Bottle (2011 Reserve) pour shared by WillRunForBeer--thanks, Brian! It's an opaque black with no sparkle, thin cap of off-white head, nice viscosity and no lacing. Aroma is strong licorice, molasses, oak--not getting bourbon. Taste is strong toffee, molasses, licorice, oak. Mouthfeel is full bodied with thick texture, soft carbonation and finish as taste. Overall, strong aromas and flavors 10 years later--remarkable! Though, without a bourbon contribution (likely faded with age). Would like to try a more fresh version.

12 oz. bottle, pours jet black with a small tan head. Nose is rich and complex, with intense oak, moderate bourbon, dark roasted malt, and some espresso. Flavour is oaky and roasty as hell, with intense oak barrels and dark roasted malt upfront. There's a bit of black liquorice, leather, and dark bitter cocoa further back. Layered and complex.
Earlier Rating: 1/13/2011 Total Score: 4.4
Jan 2021 review (which I'm not sure should be here, given the slight recipe change): time to update my review to see if I still love this as much. 12 oz. bottle, pours jet black with a small tan head. Nose is rich and complex, with intense oak, moderate bourbon, dark roasted malt, and some espresso. Flavour is oaky and roasty as hell, with intense oak barrels and dark roasted malt upfront. There's a bit of black liquorice, leather, and dark bitter cocoa further back. Layered and complex. This is just as fabulous as I remember. 9 4 9 4 18 Jan 2011 review: 22 oz bottle, pours black with a brown head. Aroma of oak, bourbon, vanilla, liquorice, chocolate and potent roastiness. Flavour is loaded with bourbon and oak, followed by vanilla, bitter hops, oatmeal and chocolate. Extremely layered and complex, exceptionally well-balanced and an immense treat. 9 4 9 5 18

Black. Pours nice and thick. The aroma is quite vinous, lots of dark torched fruits, alcohol, and burnt sugars. On the palate, it's burly, rich and bringing a big heavy bourbon signature. Lots of tannins. Light fruitiness, much less pronounced than on the aroma. Rich, rounded. Nice depth, especially that hit of acidity that bashes up against hop bitterness, alcohol and rich sticky sugars.
Earlier Rating: 2/11/2007 Total Score: 3.6
Draught, Archer Ale House

This is pretty fucking black, with a medium brown head. The aroma shows milk chocolate, pecans, wood, alcohol and a touch of ill-fitting whisky. Full body. Creamy, milk chocolatey. Light woody hop notes and standard impy roast. Clean, full-flavoured and very typical PNW hoppy impy type. Nothing wrong with it, but nothing to seperate it from the pack either.