Excellent stuff. Warm and boozy, slick and slippery. This one is all over the board in aroma and taste; pit fruit, licorice, molasses..... The ABV will do you in however, part of the appeal. An excellent to a session.

Reviewed from notes and perhaps the best brew I’ve had by date from this company.
The night I had this, I poured this into a pint glass and a snifter.
The appearance was a pure jet black color with a one finger white foamy head in both glasses. The lacing was the same in both glasses as it was fairly clingy and thick.
The smell was a roasted barley and coffee that combines with a black licorice that ends up allowing a decent roasted chocolate coming about to balance it all out. Wow, what a nice complex smell to this.
The taste was bitter, roasty and sweet at different times and ends up allowing these super nice qualities to come back in the aftertaste. There is a finish and its somewhat dry and sweet.
On the palate, this one is not sessionable by any means. It sits heavy on the body with a decent carbonation running about my mouth and tongue.
Overall, American Black Ale, wow, this is a very well done beer for its style and for me.

Dark draft pour. Barrel aged flavor with chocolate, vanilla, and maybe a tiny bit of cherry. Very complex. Sweet finish. Very well hidden alcohol. Very smooth and drinkable. Loved it.

750 ml corked and caged bottle, bottled on 1/23/13, a little over 13 months ago. Pours pitch black with a large dark tan head with great retention. Aroma is chocolaty, licorice, molasses, wood, coconut. Taste is sweet and savory with a strong licorice flavor. Mouthfeel is oily, body thick and chewy. A very nice and masterful beer, but I find myself steering away from these big dark heavy brews lately. A year or two ago, I would have given this a much higher score.

Sampled from bottle @ The Hague tasting. Opaque pitch black color, nice light brown head. Smell and taste malts, roasted malts, some hops. Oh lovely lovely. Just lovely.

Bottle at the "Lets celebrate the fact that Dean is already the Mayor of M&S Den Haag even though it’s only been open for 24 hours tasting!". Poured a dark mahogany with a frothy light tan head. The aroma is rich creamy caramel, toffee, liqourice. The flavour Is strong bitter with a big boozy alcoholic liqourice bitter palate with an oily mouthfeel. Full bodied with flat carbonation.

Bottle shared at the "Lets celebrate the fact that Dean is already the Mayor of M&S Den Haag even though it’s only been open for 24 hours tasting!". Pours near black with a beige head. Aroma of fudge, chocolate, caramel, sweet malt, light licorice. Flavour is moderate to heavy sweet and moderate bitter. Medium to full bodied with soft carbonation.