4 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20On tap at HF Harvest Fest 2012. Pours a deep black with a thin mocha head. Nose is smoke, roast, a bit of licorice and chocolate. Taste is more subdued since I last had it out of the bottle, but the smoke has died down making it more enjoyable for me. Lots of roasted dark chocolate, toasted malts, and oak notes. Medium to full bodied. Very good, but definitely a sipper.
4.2 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 18/20
On draft at the Hill Farmstead Harvest festival, shortly after opening a bottle of the first (only) release.
Dark brown, near black with a dark tan head that settles in to a finger thick head with abundant webs of lacing. Much more bourbon and vanilla presence on the nose from the barrel than the bottle. Smoke is still present, but not as overwhelming. Roast malt, oak, smoke, and dark fruit blend in the aroma and flavor. Blend of the barrel and smoke is smooth and interesting; bourbon is still present, but the wine barrel has fallen out of the flavor. Very smooth, silky body with light carbonation. Having had bottles fresh and aged, and kegs at multiple stages, I’d say there isn’t much point in aging bottles longer, but still an interesting beer.
4.1 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 17/20
on tap at Hill Harvest Festival ’12. pours black with creamy tan head. aroma has caramelized nuts, red win, vanilla, port notes, toasted marshmallows. flavors have a more straight forward caramel, port, bourbon, and nutty vanilla character. really tasty stuff.
3.8 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 15/20
21st April 2012
Opaque dark brown beer. Big pale tan head. Smooth palate a little dry. Lovely smooth dark malt with well integrated wood. Whisper of vanilla. Mellow bourbon. Mild minerals. Just a trace of red wine. Semi dry finish. All flavours in good balance.
4 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
500 ml bottle from glouglouburp. Pours a clear dark brown color with reddish hints and a small beige head. The aroma is roasted malts, oak, smoke with a combo from the two; I get more bourbon than Cab barrel though. The flavor has the roasted malts, smoke, etc. with a nice combination of the tannins from the Cab barrel and the bourbon and cherry from the other. This was my favorite of the three. All consumed side by side in mid 2011.
4.6 AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 18/20
Bottle generously shared by Wallace in NH. Pours clear, rich brown with a creamy, beige head. Rich, roasty nose with dark and sweet malts, some bourbon poking through. Big sweet flavor with restrained smoke, raisins, ham, soft brown sugar, light burnt wood, dark bread. Full bodied with fine carbonation. Lightly warming to finish with lovely smoke, some raisins, subtle roast and cocoa, mild dark wood notes. Excellent beer. Just great from beginning to end.
3.9 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 15/20
tap at harvest fest. notes of cocoa, plum, dusty old smoked wood. hints of red wine add complexity. touch of vanilla and soft bourbon. nice hefty body. dry. light-moderate bitter roast finish. pretty good.
3.8 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 17/20
Thanks to Adamjackson for supplying this in the tasting. Pours charcoal dark-brown, smelling of regular Fear and Trembling only adding a little more roast ,bitterness, and certainly richer.
4 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 16/20
Shared with some friends on a beautiful day in August. Enjoyed in Hill Farmstead stemware.
A - Pours a very dark brown to black. Small head that faded immediately. Decent lacing that fades pretty fast. Almost black in the bottle.
S - Mild bourbon scent, lots of coffee and mild smokiness. Hints of cocoa.
T - Mocha coffee taste. There’s a slight bit of boozy bourbon heat but it’s very mild at this point. The tannins of the cabernet blend nicely with the smoky baltic porter. I get some vanilla and charred oak.
M - 10% carbonation. Heavy body. Very soft red wine finish.
O - Wow. This is very nice.
3.7 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 15/20
Bottle shared by Thorpe429. Thanks Mike!
A: Dark brown hue with a thin, tan head that recedes rapidly, leaving but a little lacing.
S: Roast, smoke (rauchbier), hints of oak. This beer was less smoky than the French Oak Cabernet version. In general, I found the aroma to be a bit weaker in this blend.
T: A very good beer, with notes of bourbon, oak, subtle smoke, and a tannic / wine characteristics that adds depth and complexity.
M: Medium to thin bodied with moderately low carbonation.
D: Prior to sampling the three variants, I surmised that this would be my favorite of the Fear and Trembling beers. I preferred the French Oak Cabernet to this.
Serving type: bottle
Reviewed on: 12-20-2010
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