On tap at Sara Oakland Arbor location.
Aroma is very vanilla forward with lots of sugar and date notes. Moderate toffee and caramel notes. Some burnt sugar and treacle. Lighter notes of nuts and toasted bread. Light bourbon and medium light alcohol notes.
Pours dark brown, almost black with a small, light mocha head that recedes steadily to the edges. Light lacing and long legs.
Flavor is very sweet with lots of caramel and toffee notes. Lighter notes of treacle, nuts and toasted breads. Burnt sugar notes. Medium bitterness and moderately high alcohol notes. Moderate date notes. Light bourbon. Medium vanilla notes.
Mouthfeel is full bodied with medium low carbonation.ow astringency and medium alcohol warmth.
Overall, a decent barleywine but the date syrup definitely accentuates the dark, dried fruit and burnt sugar notes that barleywines can have. Huge vanilla aroma but the flavor was lighter. Good bourbon notes.

Draft. Black beer with a brown head. Dried fruit and vanilla aroma. Dried fruit and vanilla flavor with bourbon. Medium-plus bodied. Dried fruit and vanilla linger with bourbon. Too much vanilla, turns a little into playdough.

Bottle. Pours inky black, small brown head, good lacing. Aroma is deep and rich, vanilla, fudge, bourbon. Flavor is fully sweet and heavy on vanilla. Full body, creamy mouthfeel. Too much vanilla for my taste. Its funny, 15 years ago vanilla BA stouts were like manna from heaven, now I just wish they would leave vanilla out of beer as a rule.