can8ianben (903), Pasadena, California, USA Feb 28, 2009 Just sampled today on the release date. Aroma of plums and faint alcohol tones. Appearance of thick black ink. The liquid hangs on the glass when swirled. Thick tan head that dissipates. Flavor is incredibly complex - toffee, alcohol, chocolate, licorice, spice, dark cherry, like a multi-layered port. Palate is coated with a syrupy liquid. Entirely mouth coating and lingering on the tongue. Bravo! I only wish that the brewery would sell this delicacy for less than $30 for a 750. LtDan (471), LA - Originally from South NJ!, California, USA Feb 18, 2009 Vintage 2008
Ap: Midnight brown with an inch of sudsy head.
Aroma: Vanilla, bourbon, cookies and graham crackers.
Taste: Cocoa powder, vanilla, bourbon, hops and oak.
Mouthfeel: Sliky.
Overall: ****1/2 out of ***** thewolf (5635), Kolding, Denmark Feb 16, 2009 Bottle. [thank you, after4ever] [vintage 2008]
Pours dark brown with a big, frothy, brownish head. Fizzes away rather quickly. Impressive aroma. Lots of dark chocolate, fresh ground coffee mixed with a heavy load of prunes, raisins, toffee, burnt caramel, vanilla, oak and bourbon. Lowish carbonation, fat and oily mouthfeel. Flavour is equally many-facetted, but somehow seems a bit more composed than the aroma. High sweetness with prunes, plums and raisins as its base. Then dryish oak and more sweet spices - vanilla, coriander. There is no hint of the alcohol anywhere except in the far finish, when it warms nicely. Here, the chocolate creeps up again. There is some bitterness in there as well, but this is mostly a sweet BW. Still, it is truly magnificient. RomanW70 (297), Providence, Rhode Island, USA Feb 15, 2009 Great thanks to Jwale73 for sharing is absurdly great beer! Pours black with a minimal head. Nose is absurd, maybe the best I’ve ever O smelled it for about 10 minutes. Vanilla, caramel, toffee, oak, bourbon, and dark fruits. Taste is excellent as well, incredibly rich and complex, with maple, toffee, bourbon, vanilla, and raisins dancing in a thick, rich goodness. Finish has some alcohol, but nicley balanced by a little sweet and a little bitter. Just a wonderful beer. JoeMcPhee (4893), Jackson Heights, New York, USA Feb 14, 2009 Very deep dark burgundy coloured brew with a thin tan head. Aroma is loaded with rich oaky character, soft vanilla/bourbon sweetness and a touch of deep cocoa as well. Very soft sweet oaky flavour. A nice soft fruitiness and a bit of cocoa over the top of it. Intense flavours of cocoa, bourbon, vanilla and oak. Lots of dark malts, some dates and prunes pop out of here as well. There are also some lighter spicy aromatics as well. The cocoa and caramel really match well with a light herbal backnote. There is a touch of light rye character and a sticky sweetness that is cut quite well by the high carbonation. Woody, oaky rich and luxuriant. This is quite a subtle and very tasty brew. arrogantb (695), Denver, Colorado, USA Feb 13, 2009 The cork flew out of this 375ml and then the beer erupted. Dark brown, it looks just like the brandy version. Nice bourbon and wood smell. Tastes like cola and vanilla coupled with bourbon, some licorice. This is a very flavorful beer and the alcohol was well hidden. I preferred the profile on the brandy barrel version a little more but this was still very good.
Serving type: bottle
Reviewed on: 04-28-2008 00:57:07 MatSciGuy (629), Rosemount, Minnesota, USA Jan 31, 2009 [Bottle] Pours a somewhat hazy caramel brown with a huge beige head that slowly dissipates. Aroma is oak, bourbon, vanilla, and a hint of chocolate. Flavor is mostly bourbon and oak flavors with some vanilla, caramel, and chocolate. I’m a fan of the more carbonation. The alcohol isn’t terribly present, but it can be felt on the way down. This was good, but the bourbon had a little more influence than I was hoping, and I feel like it masked a lot of the subtle complexities of the base beer. FrancoisMtl (61), Boisbriand, Quebec, Canada Jan 20, 2009 Gift from wetherel. 375ml Bottle. I was keeping this one for a special occasion but since I heard few people saying there might be infection issues with this offering, I decided not to wait long to open it. Well! I can say there is a lot of stuff in this small bottle but certainly no infection. Pours dark mahogany color with a big tan head. Carbonation is too high for this kind of beer but if you wait a little it is getting way better. The aroma is awesome! strong malt, caramel, bourbon and vanilla. Same strong taste profile with a great balance between sweeteness, alcool and bitterness! This is spot on to what I think a barley wine should be! John, I can’t thank you enough for this treat!
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