7.4

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

Bottled. Black colour with a small beigeish brown head. Aroma is chocolate, ashes, some alcohol and mild dried fruits. Flavour is dark berries, dried fruits, some liquorice, chocolate and quite ashy with alcohol pushing through rather well.

7.4

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

Poured from 375mL bottle (from Phill). Near black with small beige head. Blackcurrant - slightly more sweet than tart - mild liquorice that actually balances and compliments that blackcurrant quite nicely, hint of chocolate. Quite nice. I imagine this actually improved with age.

6.6

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

Tight off white head stayed on a dark brown still body. Blackcurrant, alcohol & malt aroma. Medium bodied, gassy, airy & clean with a thinner back. Blackcurrant, malt, cherry & liquorice tastes.

7.3

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

Tap @ Borefts. Deep dark brown color. Malt, Mon Cheri and chocolate in the aroma. Malty sweet flavor with caramel, chocolate, toffee and blackcurrant. Syrupy.

7.6

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

375ml bottle. Almost black with an enormous tan head, slowly dissipating to a more sensible level. Aroma of blackcurrant, liquorice, dark fruits. Taste is the same, sweet, prominent liquorice and blackcurrant, dark fruits, caramel, warming alcohol, aniseed finish. Medium body, very smooth, very low carbonation. Enjoyed this more than I expected to.

8

Backlog

7.1

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

The 21st edition in this interesting series, vintage bottle shared by Guy Thewissen at Belgium Chimipalooza. Thick and fully closed, cream beige, moussy head, very dark and hazy mahogany-bronze robe. Aroma is very strongly dominated by the liquorice used here, like the soggy liquorice candy I remember from childhood (clear ‘drop’), (too much) blocking subtler impressions of sweet cicely, blueberry pie, anise, cloves, rum, toffee, caramel candy, fig. Sweet onset with a sourish edge, hints of figs and blueberries, soft yoghurt tart aspect, soft carb, smooth and rounded, full mouthfeel. Thick caramelly malts with chocolatey and nutty edges as well as a mild toasted bitterishness but, as expected, eventually very strongly soaked in the liquorice, over a warming, rum-like alcoholic but not too astringent finish. Interesting beer – but enjoyable only if you really, really like liquorice…

7.1

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 6.5

Flaske 375ml fra Vinmonopolet Tromsø - Langnes. Delt med gode venner på Nerstranda 24 Feb 18. Svart. LAvt mokkafarget skum. Litt lacing. Lett metallisk sherryaroma. Smaken sherry med antydning til plommer i ettersmaken.

7.6

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 10 | Overall - 7.5

375ml wax sealed bottle, kindly shared by Finn. Low off-white head to a deep, dark ruby coloured body. Spotty lacing. Aniseed aroma with hints of fruit and berries. Rich taste character of dark malts, caramel, dark bread and liquorice, joined by prunes and berries, followed by a lingering malt-berry finish. Rounded mouthfeel. Full bodied. Much appreciated. (Social gathering at Finn's place, Tromsø 24.02.2018).