Pours amber with very little head. The aroma has very obvious spice and a lot of vanilla. The spices and vanilla dominate and almost completely hide the malt and hops. Full smooth body with carbonation that is fairly light. The flavor starts with some toasted malt, vanilla and very gentle spices. The finish is sharper with cinnamon biting you along with earthy / spicy hops. A very interesting beer.

Bottle. 2004 Bottle. Caramel colored beer with a big dark-cream colored head. Spice, caramel aroma with cinnamon and vanilla. Caramel, sherry flavor with light orange, spice, and cinnamon. Medium bodied. Lingering caramel, light sherry, light orange, and spice. Nice oxidation - sherry notes adding to complexity.

Dark amber color with a great big head that doesn’t want to settle. Very cloudy. Aroma of spice, with good hops, decent fruit. Amber malt, slightly sweet; earthy, with some barnyard notes. Dryish. Strong amber malt flavor, rich and very sweet but with great hops as well. Lots of fruit. Strong but doesn’t taste 9%. Some citrus, barnyard flavor is there too. Alcohol and big hop finish with amber malts and fruit. Long lasting. Rather heavy body and medium to better carbonation Like a spicy Belgian Noel. Well balanced, a touch too sweet maybe. Excellent overall.

2004 Celebration - Pours a murky brown that doesn’t let light through, huge light brown head, aroma is malty but acidic, woody...flavour is wonderfully complex, half tripel, half sour, half winter ale (:)), I was very impressed, this was a nice surprise..

Hazy amber. Big head. Aroma: Spices, caramel. Flavor: Caramel, spices, yeast, very complex. Bitter, warm finish. This is a very good beer and demands a new look at beers from Japan.