UPDATED: MAR 28, 2024 Bottle. Courtesy of rennat42 from years ago now. Thank you Tanner. 2011 vintage. Pour was clear dark amber. Aroma of apple brandy, raisin, dried fruit, woody oak notes, candy. Taste was sweet, caramel, apple, woody, brown sugar, apple brandy for sure, vanilla, toffee, nice flavors, enjoyed this one.

UPDATED: FEB 10, 2024 2015 bottle from warm shelf drunk 2/9/24. Clear caramel. Smattering of beige head. Herbal-grass notes in the nose are weird, maybe something to do with the calvados? Light pepper, other distilled phenols? Regardless of all that, there's a load of oxidation, unsurprisingly, given its filtration, pasteurization and warm shelving. Some rum raisin, caramel, lots of cardboard. At least it's malty with a good texture. Warm raisins and toffee-caramel ward off a good deal of oxidation. Light liquor on the finish redolent of Calvados, I guess, though I'd never be able to pick it out blind. Pepper, spice, not boozey.

UPDATED: NOV 5, 2023 Poured from 275mL bottle (brewed in 2008). Clear copper brown with no head and bits of sediment. Some soy, toffee, dark fruit on the nose. Taste is super woody, green wood calvados quality, hint of cardboard. Decent.

UPDATED: NOV 5, 2023 275ml bottle @ home. 2008 Vintage. Pours a fairly clear brown colour with no head. Nose is brandy, aged soy sauce, and hints of caramel. Flavour is candied sugar, burnt toffee, within the sweetness there's a hint of apple juice, and a touch of cardboard. Medium bodied, no carbonation, and a high sweetness. Impressed, 15 years and drinks quite nice.

UPDATED: DEC 20, 2022 Bottle from Knightly Spirits in Orlando, FL. Aroma is stewed apples, fruited bread, caramel. Taste is apple pie, pear, pastry filling, spiced and spiked apples, caramel. Alcohol is insanely hidden, lots of stewed fruit / pastry filling vibes. Good for breakfast.

UPDATED: OCT 19, 2022 8oz can. 2015 Vintage. Poured a cloudy orangish / amberish color with a thin sized off white head. Had this right after the Sherry ... I like the Sherry a bit more, but this one was good too. Caramel, toffee, vinous notes, brandy, apples, and alc hidden.

UPDATED: MAY 14, 2022 Bottle. 2013 and 2014 version. Both ratings rhe same. Very dark reddish in color with no head. Aroma and taste is more like wine than beer.

UPDATED: MAY 10, 2021 2015 vintage. Mostly-clear copper-toffee with a whisp of lingering head. Faint apple cider vinegar overlaid on toffee and fudge aroma. Low carbonation, but surprisingly has a bit despite the age. Caramel, maple syrup, a little apple flesh and hints of leather. Almonds in the finish, and suggestions of cigarette smoke in the aftertaste to draw a line beneath the sweetness. Lush rare barrel-aged barleywine.

UPDATED: JAN 31, 2021 2013 vintage. Virtually no head from a vigorous pour. Dark brown from the front, orange-red with a backlight. No carbonation visible. The thin ring of off-white foam will leave some dots and loops of lacing if you tip the glass. Aroma takes some drawing out (likely due to the complete lack of head), but is very nice. Molasses, raisins, some alcohol. Taste is exquisite. Leather, raisins, other fruit flavors (perhaps apple), tannin, brandy, sweet malts, and more. Quite complex. Beers with flavors this complex exceed my ability to parse out all the elements without seeming ridiculous or pretentious. Suffice it to say as at the beginning: exquisite. The finish is semi-sweet, moderated by the tannin. Mouth feel is substantial - viscous and chewy. The alcohol and tannin add some zip to the feel, which keeps things from feeling flat. Overall, outstanding.

UPDATED: NOV 2, 2020 275ml bottle online from Rad Beer. 2015 vintage bottle sampled last weekend. Pours hazy golden brown with a few bubbles of beige head. Aroma: sweet grains, caramel, molasses, calvados barrel. Taste: heavy sweet. Rich, more sweet grains & cereal malts, apple brandy, dried fruits, molasses, caramel. Medium to full body with low carbonation. Nice complexity, it's lasted well