Traquair 900

Bottle from Olbutikken. Dark clear cola, frothy beige head. Old, bit musky nose with little butter, faint salmiak and madeira. Flavor is earthy licorice, leather, same madeira-like dried fruits. Finisher with long, slighty tannic old fruitiness, earthy herb bitterness and butter. A bit too hot for me, but still nicely powerful and warming. Lush mouthfilling carbonation, nearly full bodied palate. I guess it’s the same with all the Traquair brews, old world flavors with modern filtration and mouthfeel, why not just let the beer live?

33cl bottle from Bacchanalia, Cambridge - rating #1700. Opaque reddish brown with a film of tan head; rich spicy aroma with vinous malts; luscious fruity flavour with raisins, figs and dates all well soaked in alcohol to start, but also rather salty, peaty and smoky - reminding me of an Islay malt whisky. The finish is long and mellow, as befits a "sipping" beer like this.

A nose of roasted malts, julmust and clove. Taste is of spices, clove, raisins, anis, walnuts and chocolate. It’s salty, yeasty, vinous and malty. Finish is alcoholic and dry. There is a slight sensation of metallic bitterness in the taste as a whole. OK, so this is clearly not your typical BW. The strategy is obviously not to brew a subtle, balanced type of beer here, but rather to pack as much taste as you can into the tiny 33 cl bottle. The result is a fairly complex and interesting creation, but the over-the-top mindset is not my cup of tea when it comes to these types of brews. As with North Coasts Brother Thelonious, a heavy taste of fermented raisins paired with a robust sweetness makes this beer less enjoyable than it might have been if the brewers held back a little.

2 years old. Still quite sweet. Interplay of caramel notes, strong dark malt and very delicate "Scottish" smokeness. The aftertaste is so beautifully long and mellow (you naturally feel how the beer is running through your "pipes").

From Voldby, DK. Bottled, 200909. Brown with small head. Aroma of malt and alcohol. Flavor is caramel, fruit and brown sugars.

12 oz. bottle - thanks to RCL for the trade; clear, dark brown; killer nose with caramel, rich malt, cookies, dank fruit; almost like red wine too; thin to medium body; alcohol well hidden; sugary, rich flavors and mildly sticky; has a sherry-like quality too it; very, very nice

Really pleasant nose ofbrown sugar, dark fruit, spiced apples, caramel, toffee and alcohol. Brown amber pour, some beige bubbles.brown sugar, apples, caramel, some hop bitterness and alcohol. Solid sweetness with good balance. Light carbonation. Smooth and malty.

330. thanks, suzygreenberg! pours a passably clear but very dark ebony with garnet highlights. headless, laceless, still. big nose of anise, roast, tannins, and dark chocolate. thick, sticky and oily body. anise, roast, tannins and dark chocolate all around again on the mid palate. long dark roasty finish.