Bottled. A black beer with a dark brown head. The aroma has notes of alcohol, roasted malt, and caramel. The flavor is sweet with notes of alcohol, roasted malt, and soy sauce, leading to a dry, roasted, and alcoholic finish.

Bottle 35,5 cl. Courtesy of footbalm/douglas88. Pours an opaque black with no head. Very sweet chocolate aroma, almost milk chocolate, and....ammonia! Sweet, rich body, completely flat, sweet roast and licorice with a warming alcohol finish. Very rustic indeed. 120412

12oz bottle pours an oily, opaque black with zero head. Aroma is mild, oats, toast, coffee, brown sugar. Flavor is sweet, toast, chocolate, booze, rum. Finish is very full bodied.

Bottled. Opaque dark black. Aroma of anise and licorice. Sweet and thick like oil. Very full bodied. Flavourwise it’s like chocolate cake covered in cocoa and tar with a punch of liqueur. Complex, but too covered in syrup.

November 2004 draught. At first I thought this was the much famed Russian Imperial Stout from 2002, but this is in fact a different recipe. Dark brown appearance, completely clouded over with a dark dark burnt tan head that is retained very well. Very intensely nutty and burnt aroma; lots of black malt, and roasted barley. Dry on the nose is an understatement. Flavor, however, is surprisingly much more balanced, with plenty of caramel adding sweetness. Good chocolatey tones throughout and a lovely milk-chocolate finish. Lightly bitter roast throughout, low hops apparency. Light nutty coffee notes, a touch of yeast and no alcohol whatsoever. Body is a bit lighter than expected, though it makes it that much more drinkable. A bit too bitter on the finish, with all the roast, but it’s still superb.

November 2005 draught Thick, tar-like pour is black with deep browns near the edges and a fluffy tan head perched atop that retains well and provides plenty of lacing. Carbonation is evident from the bubbly head and apparent bubbles surfacing. The nose is very malt oriented, with salt, prunes, milk chocolate and a bit of sharp brandy-like notes from the alcohol. Pieces of ashen barley really break on the palate, as the brown sugar and salty chocolate try to balance (which they do, to some extent). Hops are subtle (for the style) and provide juicy, green hop belches, retronasal. The flavor is full of cocoa steeped in molasses, very dry with definite peanut-brittle suggestions, raisins and light prunes. High amount of bitterness on the end, seemingly comes out of nowhere, as the hop flavor is low on this one. Mouthfeel is not syrupy, nor particularly heavy, though some soy sauce-like notes do crowd the palate on the end. Carbonation is firm, though low.