7.3

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7.5 | Flavor - 7.5 | Texture - 7 | Overall - 7.5

Pours very dark brown, looks practically black in the glass though it shows reddish hints through light. Almost doesn't get any head and it disappears almost instantly, maybe a bit disappointing even for the abv. Medium or slightly above medium intensity in the aroma: soft dark chocolate notes taking the main stage, a clear and quite nitid dark fruits note (with blackcurrant obviously most noticeable, but there's a bit more complexity to it), perhaps a hint of milk coffee. Feels like a quite soft aroma, but i feel like there's some kind of dry suggestion on the back of things. Taste notes follow the aroma pretty closely, again with quite good intensity; there's a bit more balance between soft dark chocolate and fruity notes and a general kind of flavour-free sweetish/soft suggestion on the back things. Quite strong sweetness, with a sweetish edge in the mouth but also a balanced, quite dry and slightly astringent finish that still shows a blackcurrant reminescence. A bit of dark malts acidity and alcohol warmth also show up. Quite dense bodied with pretty light carbonation; semi-full (maybe a little less than expected for the abv) with a hint of silkiness. Overall: more or less as good as the standard version to me; the blackcurrant contribution feels very "natural" (meaning it doesn't have that artificial/unbound feeling that some flavoured stouts have) and pleasant, but the roasted malts character becomes a bit too subdued.

8.1

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8.5 | Flavor - 8.5 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5

Donkerbruin tot zwart bier met weinig schuim. Smaak is bitterzoet met iets van koffie, donkere chokolade, wat vanille, gedroogd donker fruit en vaag iets van kersen. Gewoon weer een heel goed product, waarbij ik weinig tot geen verschil met de standaard versie proef.

5.6

Appearance - 7 | Aroma - 5 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 5 | Overall - 5.5

Bottle.

A- Black color, dark liquid, no head.

A- Weak, bland, cocoa.

F- Dark berries, tobacco, bitter, roasty, cocoa.

P- Full body, average texture, average carbonation, bitter finish.

O- Some blackberry intertwined but otherwise a roasty plain jane porter. A bit disappointed honestly.

8

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

Bottle at Monk's: pours black with beige head. Aroma os dark chocolate, molasses, blackcurrants. Taste is sweet, very fruity. Actually quite nice.

8.3

Appearance - 7 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5

Bottle pour. Opaque, inky black with nice viscosity. Aroma is strong toffee, molasses, roasted malt and black currants. Taste is toffee, molasses, coffee, tart fruit, tannins, plum, trace late cocoa powder. Smooth texture, soft carbonation, dry finish as taste. Everything is solid, if unspectacular, save the flavor, which is complex and well balanced. Quite good if you take your time to take it all in.

7.1

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7.5 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7

330ml bottle at the Beer Bank, Kuala Lumpur City Centre. Poured almost black in colour with a short-lived, frothy tan head. The aroma is roasted malt, herbal, red berry fruits. The flavour is moderate liquorice bitter, light sweet, with a big, rich, roasty, tart blackcurrant, light vanilla, light liquorice bitter palate. Full bodied with average to soft carbonation. Not bad if you like blackcurrants in your beer!

7.6

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5

Bottle from Bierkoning, Amsterdam. Aroma is dark malt, roast, dark fruits, tart berries, strong black currant, cocoa, dark chocolate, liquorice. Flavour is medium sweet and moderate bitter with some tartness from the berries and a little alcohol. Body is medium to full. Tasty, excellent bittersweet flavour, the aroma is a bit too heavily dominated by the black currant though.

7.9

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5

0.33 l bottle shared with little Dina at Barbeerian, Zagreb. Unclear dark brown, small beige head. Aroma is roasty, lightly burnt, some toffee, toast, some dark fruit, slightly earthy. Flavour is roasty, toasty and burnt, hints of caramel, earthy notes, tart dark berries, soft tannins, probably from the leaves or skins. Balanced, smooth, medium body and mouthfeel, not too heavy or cloying, alcohol hidden, some warmth, some creaminess. Sweet. Subtle. Base style well done.

8

Appearance - 7 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5

Bottle ordered from either Ghost Whale or Indiebeer. Aroma is bitter and boozy, with a fruity streak. Dark and glossy. Foamy beige head. Flava, like the aroma, is bitter and boozy. Traits from the barrel, alongside coffee, liqourice and charcoal. Berry edge. Underlying caramel hints. Thick. Oily. Average carbonation. Long astringent finish. Another Barrel-Aged that I enjoyed but at the same time wondered how much the original beer was overpowered by the barrel.

8

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