4.8 AROMA 10/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 10/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 19/201987 Vintage is a close to a perfect beer as I’ve ever had. Too many flavors to describe - maple, oak, raisin, plum, chocolate, toffee, on and on...Can’t remember everything...During the hour or so we took to savor this beer, it opened up and changed from great to out-of-this world. 1994 Vintage was a bit thinner, lighter in color and body, but quite impressive in its own right. Maple and oak mostly, with a hint of chocolate and more drinkable than the 1987. I’d give this one about a 17/20.
3.9 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
Bottle; 2000 release. Pours an opaque mahogany with a thin off-white cap. The nose is of big, round, raisiny malt and brown sugar. Full-bodied and softly carbonated, it finishes with a lingering sweetness and a bit of oxidation/cardboard-iness. The flavor is quite sweet: molasses, sweet sherry and dark fruit malt notes give way to an aftertaste accompanied by lighter notes of Granny Smith tartness and cardboard. One could argue that 13 years in-the-bottle is too long for this beer. Others, myself among them, could argue that the effects of oxidation have added some complexity to the proceedings.
4.1 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 18/20
Beer number 500 on ratebeer. 2001 bottle, chilled. Dark red/brown, absolutely no head. Initial smell of marmite, which moves to sherry which endures. Flavours are big - probably the most intense flavours I’ve had from a beer so far. Sweet soup to start, moves to intense liquorice, sweet coffee aftertaste. In some ways very sweet, and also deeply savoury. The flavour profile is complex and keeps changing as you’re tasting it. A real experience which I would recommend. If I were a liquorice lover, I’d probably give this a straight 5. Sadly I’m not, but very enjoyable anyway.
4.3 AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 17/20
From memory: 2006 vintage (I believe)
Pours dark with some sediment. Dark and , less hoppy than other barleywines. Smells of plums and raisins. Taste is slightly sweet with brown suga, spices and candied fruits. Nice alcohol burn. A very good beer.
3.8 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 2/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
2001 Harvest --- Appearance is dark brown, cloudy with lot of residue at the bottom of the glass. Aroma is very intense. It has lots of sweet dark fruit like dates and raisins. Flavour is initially very sweet and syrupy. The flavour develops somewhat with dryer sherry-like flavours coming through and even some chocolately, bitter malts.
3.2 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 12/20
Bottle of the 2010 edition at the Amsterdam Cafe in San Francisco. Opaque red-brown, the head disappears quickly. Tastes sweet, of celery with some bitterness and a dry finish. Sweet and vegetable, port aroma. Nice but weird! More like a soup than a beer.
4.1 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 16/20
Bottle from Utobeer Market, London. Hazy orange/amber beer with a sma beige/yellowish head. Fruity aroma, raisins, dades, bready, vinous, warming alcohol, caramel, pears, nutty notes, some earthy notes. Fruity flavor, floral, vinous, earthy, caramel, pears, raisins, peach, some warming alcohol. Fruity finish with warming alcohol.
3.9 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
Bottle 33 cl tnx to rlgk. pours clear redish amber with barely any head. Aroma is sweet raisins malty marzipan a bit boozy. Flavor is sweet vinous a bit boozy raisins dried apricots marzipan bitter; very nice. Finishes sweet bitter malty and almonds.
3.4 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 13/20
Bottle at the John=Jim Den Haag tasting, Den Haag. Bottle courtesy of Kermis. Poured a murky brown colour with a thin off white head. The aroma is rich and alcoholic. The flavour is along the same lines with lots of oak and peat. It has a high ABV, but the alcohol doesn’t dominate. A lovely heavy beer.
3.7 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 15/20
Bottle shared by kermis @ Jim is John tasting. Hazy dark orange to reddish color with a small off-white head. Smell malts, alcohol and fruityness. Taste is strong! Alcohol, fruityness, malts. Taste is heavy, tastes like it has more than 11.5% ABV. Full body, medium carbonation.
3.8 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
Bottle ’09 @ ABC Beers Jim=John tasting. Murky amber pour. Aroma of madeira, ripe fruits, slightly chemical, spicy and floral. Flavor is alcoholic, fruity, sweet and aged. Very smooth and well balanced.
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