 soyorganic (217), Denver, Colorado, USA
Dec 29, 2008 Bottle, 2007. Pours a dark red, brownish color with a small head. Aroma of apple juice, cherries and a sugary caramel malt. This beer has a very rich taste. It consists of thick vinous like plum juice with a savory caramel taste and a slight tartness due to the alcohol. The alcohol is noticeable. It has a subtle sweetness to it but I would call this beer more rich than anything. The flavor and aroma become more noticeable when it gets closer to room temp. I really enjoyed this beer.
lithy (1600), Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
Dec 27, 2008 100th December rating, 2007 vintage. Thick caramel orangish red pour with a slight whitish carbonation but no head. Aroma is expectedly boozy, malty, with some cider and honey notes. Thick and syrupy, tastes of caramel, sweet malts, rum or cognac, honey and a booze nip at the end. No alcohol heat but definitely a winter warmer.
SamGamgee (1396), Santa Cruz (La Selva), California, USA
Dec 27, 2008 33cl bottle. Clear amber with almost no head, like brandy in a snifter. Complex fruity and malty aroma. Dried fruit is quite expressive, with plenty of caramelized sugars, honey and alcohol to back it up. The flavor is sweet and smooth, with similar dried fruit and sugars as the aroma; throw in some nuts and vanilla as well. Just stays on the drinkable side of cloying, but you have to take small sips to really get maximum enjoyment. Thick and a bit syrupy, with low carbonation. Just a bit too sweet for me to love, though it packs some nice flavors, and the alcohol is very smooth and balanced for 14%. Something special to enjoy during christmas time, but hardly a daily drinker.
thewolf (5662), Kolding, Denmark
Dec 25, 2008 Bottle. Vintage 2008, bought at Vinens Verden, Odense. Pours clear orange amber with a small, fizzy, off-white head that soon disappears. Looks a bit like cognac/brandy. Surprisingly mild aroma, some caramel, green apples and honey. Subdued viniousness. Medium carbonation, fine oily mouthfeel. Sweet flavour, fine caramel, some honey and a tad vinious. Does not taste of 14 % at all. Pretty drinkable, though I slightly prefer the pale version.
DWestrick (235), Ft Wayne, Indiana, USA
Dec 25, 2008 wow - what an incredible beer! no doubt a fine doppleback - very strong with a sweet flavor. great malts - happy i was able to experience this beer on Christmas
durhambeer (1188), Durham, USA
Dec 23, 2008 2006 bottle. Strong vinous notes right out of the bottle... raisins, port, sherry, dates, toffee. Definite fruit... some cherry and plum notes, I think. Lovely complex malt flavors. Alcohol hits harsh at first, but this is a surprisingly drinkable beer.
fredthecat (180), Canada
Dec 22, 2008 smells strongly of grapey alcohol and is coloured a deep amber with next to no head. it tastes very very sweet, a bit like toffee, and fruity, like overripe fruit a bit like the sweet aftertaste of the most overripe watermelon, but darker. it is thin, and this combination results in something that seems greatly like a sweetened wine..
GAManiac (1124), Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Dec 21, 2008 On tap at the Brick Store in Decatur, GA.
Pours a clear amber with a very small cream-colored head that didnt last very long and left no lacing.
The smell is massively sweet with tons of sugary malts and dark fruit, definitely raisins, grapes, plums, and others. The alcohol burns the nostrils ever so slightly.
The taste is just as sweet, with the dark fruits dominating from start to finish on a huge sweet malt base. This is about as sweet a beer as I have tasted and had a pretty healthy alcohol burn in the finish.
The mouthfeel is almost syrupy and certainly sticky, with very little carbonation.
This is big, hot beer right now and I think it would mellow a bit and gain some complexity with age. Right now, its a serious sipper with a lot of heat to it.
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