UPDATED: MAR 9, 2024 16 oz can. Brown body beneath a thin tan head. Aroma is oak and bourbon with coffee, vanilla, and caramel notes. Really smooth palate for the higher ABV. Probably not to the level of the Vietnamese version (my absolute favorite) or regular Speedway but still very very good. It's hard to go wrong with Speedway, although a few of the varieties can sometimes push the sweetness limits. This one is not in that category.

UPDATED: FEB 29, 2024 Aromas are a little bit of an odd mix of molasses, funk, roast and dark malt. Flavors are somewhat similar to nose, add in coffee with good balance between sweet, bitter and carbonation. Very easy drinking beer with alcohol well hidden. Super smooth.

UPDATED: FEB 16, 2024 Pours black with a one finger, dark beige head. Aroma is molasses, roast, bourbon and cocoa. Taste is dark chocolate and brown sugar, moving to roast and wood. Finish is bourbon, chocolate and roast.

UPDATED: JAN 1, 2024 750ml bottle 12/31/23 Happy New Year 2006 Vintage 138/235 12% ABV in bottle (Trade) 36° in Tulip. Pours black with a small tan head. Aroma of bourbon and tobacco. Taste of the same with coffee, dark fruit, and bourbon. This full bodied brew has held up pretty darn well for 18 years. Darn tasty.

UPDATED: DEC 7, 2023 On tap at Hops Hill Atlantic. Pours black. Coffee, coconut, nutty, chocolate, dusty, tobacco, cherry liqueur, smooth and creamy. Medium body. Very good.

UPDATED: NOV 3, 2023 ABV 13,3 Vintage 2022. Creamy lightbrown good mostly lasting head. Black colour. MOderate malty and hoppy aroma. Heavy bitter wonderful flavor. Long heavy bitter finish. Creamy palate.

UPDATED: OCT 27, 2023 Bottle at home. Pitch black color brown microfoam disappears fast. Nose is bourbon, soy sauce, roasted coffee, wet leaves. Taste is medium bitterness low sweetness. Aftertaste is woody, vanilla, oak, umami, soy sauce. Wonderfully crafted stout that almost feels watery despite high abv.

Tastes just like the original. I'm not sure if there's anything to the aging in bourbon barrels. Still insanely good. ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone

UPDATED: AUG 2, 2023 0.355 l bottle from 'Beyond Beer', 2022 vintage, bottled in April 2022. Pitch black with a thin, frothy, slowly diminishing, light brown head. Intensely sweetish-malty, quite roasty, a little fruity aroma of praline, coffee, bourbon, vanilla, roasted hazelnut and traces of green apple. Quite sweet, malty, fairly roasty, gently boozy taste of praline, quite some bourbon, coffee, roasted hazelnut, licorice, vanilla and traces of green apple, followed by a long, quite roasty-bitter finish. Full body, smooth and slightly effervescent mouthfeel, soft carbonation. Delicious treat, very intense, fairly heavy on the barrel, great base beer, of course. I would have expected a bit more sophistication as it's quite in your face, especially at almost one-and-a-half years of age, but it's a pleasure to drink nevertheless.

UPDATED: JUL 7, 2023 Black with a large foamy dark brown head. Roasty with red wine, bourbon, coffee, vanilla, floral hops and a very strong boozy presence. Very long boozy finish. Full bodied. Booziness overwhelmed