Sample at a tasting of IBC 2010 gold medal winners arranged by RealAle.com It’s hard to rate this as beer, it reminded me more of an oloroso sherry, rich and nutty with a maple syrup sweetness and a syrupy texture. Much more a curiosity than something I could see myself drinking regularly.

2cl sample at SBWF. Spicy, dried fruits, medecin and liqour. Fun to sample but 2cl was enough, glad I didnt buy an entire bottle for $200 the retail price when it was available in Stockholm last winter.

Sample @ SBWF. Raisin sweetness! Not beer. Not bad. I really cant think of a time or place for this drink. I prefer whiskey to this one.

Sample at Patricks, Kristiansand. Amber colour no head. Flavour is alcohol, plum, madeira, port wine, dried fruits, malt. Nice beer to drink slowly.

2 cl sample at Patricks. Is 2 cl really enough to get an impression of a beer? Normally not, but in this case I will definitively say yes. Aroma and flavor is so strong that both stays for a long time and make it impossible to taste anything else for a long time. The body is beautiful, its deep golden mahogany with no carbonation and head at all. The beer is floating oily around in the glass leaving traces like thick Soya on the sides. The aroma is so intense that I just had to stay with this a long time without even considerate tasting it. It has a complexity that make it difficult to compare with anything else and describe. There is a lot of alcohol, similar to Madeira and Sherry, but with a strong fusel that clearly states that this is something completely different. There is a mix of dry fruit here as well, at least raisins, prunes and probably a hint of old, dry peaches or apricot, it’s difficult for me to find the exact match. Some other fumes indicate something light roasted or caramelized; this could be oily dry fruit or Soya. The flavor is also really heavy, the first little sip indicates just a mess of sweetness, alcohol and fusel. I actually have to adjust a bit before next sip, and still needs some time to identify the different elements. Similar to the aroma there is some higher alcoholic references here, probably best described as Madeira or Sherry, maybe a hint of Brandy, but still different with an obvious fusel. Lots of dry fruit, particular raisins, prunes and apricot. Behind the strong alcoholic fumes there is very sweet malt, hint of oak, maple syrup and a decent bitterness. It was really fun experience to sample this beer, no doubt this is a great piece of art. I really don’t know what I was expecting, but it didn’t disappoint. I still can’t have too much of this, but I will definitively try it again next tine the occasion will come.

$200 per bottle, poured into a 4 oz. souvenir sampling glass: Volatile nose somewhere between brandy and whisky. My son describes it as rubber cement, but I digress. Cloudy viscous ochre pour, no head. No carbonation, thick and extra full bodied. The flavor is an absolutely delicious blend of honey, caramel, and cashews. The nuttiness stays from start to finish and assumes a more distinct pecan quality with time. I fully expected to hate this beer, particularly because of the cost, but it is actually very special. I don’t like whiskey or other distilled spirits. I despise the bourbon barrel aging fad. Make no mistake this beer is more like a distilled spirit, but there are few liquors that I would rather have than this. Is it worth $200? For most, I doubt it. For me, it was another tick, but a memorable and enjoyable one.