355 ml. bottle purchased @ Systembolaget Hansa. Have been wanting to try this one forever, happy to have found it. 2016 Vintage. Bottled 16.08.2016. Shared at Himmeriget. Dark amber, little in the way of head. Nose is lovely thick caramel with some oxidation, pumpkin & pumpkin spice blends into it warming caramel, blended with pumpkin, syrup,… Tastes like a proper old barley wine with some oxidation, way less thick than you would expected, caramel, warming blends with pumpkin, clove, pumpkin spices is heavy but blends into the whole, rum whisky oxidation, warming didn’t feel 17.5 % ABV. Thinner than you would expect sugar, oily warming caramel oxidized syrup body. Works really well, really nice.

(355ml 2016 bottle, Batch 6, 17.5%, from Systembolaget) Pours a clear deep copper with a small off white head, no lace. Aroma of lightly burnt sugar, toffee, some candied pale fruits, pumpkin, light to moderate rum, nutmeg, cinnamon, wood, touches of booze. Flavour is sweet as expected for the ABV, big and not shy about spirit character. Big hit of dark caramel, butterscotch, rum, pumpkin, spices (nutmeg, some cinnamon, light tangy ginger), wood, rather intense overall. Pumpkin becomes more prominent in the middle, spices and rum build in the fairly sweet finish. Some drying booze heat for sure, but not nearly to the ABV level. Medium-full, oily, smooth, softly carbonated. Pumpkin is balanced, spices recall spiced rum as much as pumpkin pie, barrel's a good fit. Bold but not too brash, tasty for a pumpkin beer!

Bottle. A- Rum, spice, burnt caramel. A- Dark copper color, clear liquid, minimal head. T- Rum, brown sugar, burnt caramel, butterscotch, spice. P- Full body, average texture, average carbonation, balanced finish. O- At a year old this is still pretty boozy yet balanced and not overpowering. You feel the 18% but it drinks more like 8%. Basically tastes like if Captain Morgan made a pumpkin flavored rum. Really quite tasty.

12 ounce bottle into snifter, bottled on 8/17/2016. Pours slightly hazy/cloudy deep orange/copper color with a 1 finger fairly dense and fluffy off white head with good retention, that reduces to a spotty lace cap that lingers. Light spotty lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation retaining the cap. Aromas of huge pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, ginger bread, vanilla, rum, toasted oak, toffee, brown sugar, and brown bread; with light notes of molasses, chocolate, cocoa, dark fruits, herbal, and oak/toasted earthiness. Incredible aromas with fantastic complexity and balance of pumpkin, spices, bready malt, and rum barrel notes; with big strength. Minimal booziness as it warms. Taste of huge pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, ginger bread, vanilla, rum, toasted oak, toffee, brown sugar, and brown bread; with light notes of molasses, chocolate, cocoa, dark fruits, herbal, and oak/toasted earthiness. Light-moderate herbal/spice bitterness and rum/oak spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, ginger bread, vanilla, rum, toasted oak, toffee, brown sugar, brown bread, light molasses/cocoa, and herbal/oak/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Incredible complexity, robustness, and balance of pumpkin, spices, bready malt, and rum barrel flavors; with an awesome malt/bitter/spiciness balance, and zero astringent flavors after the finish. Light dryness from bitterness and rum/oak spiciness, increasing through the glass. Light-medium carbonation and medium-full body; with a very smooth, moderately creamy/bready/grainy, and fairly sticky/tannic balanced mouthfeel that is great. Alcohol is very well hidden; a small increasing warmth, with mild barrel booziness lingering after the finish. Overall this is an amazing barrel aged imperial pumpkin ale! All around incredible complexity, robustness, and balance of pumpkin, spices, bready malt, and rum barrel flavors; very smooth and dangerously easy to sip on for the enormous ABV. Absolutely perfectly balanced between malt, spice, and rum barrel complexity. Great barrel presence without being overly boozy, tannic, or drying. After less than 9 months of age, this is already ready to go. The 17.5% is exceptionally well masked. A highly enjoyable offering.