Pompey (20), Longmont, Colorado, USA Aug 28, 2008 Austere fruit in the aroma. Beautiful red color, but not much head. Barley, malt, and sweetness bathed in a variety of flavors -- a pomegranate initial zing then caramel, resin, and candy sugar . Some wood reminiscent of a very dry sherry or port. Dry crisp finish with lingering wood. Almost overpowering, almost. Alcohol is obvious. A really interesting barley wine. Balance works even with the bold components. I like it, but it’s almost too dry which is nicely offset by the sweet finish. Not for the faint of heart. NoiZe (893), Zeist, Netherlands Aug 28, 2008 Red, amber colored brew. Fruits, pine and sweet aroma. Flavor is sweet, fruity, sherry like, port. Nice. trokini (846), San Diego, California, USA Aug 25, 2008 Pours murky brown with a short off-white head. Alcoholic candy in the nose. Some wood, pine needles, and lots of brown sugar. Taste is liquor-esque. Sweet and tangy up front with resin and grapefruit/orange-slice candy flavors. Oaky-brandy notes follow with a bit of carmelized apples and figs. The alcohol burn takes hold, giving it a cognac finish. Awesome beer. Bullit (524), Zeist, Netherlands Aug 24, 2008 Unclear amber colour, off white head. Aroma has pine hops and soy sauce. Taste has pine hops, malts. Port flavours almost not present. A bit sweet. DaSilky1 (1599), San Diego, California, USA Aug 22, 2008 hazed charred pumpkin color, a halo of orangish suds around the edges with an island of bigger bubbles in the middle. the nose was super bright with notes of sugary malts and sweet orange ribbon candy...prickly and piercing carbonation greets the tongue...orange ribbon candy notes reappear with some significant hop bitterness behind them...very candy-like...somewhat hot in the mouth but certainly warming in the throat and in the mouth once the beer exits. The carbonation is almost too piercing as it bubbles in the back of the throat. This coupled with the heat of the alcohol causes some distractions, though minor. ..it’s fairly sweet and sticky but for some reason not syrupy, really. This feels like it will do wonders with a few years under it’s belt to mellow out the alcohol and to mellow out the carbination.
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