 fredandboboflo (631), East Setauket, New York, USA
May 5, 2008
1997. An excellent beer that sadly could not satisfy most that it reached (admittedly I had to force myself through it the first time I had a go at it, but now I love it and feel as though I may have shorted it at 4.3...I’ll have it again). Appearance is a bit frightening with thick syrupiness replacing lacing, but to each beer its own look. I guess this bottle held up nicely because there was no real hint of soy sauce, just some saltiness toward the end of the miniscule pour. What there was was massive amounts of chocolate, initial impressions of dark fruits, and in the end a very deep, rich maltiness with hints of what I might usually call coffee and toffee, but far beyond these terms. I’ve never had port, but perhaps that’s the end result of what I’m failing to describe. So, so rich and luscious that even a mere ounce consumed over an hour gave me the impression that I had just gone through an entire bomber of world-class brew. Splendid.
Ceebs25 (68), Iowa City, Iowa, USA
Oct 11, 2008 1997 vintage bottle. Big thick malty aroma, rich dark chocolate, burnt wood and assorted nuts, vanilla beans, wow. Zero head, very thick yet not as motor oil like as i was expecting, black color with interesting tints of ruby red. Describing the taste of this beer is very difficult, unlike anything i’ve ever tried, but actually in a good way. Dark cherry cream dominates the flavor in the beginning, becomes much more rich tasting after with dark chocolate syrup, bourbon and brandy-like flavors and a very roasty yet mild and sweet finish and linger. Very thick and strong beer, yet no real presence of alcohol, smooth the whole way. This one was pretty wild, highly underrated (or maybe this bottle just aged well), maybe not exactly to my liking because everything doesn’t quite come together for me, then again its really hard to compare this beer to others because there really is nothing else like it, but man do i appreciate its creation.
dchmela (775), Orlando, Florida, USA
Oct 7, 2008 1995 bottle courtesy Eithcubes. I had to try this after reading so many different views on the beer. Pours black and chunky with absolutely no carbonation. Aroma is chocolate malt, maple syrup and the dreaded soy sauce. Rolling around in the glass gives a really nasty looking yellowish film with little bits of disintegrating malt that look like coffee grounds. Taste is burnt maple syrup, chocolate malt, slightly boozy (although not bad for an 18% brew) and a cloying sweetness. I can kind of see where they were going with this, but this bottle didn’t age as it was suppose to and became a gloppy chunky mess. Until I get a better bottle, thumbs down.
neo_hippie2 (128), Louisville, Kentucky, USA
Oct 1, 2008 I saw this in the store and couldn’t believe my eyes. Needless to say I bought a few. What a legendary brew. Very dark thick pour into the snifter. No carbonation and no head. Has more of a fine cognac or brandy feel to it than beer. Lots of chocolate on the nose with hints of raisin and oak. Warm sweet flavor, perfect for sipping. Delicious. Amazing. Worth trying if you can find it. Mr. Koch, you’ve done it again.
bdigi66 (461), Ft Wayne, Indiana, USA
Sep 30, 2008 1995 Bottle: Finally I got to try this...uh masterpiece. Dark amber, viscous pour with no head. Nose had notes of alcohol soaked raisins, oak, chocolate malt and teriyaki. Very sticky/syrupy sweet body...flavor had a much stronger dark fruit tone to it but even it couldn’t overpower the teriyaki and soy sauce base. There also were some chocolate notes present...very hot.
blutt59 (796), Dallas, Texas, USA
Sep 28, 2008 bottle, 2005, black pour with no head, aroma of preserved plum and prune, flavor of teriyaki, soy, leather, licorice and burnt meat, finish is viscous and lasting
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