 hopscotch (5549), Vero Beach, Florida, USA
| 4.2 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 8/10 | 4/5 | 9/10 | 4/5 | 17/20 |
Mar 21, 2008 Bottle... This beer rocks!... A hard pour reveals a pitch-black ale with a small, creamy, khaki head. Good retention. The aroma is a whirlpool of chocolate, leather, French oak, tobacco and subtle peat smoke. Full-bodied and silky with lively carbonation. Smoky, mocha flavor derived from charcoal and espresso malts. Gentle notes of Scotch whiskey and mild, earthy hops along with some alcohol bitterness. Booze is in the background and not the least bit overbearing. Smooth creamy finish leaves a nice, silky coating on the palate. World class stuff!
MartinT (5075), Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| 4.2 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 9/10 | 4/5 | 8/10 | 4/5 | 17/20 |
Jul 3, 2008 My Bottom Line:
Sublime peat smoke rises from the dark chocolate, vanilla and licorice dessert bestowed upon the ecstatic tastebuds in this rich, complex and highly original Old Ale.
Further Personal Perceptions:
-A veil of foam lingers atop the pitch blackness.
-The salty component from the highly peated barrel alters the vanilla and chocolate aspect of the malt sweetness and takes it into sweet soy realms.
-The roastiness also takes the form of charred wood at times.
-There is barely any alcohol showing in this flavor profile.
-The smoky and roasty finish is bitter and enduring, but not too much as to bother the tastebuds.
-The body is corpulent and is easily perceptible due to the relaxed carbonation.
Bottled in September 2007.
egajdzis (3644), Spring Mount, Pennsylvania, USA
| 4.2 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 9/10 | 4/5 | 8/10 | 4/5 | 17/20 |
Mar 14, 2008 Poured a dark mahogany color with a small, light tan head that left nice lacing on the glass. Aroma of vanilla, roasted malts, cocoa, wood, and a bit of whiskey. Taste of roasted malts, chocolate, light smoke, and faint alcohol. Creamy mouthfeel.
Kinz (2221), Glen Allen, Virginia, USA
| 4.2 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 8/10 | 4/5 | 8/10 | 4/5 | 18/20 |
Sep 27, 2008 Sampled immediately following the 12 with Mike and maniac during Cluster Brew Part Deux. Like the first, black, slight head died immediately. Aroma and flavor matched: Coffee, chocolate, some cherry, some booze. But the smoke was far more subdued, instead replaced by a winey note. Less cherry too. Quite nice. Now to track down that 30...
Boutip (2402), Gatineau, Quebec, Canada
| 4.2 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 8/10 | 4/5 | 9/10 | 5/5 | 16/20 |
Jun 5, 2008 Bottle courtesy of goryshkewych: Poured a pitch-black color ale with a medium foamy head with good retention and some good lacing. Aroma of sweet malt with distinctive barley notes from scotch. Taste is a mix between some really nice creamy barley notes from the barrel and some light roasted notes from the original beer. Body is quite full with a nice creamy texture, no apparent alcohol and good carbonation. Very good overall and easily drinkable which makes this one the best in this series.
SSSteve (2105), Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| 4.2 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 8/10 | 4/5 | 8/10 | 5/5 | 17/20 |
Mar 11, 2008 black with a small brown head. aroma is smoky and meaty. not as woody as the 12 year. flavor is sweet with vanilla and chocolate. i agree with some ratings that this was more smooth and balanced. overall a little better than the 12 for me.
mgumby10 (1858), Jupiter, Florida, USA
| 4.2 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 9/10 | 4/5 | 8/10 | 4/5 | 17/20 |
Jul 5, 2008 Pours pretty jet black, with a small, quickly dispersing, light brown head. The smell is rich with caramel cream, light peat, molasses, gingerbread, dark fruit, and mild chocolate. Really dug that nose. The flavor was a little heavier on the peat and smoke than the nose let on, although not too burning or up front. Left some nice heat in the finish however. The flavor was of burnt malts and dark fruit mixing with mild chocolate bitterness and woodsy oak. Well carbonated, more than I expected. The finish was a little fruity sweet, with the mild chocolate notes becoming apparent a bit. Very nice brew indeed.
Immy (1912), Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA
| 4.2 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 8/10 | 3/5 | 9/10 | 5/5 | 17/20 |
Oct 4, 2008 33cl bottle, #03750, Sept 2007. At $10/bottle, this better kick ass... Near black with a thin brown head. Huge nose, sweet brown sugar and molasses, distinct whiskey notes. Very peaty flavor, whiskey and molasses, a tad hot, but not in a bad way. Rich chocolate malt, woody and roasty. Awesome satiny body. This is a lovely, rich, sipping beer.
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