 OldMrCrow (1057), Seattle, Washington, USA
Dec 24, 2006 Updated: Mar 31, 2008
Bottle, roughly one year after purchase.
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I’ve had this beer a number of times over the past couple of years, but I’ve never felt competent to rate it before. Now, my palate seems to be at the place that I can really appreciate what this beer has to offer. It pours a dark, dark brown with a full and long-lived tan head; the aroma is dark brown-sugar caramel with vinous notes and some dried frut. The flavor is a marvel. Toffee and dried fruit on the beginning, but never too sweet; tobacco and light yeasty tones, a midrange through finish that becomes amply bitter but never overblown. The palate is superb, perfected carbonated and not the least bit sticky, just full. There is a bit of alcohol flavor and a little bit of heat here, but surprisingly little considering the 11.3% that it is carrying.
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This is unquestionably a benchmark beer. Few others are going to match up.
ajwilliams (48), , Indiana, USA
Dec 3, 2008 Pours dark brown with consistent, classy head. Aroma of figs, vanilla, brown sugar, bubble gum, alcohol, yeast. Flavor has all of these notes, plus maple, chocolate, raisons, and hops. Definitely more of a hop presence than the 8, but also more of an alcohol burn that makes the mouthfeel a little more harsh. Harsh here is still silky smooth compared to almost every beer I have had. Very complex. Amazing beer.
Wim (834), Turnhout, Belgium
Dec 3, 2008 dark brown coloured body with a off white head a hoppy malty fruity spicy aroma a sweet hoppy malty grainy little fruity spicy taste with a grainy bitter finish
matrixmorb (6), , Italy
does not count  Dec 3, 2008 Dark brown with thick creamy tan head.
Great aroma of fruit and malt.Flavor is great,sweet and very complex. seriously a great beer,and very strong too.
EFC1878 (132), Manchester, Greater Manchester, England
Dec 1, 2008 Bottle at Sandbar, Manchester. Dark brown with hint of red. Very large, creamy near-white head that lasts the whole beer through. Vinous aroma is rich fruit, dried fig and raisin, plum and date with a spicy undertone. The fruits carry over into the flavour and are joined by a note of muscovado/molasses. Slight medicinal taste (in a good way) with hints of pepper/spice. Incredibly smooth and rich on the palate. Miraculously drinkable for such a high ABV. One of the best of the best.
terrybail (185), , Ontario, Canada
Nov 29, 2008 330ml Glass at Marienbad /Chaucers that my lovely wife took me to for a beer or two and lunch
The aroma is sweet and fruity sort of like prunes and honey
pours a pale chocolaty brown with little to no head or lacing with a lot of floaties not the most attractive of beers for sure
But the taste is exceptional nice fruity taste with the high ABV well masked nice and smooth and creamy on the palate
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