as the description claims, this was a big barleywine, but huge on the malt and without a real distinctive hop character for me. i got the nice bitterness in the finish, but not the spicy and floweryness aluded to in the description. the body was huge and sticky with the faintest hint of alcohol, but very faint mind you. very roasty with coffee character coming through. I had a snifter of this at the downers grove location.

On tap at the West Dundee location. Brown/dark ruby red in color with a dark tan head, only partially diminishing. Citric aroma, mainly grapefruit, with a caramally/brown sugar maltiness that lends a very nice balance. Bitter, resinous flavor, with a decent burnt and roasty malt undertone. Rather highly carbonated, a touch too much for my tastes. The 10% alcohol really is well hidden.

Served in a snifter from the palatine location. Dark dark with a thin quickly discipating tan greyish head. As the light passes through it the dark is more of a fine dark ruby that is crystal clear, no sediment. The nose is faintly present at a distance with malts that are roasted. Initially the first bite is hippy but quickly fades into plums or even black fruit snacks or something then into malts that is mostly toasted and roasted malts that is more bitter towards the end. What is interesting about this bitter is that it has the feel or the presence of bitter mostly found in coffee kind of bitter but I dont really get any coffee from this. I bet that the bitter is from the hops without that hop kick found in some of their other beers. Another thing, it says that this is 10% alcohol but this beer is quite deceptive. Alcohol is not really present but I could feel it when I got up (not eating anything all day probably didnt hurt).