0.355l bottle. Pitch black body, light brown head. Aroma of caramel, chocolate, coffee, vanilla and some reisins. Taste of chocolate, coffee, floral hops and some plums. Quite bitter. Both because of the hops and the roasted malts. Very nice.

0,355l bottle at home. BB 03.09.2016. black color, small dark coffee-colored head. smells lightly sour, coffee, bitter chocolate, earthy, lactic, licorice, light vanilla, marzipan, toffee. nice smell. full body, soft carbonation, slick mouthfeel. tastes of milk chocolate, coffee, light vanilla, light roast, light sour, lactic, marzipan. finishes lightly roasted and creamy with notes of vanilla and some milk chocolate. very good one, great balance.

Bottle at home in London. Picked up at Cask Pub and Kitchen (London) from their discount shelf; so, I figure this beer is probably at least one to two years out of date (it’s got the old label). Pours thick black-brown with a lasting, creamy beige head. Relaxed roasted malts in the aroma, with hints of oxidation (just faint suggestions of burnt cardboard creeping in), with pleasant over-arching dark chocolate character. Medium to big sweet flavour, with nicely layered chocolate notes, some baking cocoa, milk chocolate, good ashy roast, some bitter earth, dark fruits, raisins. Full bodied with average carbonation and velvety texture. Finishes with light alcohol warmth, sticky chocolate, bittersweet baking cocoa, burnt sugars, burnt toffee, some old leather, more raisins. There’s some light dryness in the aftertaste that levels things out well. Great beer overall. Good depth, nice balance. Totally solid from beginning to end.

Bottle. Nose is cola, blackcurrent, lots of cherry, orange undercut by some earthy coco notes. Taste is dark chocolate, vanilla, berry, hints of coffee, chocolate ice cream, banana, slight smoke in the aftertaste, caramel. Silky mouthfeel. This is a very nice beer, that has a lovely depth.

Bottle from Bottle Baron. Black body with a thick beige head. Excellent lacing. Aroma of coffee, blackcurrant and chocolate ice-cream. Flavour of berries, dark chocolate and vanilla. Medium body with a creamy texture. Light fizz. Very smooth and outrageously drinkable for 8.8% ABV.

From an older bottle, still with the old label. Lightly lacing, yellowish beige, surprisingly stable, moussy head, colour a hazy, very dark burgundy with a black ’soul’. Wonderful, lush American stout aroma of chocolate mousse, marzipan, coffee liqueur, dried banana, mocha ice cream, sweet candied cherry, whisky, hazelnut oil, kahlua, pepper. Strong, refined candied sweetness in the mouth, Belgian chocolate-like, touch of ’natural’ and undisturbing iron as in many a good stout, soft carbo, candied dates and pear brandy hints, thick layer of caramelly and chocolatey, smooth, oily, fatty maltiness, nicely balanced, refined roasted coffee bitterness in the end with spicy hops and a glow of warming, liqueurish and brandyish alcohol to finish it off. A must try if you are a stout afficionado like me.