500 ml bottle, courtesy of Sigmund. Dark brownish amber colored. Tall fluffy head with a nice tan. Beautiful toffee-ish malt aroma with ripe berries, raisins and some herbal/peppery hop notes. Taste has a high malt level; straightforward, light sweet and caramellish. Dark fruits and berries, and a distinct, earthy bitterness in the backbone. Medium to full body. Chewy texture. Slight sourish-fruity, malty-bitter ending. Well-crafted and moreish.

Bottle from the LCBO. Pours a nutty and slightly hazy ruby-brown colour with a medium sized tan head. Aroma brings to mind the Christmas holidays, with notes of plum pudding, caramel and candied fruit, along with sweet toasted malt. Full mouthfeel, and a flavour that starts with the rich sweetness expected based on the aroma, but also has some lingering hops and a slight alcohol warmth in the finish to add a pleasantly bitter counterpoint. A really nice autumn/winter ale.

Bottle (500ml ). Pours a hazy amber-brown with a long lasting creamy off-white head. Aroma of earthy malt, slightly toasted, sweet fruit, floral hops, light chocolate and alcohol. Malty flavour with some alcohol coming through along with spices, dark fruit, caramel and a good amount of hops in the finish. Medium bodied. Sticky mouthfeel. Very good stuff, glad I have more.

Originally tasted at the Toronto festival of beer, my notes weren’t great so re-rating this evening: Appearance: Red/brown with a slight but determined head. Aroma: Malt and that particular hop I don’t overly like (satz??) however it seems quite fitting into this aroma. Flavour: Caramel, malt, toffee with a nice sticky honey finish. Great beer. Delighted we can get it here in Ontario.

Dark auburn with a nice tan head. Semi-sweet aroma and a flavour that was malty with a tinge of sweetness. Nice hoppy finish. A damn good ale. Full bodied yet easy drinking.