Port Brewing Older Viscosity

Brewed by Port Brewing/Lost Abbey
Style: American Strong Ale
San Marcos, California USA

2007 vintage poured (finally) into a Duvel tulip glass. Appearance is super dense black-brown hue, nice layer of brown creamy head dissipates to a thin layer of spotty bubbles, thick lacing on the glass. Smell is initially characterized by absolutely delicious chocolate malts accentuated by stiff bourbon, woody oak, vanilla extract, and molasses, also present are tones of coffee and roast malts, dark fruits, and toffee, absolutely amazing! Initial taste follows the nose and is comprised of cocoa-sweet malts, bourbon-whiskey wood, and a tinge of dark fruits, espresso-like malts enter midway along with vanilla, cherries, caramel, toffee and brown sugar, finishes with an emphasis on the dark fruits and bourbon. Mouthfeel is full-bodied, silky velvet-like texture takes and edge of the omnipresent bourbon edge, mild-moderate carbonation. Drinkability is high despite the 12%abv, an amazing profile of malts leads the charge here and is balanced out by the dark fruit and bourbon/wood accents, I can see this beauty only improving over time as the hotness will likely subside, no surprise here, I have drank the Kool-Aid and readily admit that Older Viz lives up to its billing, get some if you can!

Sampled @ Lost Abbey, RBSG. Black pour, light tan head. Heavy, strong bourbon on the nose, alcohol quite apparent, tannic notes but way in the back. More oaky on the taste, bourbon, tobacco, roast, overall not as brash tasting as the aroma lets on. Very nice, would like to try with a couple years on it.

Aroma that is strong in an alcohol scent - bourbon. Pours with a small, light brown head. The body is a very dark brown almost black. Pretty good beer. Alcohol flavor is a little much, but besides its well deserving of being in the 99th percentile.

Bottle at Najas Place. Reminds me a lot of Burbon Angel’s Share. This is REALLY good. Pours thick with a small, creamy light brown head covering a black body. Boozy aroma (brandy or Burbon, with chocolate, oak, dark fruits and cinnamon. Taste is great with chocolate and tons of oak and vanilla. Syrupy with light bubbles. Outstanding!

37.5 cL bottle. Pours pitch black with a lacing white head. Dense and roasted malt aroma with a light chocolate smoothness. Flavour is smooth and roasted. Chocolate and mild liqourice. Ends light sweet and roasted malt. Lingering finish.

375 ml bottle. Close to a year in the cellar, batch 1? Ebony with tan bubbles around the edge. Nose is molasses, tar, licorice and alcohol. Medium body but finishes like liquor. Taste is bitter dark chocolate and burnt grapefruit peel. Dries with coffee and bits of licorice. Sharper and more pronounced alcohol than the regular version.

Bottle sampled at Lost Abbey for RBSG 08. Poured into a wine glass. Black color with ruby red highlights. Small cocoa head with wet lacing. Aroma is straight bourbon with a leather note. Flavor is dark chocolate with a roasty undercurrent and complex notes of vanilla, oak, bourbon (without the alcohol sting), and molasses. Long finish from the rich body.

Bottle at Lost Abbey RBSG. Last bottle of Tomme’s tasting. Pours a dark brown color with a small tan head. The aroma is strong with whiskey, dark roasted grains and leather. The taste is remarkable; the bourbon whiskey is well balanced by oodles of sticky sweet black licorice, rounding out the sides--coffee and biter chocolate. The mouthfeel was full and creamy. The finish was long and dry with lingering anise. Overall: Another winner. Perhaps this one is not hyped as much as it deserves. I loved it. RE-rate note 08-03-2009. The same as above except that this beer was completely flat. Knocking down my point score from 4.6 to 3.4.