 HogTownHarry (3118), Toronto (Harbourfront), Ontario, Canada
May 13, 2008
Bottle (330ml). Shared by blankboy with me, garthicus and tupalev. Murky opaque ruby-black with a small frothy tan head. Aroma and taste - old ale burnt malt backing, really boozy, but this is mostly just senior citizen Islay (okay, orkney) scotch - peat, seaweed, iodine, hessian .... light, long finishing, slightly salty. Not much to say, just nicely done and well-balanced. I liked it. Thank you, Paul!
RagallachMC (606), Cleveland, Ohio, USA
Jul 4, 2008 12oz bottle. Bottle# 10364. Aroma: Rich roasted maltiness with notes of peat smoke, chocolate, caramel and anise. Barrel aroma comes through strong with some oak and vanilla. Salt water and alcohol. Appearance: Dark, dark brown in color with no highlights. Medium tan head was full and foamy with good retention. Good lacing. Flavor: Roasted malt with notes of bittersweet chocolate, coffee, caramel. Lots of peaty smokiness upfront and throughout. Barrel flavors are well done with oak, vanilla, and lightly toasted nuts. Fairly big alcohol kick for an 8% beer. Nice, smooth finish. Palate: Medium bodied. Moderate carbonation. Light alcohol warmth in back of mouth. Overall: I liked this a bit more than the 12. The peat really came through strong here, and the barrel flavors were a bit smoother. But, the mouthfeel still feels a little light for everything that’s going on. Pricey, but worth a try.
Hophead22 (27), Redlands, California, USA
Jul 3, 2008 Quite a good beer. Had subtle whisky notes, but they weren’t that prevelant, still tasty. Vert dark, could hardley see any light through it. Went down quite smoothly.
Lothore (226), California, USA
Jul 3, 2008 A- Pours a deep black with a small, caramel head which fades slowly.
S- Smell consists of hints of caramel, chocolate malt and an intense sweetness.
T- Taste is very balanced, toffee, butterscotch, bits of roasted malt and hints of whisky towards the end.
M- Medium bodied with very little carbonation.
D- I really didn’t taste as much whisky in this as everyone makes it out to contain. It is good and well balanced but perhaps a bit overated in my opinion. This was pushing the border towards imperial stout and I wish they would have toned back the roastiness a bit and let the old ale aspects shine through more.
trevor211 (68), Seattle, Washington, USA
Jul 2, 2008 4 oz. glass on tap at Uber. Pours deep, dark brown with a very small head. Aroma is of cacao and oak, with a very noticeable note of peat (scotch whisky) coming through. This brew is thick and syrupy, and doesn’t have the carbonation to clear your mouth - it’s left feeling well-coated. The taste is of an imperial stout with some scotch thrown in, though not quite as strong / pungeant as I would have liked. For something this rare and this expensive ($20 / small bottle), I want it to knock my socks off. There are a number of stouts I’d take over this, price notwithstanding... but still, a very fine beer, and it certainly has novelty.
LawStudent09 (310), Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA
Jun 27, 2008 Dark clear brown pour with a filmy head. Strong peat aroma on the nose with a bit of smoke. Peat dominates with hints of bitter cocoa and some kind of dry wood.
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