Medium offwhite head. Hazy opaque (probably my fault) amber body. Fruity medicinal malty aroma with caramelly alcoholic wild berry notes. Sweetish alcoholic fruity bananaish taste. Thin-bodied with a strange palate. Some acidity. (Hmmmm.) Dryish strawberry alcohol aftertaste. Yuck! This was awful. Is it meant to be this way, or is it infected? (0.5l bottle, City Beverage Co, London. Should rerate.)

500 ml bottle. Dark brown colour. Almost entirely clear, but there is a little haze. Tall light beige fine-laced head. Toffee and caramel aroma. Soapy hops. Bready and caramelly malt flavours. There is a distinct yeast character there as well, which could well be a fermenation flaw. Low carbonation level. Smooth malty texture. Nicely balanced. Full-bodied, but there is enough hops to cut the malt sweetness. Dry earthy hoppy finish. Nothing special unfortunatel. An OK beer, but nothing more.

2006 bottle courtesy of magic_dave. Pours red with a fizzy white head. Smells lightly fruity with some mellow tartness and lots of earthiness. Tastes of caramel, oak, some sourness, cherries. Some nice tartness and dryness balance easy other out. Mouthfeel is full. Finish yields lots of pepper and is tingly. The tarte nip hits the back of the tongue while some caramel hits the front simultaneously. This is an unusual but very enjoyable beer.

Bottle from Quaffs, 2007 vintage. Wow, not what I imagined at all...This is potent stuff. Golden and hazy with a quickly diminishing white head. Nose is yeasty, peppery and vinous, some sweet tropical fruit notes also. Almost like a Belgian Strong Ale, I would have actually said that in a blind tasting. Flavour is sweet with candi sugar, pineapple and a vinous alcohol burn in the finish. Not thick per se but it does coat the mouth, deserving a 4. In all honesty it’s not a bad beer, it was just a poor choice to start the evening off with, lol...

Considering the style, Scores ranging from 1 to 5, 5 being the most intense
Appearance:
Body:   Clear(1)->Murky(5) : 4     Golden(1)->Dark brown(5) : 4     Still(1)->Sparkling(5) : 2
Head:   None(1)->Large(5) : 3   White(1)->Tan(5) : 2   Lasting: 2   Lacing : 2
Aroma:
Intensity : 2  
Yeast : 3   Bread : XX   Tropical Fruits : XX   Soap : XX   Diacetyl : XX Sulfur : XX   Fusel : XX  
Malt : 4   Biscuity : 3   Hay : XX   Toasty : 3   Caramel : 5   Fruity : XX   Nutty : XX   Honey : XX   Maple : XX   Molasses : XX   Cereals : 3   Grainy : XX
Hops : 2   Noble(1)->American(5) : 2   Leafy : XX   Spicy : XX   Floral : 2   Lemon/Lime : XX   Grapefruit : XX Orange : XX   Herbal : XX   Grassy : XX   Pine/Spruce/Resin : XX  
Notes :   Peach/Apricot : XX   Earth : 2   Mint : XX   Butterscotch : XX   Smoke : XX   Dates : XX   Bourbon : XX   Bubblegum : XX
Flavor:
Initial Flavor : Dry(1)->Sweet(5) : 4   Finish Dry(1)->Sweet(5) : 4   Sourness : XX   Bitterness : 1   Complex : 2   Length : XX
Palate:
Light(1)->Full(5) : 2   Flat(1)->Fizzy(5) : 4   Clean : XX   Sharp : XX   Watery : XX   Oily : XX   Chalk : XX   Astringent : XX   Alcohol : 2   Mineral : XX   Oxidation : XX   Metallic : XX

Comments: Caramelly, biscuity, sweet ale with little hops and a very mellow bitterness. Vinous strong English/Belgian hybrid, but ultimately not that original.