UPDATED: APR 29, 2019 500ml stubby. Deep burgundy pour with highlights and lasting light tan foam. Lovely aroma of dates, brown sugar, dark caramel malt. Flavour peaks as it nears room temp, dark sweet malts with plum, raisin bread, brown sugar, caramel and anise, full flavour hit on the palate. Med-full feel, nicely carbonated, long warming finish. Not overly complex or perhaps smoothly integrated flavours, but really delicious.

On tap @ Trash Zone. Dark brown with small off-white head. Fruity, roasted malt, peppery aroma. Strong sweet malt flavour, ripe fruits. Alcohol completely covered

Tap at TrashZone. End of the keg so on the house. Deep brown with a finger of head. Rum raisin cake nose with lots of dark fruit plum, prune and dark grapes. Super smooth, but a little heavy. More fruit and caramel notes as it warms. Finish is sweet but has spice and star anise. Good stuff.

500ml bottle. Very dark brown shade. Off-white head. Complex aroma of fruity plum and grape, brown sugar, oatmeal and raisin cookie, spice. Tastes fruity with apple and black liquorice notes. Not too sweet. A bit like Gulden Draak. One of the most interesting and complex beers I’ve had in a long time.

Tap at Thrashzone. Dark, almost black, pour with a nice offwhite head. Caramel, banana, toffee, sweet spice, raisin. Medium full body. Sweet but well balanced with the nice carbonation and alcohol. Nice

Bottle, 04/15/2015. Pours dark brown, frothy dark tan head fades within a minute or so, moderate lacing left behind. Aroma of cola, brown sugar and spices, plum and dark caramel. Taste is raisin, licorice, spices, nutmeg stands out, roasted dark caramel for a dry bitter finish. Medium body. Nicely done, really interesting and tasty.

Complex nose of banana, cookie, toffee. Rich flavors of raisin, apricot, oak, licorice, creamy finish. Quite outstanding, has qualities of malt liquor and barley wine, keeps growing on you.

The last on tap serving at Thrash zone. A nice Belgium style beer with a nice dark color and a sweet finish. Lacks a lot of the real end of a truest great Belgium beer but it will do in a fix.

On keg in Popeye’s. Wow. Recommended by one of the patrons, and this is a really fine beer and my highest Japanese rate so far. In the glass it’s very dark brown, bit rusty red, opaque and cloudy, tan head. Nose is musty, cereal grain, fruity, husky, brown sugar, yeasty, fig and orange fruit, , alcohol, dark Sherry. Taste is orange, fig, alcohol, musty grain, alcoholic liquor, dark sherry, tangerine, yusu fruit, citrous peel. Stunning grain forward barley wine with lots of mustiness and orange. Tangerine and orange peel on the finish. I have never had a barley wine as rich and fruity as this. Beautiful beer.

Tap at Popeye, Tokyo. Dark brown color, small steady brownish head. Aroma has toasted notes and some sweetness. Very sniffable. Medium-bodied. Caramel, muscovado , brandy and hints of chocomalt. Covers alcohol nicely. Complex.