DrBayern (923), Morehead City, North Carolina, USA Jan 25, 2007 2004 bottle, courtesy my brother in Cleveland, OH - a great guy and a true beer enthusiast. Deep mahogany pour with virtually no head, and just a few stray bubbles here and there. Glorious aroma of raspberries, chocolate, alcohol, and dark brown sugar. Mouthfeel is rich and thick with a bit of stickiness, and no carbonation, which is how it is intended to be I believe. Sweet flavor of raspberry and chocolate is unmistakable, but there is a twinge of bitterness just in time, so the finish isn’t sticky sweet. I think one has to have a very open mind when drinking this, because it is certainly not beer in the sense that one is used to. It is a beeer because it was brewed with barley malt, but it is intended to be a cordial. If drunk warm and in the same setting that one would drink cognac or Grand Marnier, I think it can be appreciated as an extraordinary brewing achievement.
nhorween (502), New York, New York, USA Aug 13, 2008 thanks cmubeerman, 04 bottle. Aroma of chocolate, raspberries, and dark fruit. Amazingly interesting and outrageously smooth. Flavor is dominated by raspberry, chocolate, and rounded toasty malt. Some alcohol, cherry, and fruit in the finish. Inspired. illidurit (387), Santa Cruz, California, USA Aug 9, 2008 Bottle at the RBSG 08 Grand Tasting. Pours the color of black cherry skin, no head. Aroma is heavenly and port-like, with raspberry puree, vanilla, sherry, and fudge. Flavor is dead-on raspberry hard candy, with chocolate and vanilla accent. Basically like drinking a raspberry cordial milkshake. Long lingering finish demands the next sip. Amazing dessert/nightcap/sweet-tooth beer. AgentSteve (736), Livermore, California, USA Aug 5, 2008 Man, this one was a sipper! More than that would overwhelm your senses! Attractive solid red pour with zero head. Nose is all over the place, with raspberries, vanilla, caramel, chocolate and cherries(?) The flavor matched in all the influences. Thanks to seaoflament for this taste at the RBSG. Alldaydrinker (457), Norwood, Massachusetts, USA Jul 31, 2008 Courtesy of Pepsican via mysteryswap 3.0. Pours a murky red hued brown color with light carbonation. Nose is pungent, vanilla, caramel, raspberries, other red berries, chocolate, candy and some red wine characteristics. Initial taste of caramel, fig, raspberries and vanilla-oak. Mid palate displays a touch of chocolate cake and alcohol. Finishing with tangy, raspberry, sweet caramel. Excellent palate duration. Body is medium body, velvelty smooth with touch of syrupy texture mouthfeel. Very interesting stuff. jarspag (503), San Diego, California, USA Jul 31, 2008 2004 bottle from UGH sampled on 7/30/08. This trade took place over a year ago! Thanks dude, been waiting to crack this at the right time, my birthday. Ridiculous nose on this thing, long, soft, soothing, arrogant..just so potent and mellow at the same time. Nose of heavy caramel, toffee, OAK, choco-raspberries. Palate is super full and velvety. Flavor was still pretty sweet with caramel, oak covered raspberry, port, and sherry like nuances. Finish was still pretty warming. Aromas were a touch over the flavor...can’t help but wonder if the age on this has taken something away. Nonetheless, pretty damn epic beer... nice.
|