ajm (902), Los Angeles, California, USA Jan 1, 2008 This is a bad night beer -- it will fix one, not make one. Not a beast of a beer, but certainly what you’re looking for when you can tolerate little more than a sweet stout but have need for something more burly. Soft chocolate, milk, dry coffee and hints of alcohol. carl4beer (394), Fairfax Station, Virginia, USA Dec 31, 2007 pours dark brown with a big bubbly off white head. aroma of malt and caramel with some spice. mouthful is candied, with a caramel malt. little bite of alcohol, but very complementary. very nice elmatador00 (518), j-action-ville, North Carolina, USA Dec 22, 2007 Pours a dark brown with a tan head. Has hints of oak, molasses, smoked wood, sweet malts, slight hop. Finishes with a smooth rich scotch flavor. Very good. Jmichael (633), Asheville, North Carolina, USA Dec 18, 2007 pours a dark amber red brown with white head. sweet sugary malt aroma. sweet strong front of malt, light vanilla aged presence, cakey finish with mild smokiness. UCLABruin (34), Los Angeles, California, USA Dec 15, 2007 Updated: Dec 16, 2007750ml bottle. Pours a deep caramel, that is ruby when held to the light, with a thick, lasting, tan head. Aroma is sweet and smoky, with notes of malt and slight alcohol. It is full and smooth when tasted, with very little carbonation and a hint of fruits. EKGoldings (447), Radford, Virginia, USA Dec 12, 2007 Man, this is just great stuff. I rely on the generosity of a friend living in CA to send me Alesmith brews as they are not available here. This is a great wee heavy, strong on malt with dark roast peeking in. Some dark fruit, some hop evident. Well balanced and probably the best wee heavy I’ve ever had. Please sir, can I have some more? dalekliz (546), San Diego, California, USA Dec 5, 2007 Updated: Aug 29, 2008Bottle. Light tan, full creamy head, dark rich red-brown in appearance. Sweet aroma, raisins, berries, hint of malt. Tastes strongly of malt, dried fruit, hops. Nice acidity, lingers on the palate. Delightful Scotch Ale.
Had it on cask at RBSG 08. Taste was a lot creamier, with lingering toasty and bitter malt notes. Even more awesome than in a bottle. hiddenvariable (194), pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA Dec 5, 2007 bottle. pours a deep but relatively clear dark mahogany, with a sizable tan head. smell is a strong and enriching caramel and woody malt, with dark grapey fruits and a bit of spice. there is also some floral hop character, and hint of alcohol. flavor is more subtle than the smell, with more caramelly malts, a bit of bread, and more spice. i’m not particularly fond of the finish. the palate is good, with a slight bitter tinge, and a bit of sweetness that intensifies as you drink, to let you know the malts you tasted aren’t fake, but the flavor goes away so quickly it’s almost hard to tell you drank anything. a lot lighter of body than i expected, and a bit sticky. it’s not bad, but i was expecting better. overall, i found it tasty and would be delighted to try it again, i just wish the flavors were easier to grasp onto and savor.
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