 Beerlando (1355), Orlando, Florida, USA
Feb 11, 2008
2005 vintage consumed in February 2008. Whoa! This brew screams bourbon! As soon as I cracked the top, a massive nose of kentucky bourbon laden chocolate and nougat malts hit me like a ton of bricks. The thick, syrupy, opaque mahogany liquid exudes fumy notes of vanilla and burnt caramel over the silky dark chocolate malts and omnipresent bourbon. The aroma is nothing short of fantastic, and it transitions perfectly into the luxurious, intense flavor. Dark chocolate and caramel caress the tongue, while the intense bourbon melts perfectly into the fold. There is a perfectly complimentary smoky taste that sticks to the roof of the mouth and the edges of the tongue. This brew is masterfully crafted in its use of massive amounts of malt to balance out the huge bourbon notes. I can’t believe how well this has held up after nearly three years. My only knock is on appearance, which would certainly garner a perfect score save for the lack of a head or lacing, a condition that is most likely due to the brew’s age. A thick viscous body drinks incredibly smooth for such a huge beer, though it falls just short on carbonation levels. I will revisit this beauty as often as possible, as this is truly one of the classics. EXCELLENT!
KnutAlbert (2333), Oslo, Norway
Oct 13, 2008 Bottle from New Beer Distibutors, NYC.
Pitch black beer.
Lovely bourbon/vanilla aroma. Smooth stout base. Well composed, well balanced, well executed.
CaptBier (256), Birmingham, Alabama, USA
Oct 9, 2008 Bottle. Ill start by saying that I think my bottle had gone flat since Goose Island insists on using screw top caps for some reason. Nonetheless, the aroma and taste were very sweet and balanced. Strong flavor of alcohol as well. I really enjoyed it.
CanIHave4Beers (216), Des Moines, Iowa, USA
Oct 8, 2008 I was presented with the opportunity to try this one on tap last evening at El Bait Shop in Des Moines. I had a bottle of this a couple years ago, and I jumped at the opportunity to try it on tap. I was particularly surprised at how tasty this was considering how not long ago I thought it was a little bit "overdone".
This beer pours a jet black and has a big tan head that settles to a swirl on the top of the beer and leaves some lace. The aromas are of vanilla, oak, whisky and alcohol. The flavor is remarkable it starts off fairly intensely of roasted, almost burnt malt, which gives way to what can only be described as a strong mocha character displaying plenty of the chocolate and vanilla malt sweetness balanced very nicely with nutty flavors of oak and whisky. This is indeed best when sipped slowly, but there is virtually no alcohol burn, and this is remarkably smooth for all of its character. The only complaint I have is that everything tastes like water after drinking this one.
flatmatt (99), Northville, Michigan, USA
Oct 7, 2008 12 oz bottle, 2007 vintage. Opened it up for the second presidential debate. Pours black with no head. First aroma is alcohol, but after that there are deep sweet aromas of dark chocolate, bourbon, dark fruits and cherries. Flavor is sweet chocolate with some roasty coffee, vanilla, bourbon, smoke. The alcohol is there as well, but it’s mostly a pleasant backup to the other flavors. Syrupy palate. This is a great beer with huge flavor.
Two_Dudes (29), Louisville, Kentucky, USA
Oct 7, 2008 Bottle dated 7/3/06 - Pours black as night with a motor oil type body. NO carbonation. Nose is all alcohol and some candied fruit. Palate is dominated by alcohol and some bourbon...still!!! Good, but had to share a 12 oz bottle with the wife. Couldn’t have had much more than that.
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