UPDATED: OCT 17, 2022 1999 bottle, batch 41. Once again proving why I need to clear more old beers from my cellar. Popped the cap to be greeted by a strongly malty nose. Pour is deep blackish brown color, with just a few bubbles around the edge. Initial impression is that it's rather flat, again whether by design or age I'm not sure. Smoky taste, impressed that it's still there after 23 year, and it's still in the tolerable Bamberg beer range. Also a bit of plum and cherry after the next few sips. Not much hop bitterness left. Interesting beer, and since I don't know its intended historical style, I can't say how well it held up. Hmm, after finishing, there is a bit of a buzz one wouldn't expect from that somewhat thin mouthfeel. So notching it up a few more points.

UPDATED: APR 5, 2022 A dark brown beer, a head is big and light brown. Aroma has liquorice, sweet and dried fruits, prune, apricot, some smoke, caramel, marzipan, strenghtnesss, hint of alcohol. Taste has liquorice, caramel, light smoke, also fresh dried fruits and bitterness. Full bodied, velvety palate, enjoyable, not stickyness. What a brilliant beer. Complex, powerful, but at the same time so smooth and a way too easily enjoyable.

UPDATED: MAR 26, 2022 Tap at BeerTemple, Amsterdam, 23rd March 2022. Pours a dark chestnut brown. Taste is caramel, malts, heavy. Good, a little heavy, by interesting

UPDATED: DEC 30, 2021 Keg (Berlin by 5 Drunkmen, Athens). Pitch black color. Sweet, smoked, plums, alcohol, woody, grainy, leather in aroma/taste.

UPDATED: NOV 20, 2021 Aus der Flasche im 2021-11 getrunken. Dieses dunkle Ale mit einer feinporigen, beigen Schaumkrone kommt mit spannenden Aromen mit schwarzen Brot, eine malzige Süße aber auch eine deutliche Hopfen. Alles zusammen sehr gut abgestimmt und harmonisch. Ein leckeres Ale!

UPDATED: OCT 21, 2021 (Thanks, Jim! 'Ozzy70') Bottle. A- Peaty, smoke, leather. A- Dark brown color, opaque liquid, tan head. T- Leather, tobacco, bitter, charred wood. P- Full body, average texture, average carbonation, bitter finish. O- Not sure of the age on this bottle but I know that somehow someway it has impacted it for better or worse, who knows. I loved the aroma, loads of smoky goodness. The taste had me falling just shy of loving it. Fairly bitter which I didn't like. Still a great beer.

UPDATED: SEP 15, 2021 12-oz batch 101 bottle from beertopia. good softly bubbly persistent webby head, sweet malty nose, rows of lace, creamy, sweet, malty, chocolate, barleywine, bitter hops, lightly boozy, dark fruit, peat in background, complex, melded great.

UPDATED: AUG 2, 2021 Batch #2 bottle at share. This an old ale for sure. Really old. And it's held up remarkably weel. Sweet malts, leather, topbacco, musty and dusty, some sweet pit fruit notes. Such an honor to ahve gotten to try this.
Earlier Rating: 3/27/2017 Total Score: 4.1
12 oz. bottle share, Batch #87. (2012). Nice rich brown color, small, but substantial beige head. Roast grains and chocolate, mildly sweet and a nice burn. Slick and slippery, just damn near perfect. Batch #73 (2018), still good.

UPDATED: JUL 13, 2021 Thick beige foam. Be careful with pouring. Dark amber colour. Nose of raisin and plum. Taste of caramel and dry fruits. But the magic in this beer is in the aftertaste. Everything I said is combined with a smoked flavour and booziness. Great beer.

UPDATED: APR 11, 2021 Bottle @Luppolo Station. Bruna intensa, profonda, schiuma ecrù media, discretamente persistente. Al naso è spettacolare, con note di caramello, cioccolato, tabacco, frutta secca, datteri, uva sultanina, marzapane. In bocca è dolce all'attacco, rotonda, con chiusura acidula e amara a bilanciare. Corpo pieno, carbonazione media. Capolavoro.