3.4 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 14/20Pour is a dark brown with a small tan head. Aroma is dark furit and dark sugar. Flavor has more of the wood aspect with some brown sugar and plums. Alcohol is here in a big way especially as you get near the end of the glass. Still a pretty decent, candi sugary beer.
3.7 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
750 ml. shared bottle. Pours dark brown with a small tan head. Aroma of fruit, caramel, port, and wood. Taste is dark fruit, port, caramel, brown sugar, and wood. Solid.
3.3 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 15/20
Bottle shared thanks to Dmac. Pours an ugly apple cider color with an off white head. Aroma is of dark dried fruit, light alcohol, chocolate, wood, light yeast. Taste is light fruit skins, yeast chocolate, dried fruits, bread, and some mild alcohol on the finish.
4.7 AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 10/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 19/20
Pours an opaque, deep brown with essentially no head. Flavors of raisin, caramel, and, for obvious reasons, very pronounced port—including the tannins that accompany red wine. The first time I tried B.D.S., the flavors were bolder and boozier; however, over the past year, I’ve opened two more bottles on separate occasions, and each time, it’s proven smoother, more balanced, and more complex. This is truly one of my favorite beers of all time. If you can still find this limited-run brew, grab at least a couple of bottles—one to try now, and one to age for another year. This one just keeps getting better.
3.8 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 16/20
Bottle: Deep dirty caramel, thin sudsy dishwater like head, little lacing. Big nose of candied fruitiness, a touch of chocolate cake. Very unusual nose. On the tongue its like candied bread, candied fruit, zesty, a bit dry, with woody notes. Taste is very unique. Its much like a candied fruit cake mixed with port, woody notes, and an assertive vinous character. Very warming on the tongue, it brings some heat as well. Noticeable alcohol. Body and mouthfeel are moderate. Finish is very port and vinous like. Strong acidic fruitiness, combined with a woody aspect make this one very vinous. Enjoyable, and very different! Lingering citrusy caramel notes.
3.7 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 16/20
Bottle pour, cloudy reddish (almost purple) and amber. Port sweet dark fruit nose (not overpowering, just nice). Smooth, some interesting play between the port flavors and the spicy Belgian yeast. Different and good!
3.7 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 15/20
Bottle at our homebrew club meeting. Pours a hazed deep amber with a sticky white head that is huge. Nose is winy and vinous. Grapes and raisins, dark fruit and faint banana. Fruity esters and oak. On tasting, drying oak, vanilla and a raisiny character. Somewhat sweet and somewhat bitter. Well put together overall but not a style that I love. Solid.
4.4 AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 18/20
Bomber from Beerhandy; thanks Chris! Maybe I should be disqualified from rating this as I am an admitted port wine lover, but I will rate it anyway. Nose of oaky, sweet port hits immediately as soon as I popped the cap, followed by prunes, sweet caramelized sugar, vanilla, and a bit of musty oak. Cloudy brown with a medium, lightly lacing tan head. Flavor is vanilla, candi sugar, dark fruitiness, and sweet port dessert wine. Really good stuff!
3.5 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 15/20
Thanks, Andy. Hazy amber pour with an off-white head. Big caramel, toffee, and dark fruit aromas. Nice banana ester comes through, a hint of cocoa, some alcohol, and light oak. Just a touch of roast, too. Nice sweet fruit and sugar flavors. Caramel, toffee, brown sugar, and dark fruits. Plenty of banana, some cocoa, and light alcohol. A little bit of oak and roasted malt as well.
4 AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
Pours a dark wooden brown with beige head. Smells sweet of wine, oak and big dark ale. The taste is rich port wine with a warming oak flavor, light Belgian sweetness. The grain is smooth and really set up the hearty wine to open up. Very nice presentation of the barrel and wine, not the best bet ever but really tasty. Musty earthy drying finish, the Belgian yeast lightly twisting the finishing taste.
4 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 15/20
This was a big beer. Poured a dark brown color with a smaller tannish head. Left some minimal lacing on the side of the glass as it went. Aroma was dark fruit, wood, caramel, oak and leather. Flavor was candy sugar, molasses, brown sugar, more fruit, plums, dried fruit, some alcohol and smoke. Finished with an alcohol bite. Very heavy beer. Decent. Would try this one again.
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