3.8 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 15/20
Raisins, caramel, brown sugar, and rich vinous undertones in aroma. Sticky, lasting patches of head clinging to the side of the glass. Apple and doughy malt notes meld with alcohol and subtle hops as the sadly uninteresting flat finish reveals honey and vanilla.
4.1 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
Garnet color. Finely carbonated with a cakey beige head. Impressive aroma of brandy-steeped plums and titanic bready malt notes drizzled with vanilla and only hints of alcohol. Dense, but soft and fluffy on the palate. Sweet, but airy and balanced, with a coarse brandy texture shaped and pillared by a sound bready malt base. Slight tannic grip, yet, remarkably, with minute alcohol presence. Completely muted hop flavor. Endlessly dry, woody, and grittily tannic with a relaxed, but rhythmic, silky malt finish interwoven with balancing notes of overripe plum skin and brief echoes of melted toffee, brandy, and vanilla hints. It’s tough to discern if they’ve used less malt in this version, in comparison to earlier releases, or if the, albeit slight, oxidation is to blame for its slight lack of body. Nevertheless, the sweetness is well composed, there’s very little acidity to speak of, and the alcohol is nearly undetectable. Thanks, michiganmiked!
4.7 AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 10/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 19/20
Muddied purple color with a small tan head and nice lacing on the glass. Spicy malts, and citrus fruits, tangerine. Sweet, and amazingly complex taste. Chocolate, vanilla, caramel/toffee, softly vinous, spicy alcohol burn. Very full and round palate. This was freaking incredible, thanks EddieG!
4.7 AROMA 10/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 18/20
I thought I would never see one of these, until one day the whole set of pre-'03 vintages appeared at the store. This is the first that I am trying. A small tan head sits atop a deep mahogany body. The aroma is heavenly, a combination of woody and vinous notes with just the slightest hint of alcohol. Silky smooth palate, very little carbonation. The vinous notes in the aroma are also in the flavor, dark berries and an alcohol warmth that is very pleasant. Just the slightest bit of hop bite, as this has been aged over 3 years. Dry, warm finish. Absolutely wonderful!
3.9 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
Corked on 1/18/04: Pours a dark ruby with a nice creamy head. Notes of maple, toffee and alcohol in the nose. Similar taste with a slight hint of East Kent Goldings. The alcohol is incredibly well masked under the huge body of this beer. I think they might have used Marris Otter 2 row with some crystal 60 for color. Unfortunately, after 4 years, the hop oils have expired and as the beer warms the sweetness becomes a bit cloying, not obnauxious, but a bit.I think this would have been far better 2 years ago when the hops might have balanced the sweetness. Still a great brew that was very enjoyable and wonderfully well brewed.
4.2 AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
Dark ruby brown with no head to speak of and very little carbonation. Nose: dark fruits, chocolate and alcohol. Taste, very smooth and winelike, with both fruity and chocolate notes. I've been saving this beer for three years and finally decided to open it . I'm glad I did
3.4 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 13/20
UPDATED: MAR 15, 2008 Bottle... HSSSG2003 Part 1... A murky, burnt orange ale. Small, quickly diminishing, white creamy head with no lacework. The nose is extremely malty. Caramel, toffee... ’nuff said... oh, and brown sugar. Well-balanced flavor. Very malty up front with blasts of caramel and molasses. Bittered nicely on the backside. Big alcohol shows up in the flavor as well as the nose. Full-bodied with an oily mouthfeel and fizzy carbonation. Long, astringent, dry finish. Wow! Balance was not expected. Not as good as I had hoped, but a fine brew nonetheless.
3.6 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 15/20
Bright, dark amber. Balanced and drinkable. Not as complex as I was expecting. Smooth, dark malt flavours, touch of earthiness, you can tell this has aged a bit as it is already starting to show some sherry notes and any bitterness that might have been there has dropped out.
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