From May 2007

This pours from 22oz bottle(Brewed and bottled in Saratoga Springs, NY) a dark brown with a medium sized off-white head of foam that shrinks quickly leaving just a ring around the glass with a little lacing.

The smell is pretty big. I note caramel malt, roasted malt, and an ample nose of alcohol.

The taste on first sip has the caramel malt right up front and it's pretty sweet but it's joined almost immediately by some very nice roasted malt tones and some dark chocolate that stops the flavour from becoming too sweet. Nice and, boy, this is going to be a sipper for me for sure because I'm getting the alcohol kick right after the swallow and it's quite warming but the flavours of this American Strong Ale are very tasty so I'll have no problem dealing with that. ;^)

Further sips in and I'm now getting some toffee and *that* just makes me smack my mouth in appreciation and...the finish starts off sweetish, turns toward the bitter side but ends up on a slightly sour note leaving a lingering and delicious aftertaste. I'm pretty impressed with how complex and diversified the flavours are but they all work together very nicely. The only "negative" thing I can say about it is that, for me, it's not something that I can finish at one sitting. Not a 22oz bomber. But that's okay.

Bottom line: This is a pretty impressive example of the style in my book. If you haven't tried it before and see some, buy one and sip on it.

PS: I'm "capping" the 1/2 bottle I have left and I'll sip on it some more tomorrow.

2006 vintage keg at Black Squirrel. An interesting beast to be sure – it would have been interesting to try this eight years ago as well. Pours muddy dark brown with great head and lacing. Roast and smoked peat aroma in malt. Good head and lacing. Finishes with medium bitterness. Same aged taste in this as well. Light astringency. Very thick consistency. Good stuff.

Sampled on draft at Hou Thou this beer poured a black color with a small foamy tan head that faded quickly and left no lacing. The aroma was strong sweet dark fruits, plum, cherry, raisin and tart grape jelly. The flavor was tangy and tart grape jelly, plum, raisin, cherry, a bit of toffee and tobacco. Somewhat boozy. Long tart and tangy fruit, toffee and booze finish. Full bodied. Excellent.

On tap at Hay Merchant. Pours a dark brown with large creamy tan head that lasts awhile. The aroma is a light roasted malt and chocolate and caramel. Medium mouthfeel with a sweet chcolate and roast with vanilla in the finish. Really enjoyed this one, a very impressive American strong ale from HeBrew.

21st October 2009
Opaque very dark brown beer. Aged malt nose and a little chocolate. Surprisingly fresh palate, a little bit soft. Minerally malt. Chocolate that isn’t bitter or sweet. Biscuity malt. A little hop left. Smooth and still very drinkable. Wish I had caught this one in it’s hey day. Still good although the hops have clearly faded.

12 oz bottle from the holiday sampler pack. 5-6 years old. This was the "Mystery Jewbelation" included in the 8-pack. Pours opaque dark brown with a thin beige head that holds for a couple of minutes before it collapses into a ring of big-bubbly foam. Aroma is powerfully pungent--highly boozy, woody, raisins, Australian black licorice, molasses. Taste is very sweet (could get cloying) with a bitter finish. Carbonation is average, mouthfeel is oily, body is huge. Although I didn’t care for the smell of this beer--it was too overbearing--the taste more than made up for it. As much of a sipper as the 15 was.

12 oz bottle. Pours extremely deep brown to black with a light tan head. Cocoa and dark fruit aromas, molasses with some hops as well. Flavor has some cocoa, coffee, touch of smoke, molasses, against a background of nonspecific hops. Kind of a light take on an imperial stout; this doesn’t quite seem like a 10% beer.

bottle thanks to Kyle, pours dark brown with a thin tan head. Aroma jumps out of the glass, green grapes, dark fruits and brown sugar. Flavor is sweet caramel and a burnt sugar note with figs and plums in the finish with just a hint of booze. I like it.

Molasses and walnut aroma. Mahogany, medium tan head, some lacing. Molasses and fig flavor, a little on the sweet side. A little thistle appears at midpalate. Walnut and charred oak finish. Alcohol fairly well masked, medium bodied. Not quaffable, but makes for a nice sipper with good food pairing potential. I’m thinking brisket. The hoppiest of the Anniversary ales from Shmaltz that I’m working through at the moment. It starts perhaps a touch too sweet and finishes with a bit much char, but it’s still a pretty nice rustic brew.