8.5

Appearance - 10 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 9

Batch 11 bottle at the brewery, 11/29/24. Deep currant-black cherry. Clear. Bright, maybe not as sweet and intense on the honey side as expected with a surprising levity from bright fruit juice and acid. Lovely blend with cherry leading the way. Black pepper, vanilla and lingering medium amounts of honey intensity. No alcohol. Very focused, high clarity nose. Surprisingly not dense in the mouth, or at least not densely honeyed. The fruit is there in droves. But maybe a blend of fruits is a little less interesting to me than I realized, as I found myself being more captivated by the single varietal stuff. Of course this is still no slouch and I'm pleasantly surprised it's not a syrupy sugar bomb. Imagine being disappointed by this due only to the just unreal-high expectations and hype.