, good lace. Sweet, chocolate, malty, subtle peated whisky, light bitter, roasted. Soft and full. Flavourful, excellent balanced.
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