 GAManiac (1175), Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| 4.4 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 8/10 | 4/5 | 9/10 | 5/5 | 18/20 |
Nov 6, 2009
275mL bottle, 1997 vintage, poured into a snifter.
Pours an opaque dark brown with a small creamy off-white head that recedes slowly to a healthy collar and leaves some legs on the sides after each sip.
The aroma is huge. It’s got the sweet caramel malts with tons of toffee and dark fruits as well. I get a bit of chocolate as well, especially as it warms and there is a pronounced sherry character in the nose overall. Boozy and powerful nose.
The taste is much of the same and maybe bigger. The underlying caramel malt backbone is still dominant with lots of sweet booze-soaked fruits, raisins and plums especially. Molasses, caramel, chocolate, just tons of flavors on the palate. Tough to exaggerate how wonderful this taste is.
The mouthfeel is medium to full-bodied and very smooth with a perfectly soft carbonation. The alcohol does start to burn a bit, but it’s not overly distracting.
I’ve been sitting on this bottle for a while and was worried it might be headed downhill. As far as I can tell, this one has never been better. Complex, rich, smooth...exceptional beer.
pellegjr (23), Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| 4.4 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 9/10 | 4/5 | 9/10 | 5/5 | 17/20 |
Dec 11, 2009 Pours a ruby apple cider w/ minimal, but resilient creamy lemon zest head, aroma is HUGE with dried cherry, buttery papaya, dates, it’s a cliché but really too many elements to name here, like the best abt’s, very front heavy with almost zero finish, hits the pallate and dances off, somehow full-bodied and light at the same time: it fills the mouthfeel and is gone in the same instant, flavors are predominantly palm sugar and dates with zero bitterness, alcohol is completely indiscernible, a must-try if for no other reason that its uniqueness and depth
ruskiimperial (71), Richmond, Virginia, USA
| 4.4 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 10/10 | 4/5 | 8/10 | 4/5 | 18/20 |
Dec 9, 2009 From the a bottle dated 1999. It pours a very dark amber, with minimal head. Aroma has dark fruits like figs and prunes, in addition to some candy sugar and caramel. The taste shows that the aroma was only a preview, as the taste expands on the sweetness with the heavy almost syrup like body of a beer. On the aftertaste, there is a very strong impression of burnt sugar. Despite all of the sweetness, its not overpowering like so many other desert beers. The alcohol? You almost forget that its even there to begin with. Quite delicious.
deflagro (81), Lund, Sweden
| 3.5 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 7/10 | 4/5 | 6/10 | 4/5 | 14/20 |
Dec 7, 2009 Bottle. Red-orange-brownish, slightly cloudy liquid. Aroma is quite sweet, rather acidic and fruity with lots of dried fruits. Taste is extremly sweet and dominated by malt, with notes of dried plums and a hint of smoked sausage. Palate is thick with a soft carbonation. Nice, but a bit too sweet.
StinkBall (58), Asheville, USA
| 1.6 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 4/10 | 4/5 | 2/10 | 1/5 | 5/20 |
Nov 29, 2009 I did not like this beer. I guess I’m not a fan of barley wines because I hated this. Tastes like a beer-aged whiskey. Too strong.
hophead21112 (119), Louisville (LEWISville), Colorado, USA
| 4.2 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 9/10 | 4/5 | 8/10 | 4/5 | 17/20 |
Nov 27, 2009 Deep mahogany pour with a nice size light tan head, good duration and lacing. Aroma consists of nuts, agave, caramel, and floral notes. Palate is smooth, velvety, low carbonation and moderate warmth. Heavy cloying sweetness, lightly bitter, with flavors of raisin, strawberry, vanilla, pear, and caramel. Brewed to style as an english barley wine. Very vinous and port-like. Very nice.
Soonah (955), Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA
| 3.6 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 7/10 | 4/5 | 7/10 | 4/5 | 14/20 |
Nov 25, 2009 2007 Bottle. Poured clear and dark copper with some viscosity to it. A short cap of white foam appeared. No lacing. The aroma was herbal, earthy hops over a ton of sticky sweet malts and some alcohol. The flavor was old hops, toffee, malts, iced tea and alcohol. Borderline full bodied mouthfeel and on the verge of cloying sweetness.
madmitch76 (645), , Essex, England
| 3.7 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 8/10 | 4/5 | 7/10 | 5/5 | 13/20 |
Nov 19, 2009 22nd August 2008. 2000 Vintage. Hazy brown beer. Strong malt with a very distinct marmite flavour - but sweet. Sticky sweet finish. Sumptuous palate. A little salt in the aftertaste.
danielcurtis81 (905), San Diego, California, USA
| 4.1 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 8/10 | 4/5 | 8/10 | 4/5 | 17/20 |
Nov 16, 2009 Served from a 275 mL bottle that I picked up last time I was in Seattle. This is the 1999 vintage, 10 years old. The appearance is a rich deep copper with a small white head. The body is very clear and brilliant. The aromas are strong sherry at first and prune, toasted caramel, chocolate, and oak notes build a nice bouquet. The flavors follow the nose really well. The sherry or port flavors are excellent. A caramel chocolate combination builds with it with a touch of spiced oak. The mouth is really smooth with a nice creaminess. Excellent beer that could be aged even longer.
|
Rate This
Statistics
Find This Beer (Want/Have)