Nose is dark fruit light malt and wheat, roast coffee, chocolate covered nuts, banana bread, licorice, raisin, clove, vanilla, Ruby pour minimal head.. Tastes of plums, malt, light licorice, dried cherry, hint of brandy, chocolate banana. Smooth vanilla palate only hint of the huge abv.

2016 version listed at 12.5% bit they told me first few kegs probably higher abv for some freezing reason. Anyways I wanted this brew for years and made it out to brewery on release day on coldest day in decades which seems quite appropriate. Ruby pour minimal head. Nose is dark fruit light malt and wheat. Tastes of plums, malt, light licorice, dried leaves, cherry, hint of brandy, and grapes. Smooth palate only hint of the huge abv. Drinking litre of this amd 3/4 through not feeling booze yet we will see in morning.

Just a damn great brew. those who have had the winter wheat know how good it is now pump up the abv, and smooth it out if possible. beautiful color, wonderful head and flavor

Draft. Dark brown pour with tan head. Dark plum, sweet fruit, sugars, malts aromas. Flavors are very strong malty, fruit, sweet, but also warming.

Rated in 2010 (Backlog) - Dark amber red with an average sized off-white head. Aroma is of banana, chocolate, caramel and malt. Taste is of malt, chocolate, toffee, and plum.

Put on for the Ratebeer crew during beer week. Pour is a pitch black color with small head, medium lacing. Aromas and taste of apple, belgian spice, coriander, medicine, brown sugar, quad notes, roasty, little bit of toffee hidden. Taste is more of the same, with very flavorful wheat. Glad i got to try this rare beer.

Draught at Rattle ’N’ Hum, as part of a flight of beers, on January 29, 2012
Clear dark reddish brown color, extremely small head. Sweet, sugary, alcohol, dark fruits taste. Sweet, dark fruits aftertaste, also alcohol. Medium and spritzy mouthfeel, medium bitterness. Sweet, dark fruits, alcohol scent.

served in a goblet at barcade bc spuyten sucks. moving on... appear dank golden clear. smells rich golden malt with some of those bock esters, spice, clove, banano. taste is just rich smooth malt with a moderate spice ester presence. the feel of this brew is exceptional. overall this was the right choice over the bear republic BABW. NJ FTW!

Sampled on draft at Zeno’s in State College PA this beer poured almost black with a medium sized beige head that faded quickly and left no lacing. The aroma was sweet raspberry jam, sugar and touches of cocoa, wood and tobacco. The flavor was sweet raspberry jam, sugar, wood, molasses and a hint of smoke. Long finish. Fairly full bodied. Nice.

On tap for growler fills at Half Time. Pours a ruby tinged clear brown with a thin to medium sized beige head. Soft cocoa, chocolate, roast, light banana on the nose. More banana, roast and chocolate, cocoa krispies. Medium bodied, malty with some big roast, chocolate, light prune notes on the finish. Very smooth, no hints at all of the 11.5% ABV. Well done.