Trafalgar Critical Mass

I’m in the minority on this one, but I liked it a lot. 7 oz nip bottle purchase at Volo. Deep brown beer, no head. Very sweet and slightly oxidized malt aroma. Brown sugar, molasses, rum and raisins. Sweet toast and toffee along with a light maple character as well. The flavour is very sweet showing brown sugar, toasted almonds, marzipan, black pepper, rum and a touch of apricot brandy. Cooling mintiness on the back of the palate. An elegant and complex brew.

Bottle courtesy of GregClow. Pours a completely flat, dark mahogany-brown with no head at all. Aroma of caramel malt, toffee, brown sugar and dark fruit -- not that much alcohol in the nose for 14% -- not bad. Flavour: Whoa, there’s the alcohol! Quite sweet too. Flavour somewhat follows the aroma but it’s watery and very boozy -- not very pleasant. Light bodied, syrupy mouthfeel. Not very good, it’s too sweet and too boozy, I couldn’t even finish it.

on tap at the beer festival in toronto, and volo about a 2 weeks later. aroma is super sweet. flavour is like candy. its like liquid sugar, VERY boozy. but its nice to see them try things like this.

A dark brown ale with almost no head or carbonation. Aroma of burned caramel, aniseed, stewed prunes and strong alcohol. In mouth, a sweet licorice malt with candy sugar and warming alcohol, star anise, warming and pleasant. You either like it or you dont. I liked it. Bottle from ProbstK.

From a 200 ml. clear glass bottle with no bottled/freshness date. Poured a dark cherry brown with a few fizzy bubbles. Aromas of prunes and plums, syrupy, sugary alcohol, and a light caramel. Low carbonation and a vinous alcohol, sipping smooth light bodied mouthfeel. Tastes of caramel malts, raisins and plums, candied sugar, a subtle spicy hops, the alcohol has a port-like taste and is warming in the palate and a dry plum and caramel. A very nice sipper, well worth trying. Acquired in a trade with Sammy, thanks!

Thanks for sharing Derek! This one is under-rated for sure. Piours a carbon copy pepsi style liquid in the glass. Lots of initial head, with little left after about 20 seconds, but leaves moderate lace. The aromas are black cherries, plums, cola, bell pepers, and black peper. Tastes sweet like cola, surgary plums, dates, raisins, peppery sharp, deep rooted roasty malts. It’s certainly a sipper, but rather enjoyable in small doses. Their best yet.

Bottle. Pours a dark black-mahogany coloured body with an almost non-existant fizzy head. The aroma is pleasant - sweet cherries, sugar, raisin, and alcohol. Not really much depth to this, just plainly alcoholic and sweet. Dark malts are evident- flavours of caramel and harsh alcohol.

Thanks again to Sammy for this little bottle. Deep copper/mahogany color when held up to the light with no head. Strong nose that reminded me of pepper bacon. Tons of malt, toffee, caramel burnt toast and a dark green bitterness. Noticable alcohol. I agree that time may take some of the edges off this one.