Bottled March 16 2003. Thanks Heemer77! This beer, going on 2 years of age, pours a pitch black with a small dark tan head, that rapidly disipates. Aroma, as it decants in to my tulip, pours forth with a strong sense of smoke and roast. Smells like pepper crusted bacon with a pot of old black coffee sitting next to it. First thing I note upon sipping is the slight looseness of body, but it holds up a medium to medium-fullness throughout the bottle, not gaining any thinness as it warms or finishes. Aside from the body, let’s talk flavor, because this beer has plenty of it. One of the best roasted flavors I’ve encountered yet. Somehow, almost all the expected astringency and bitterness has vanished, leaving a delightful black coffee and anise flavor. Combining with the malted oats, it has a chewy, very mellow and oatmeal-like flavor. Sweetness is left in the background, but there is no lack of balance here. Finally, I’ll end my rambling with a discussion of something that I love to see, maybe more than anything, in a beer: hops done right. Wow. It’s like the fuggles they use were destined for this beer. They create a rich, yet somehow still green, earthy, smokey and only lightly bitter sensation through the middle of the body, ending on a juicy, tree sap sort of note. Sticky and just present enough without getting in the way. They are just one of the many elements of this beer, rather than being the element. This beer reminds me much of both Bell’s Porter and Kzoo Stout. I’m really getting to like these top tier beers listed in the "Stout" style.

500 ml bottle conditioned real ale. Enormous thick tan head. Pitch black colour, even when held to the light. Very possibly the darkest beer in the world. Wonderful aroma of roasted malts, dark bitter chocolate, oak and cedarwood. Flavour is all smoked and heavily roasted malts and oats. A world class stout.

The aroma is of coffee, chocolate, prunes, and slightly sour. The color is black and it has a small chocolate brown head. The flavor is of roasted malt, coffee, and bitter chocolate. Before it ends on a fanatastic malt bitter note combined with coffee. The body is very soft. It is not thin, but I had hoped for more power.

As far as I could tell inside the dimly lit pub it was black as coal, and didn't have much head. Really roasty nose with loads of coffee and licorice. It is dry with just above medium bodym is somewhat smokey and buttery, and finishes salty and bitter. An excellent, complex and flavourful stout.