8.5

Appearance - 10 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 10 | Overall - 8

375 mL bottle poured. A massive thanks to Mike for sending this bottle my way. Been a huge fan of Almanac since day one, but was never able to get my hands on this original Barrel Noir, and I honestly thought the day wasn't going to come. Cheers to you! I do like the newer designs that Almanac has released for their bottles, but this has to be the most beautiful bottle they've ever made. A dense, near black pour. Smooth aroma of chocolate and bourbon. Soft, just enough to know its all there. An incredible dark chocolate constant going on here. Very precise flavor in that category. The bourbon blends nicely with the chocolate. An ideal winter beer that isn't a stout. Thinner than I thought this would be. I always considered it to be a full stout when I was back searching for this bottle. Very complex flavor to this as it warms. Really wish I had more bottles of this one. Excellent beer here.

7

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7

Black Bill and his crew strikes again. Complete black stuff with a beige layer on top. Good intensity in the aroma. Full body and a bit to rich carbonation level. A bit fizzy mouth feeling. Sweet, but still a fine bitterness to back it up. Barrel, wood, caramel, earth and chocolate in the flavor. Good complexity.
[The Premier Inn Room 230 sessions Feb 17 with Rune]

7.4

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 10 | Overall - 7.5

Bottle, many thanks to Madmitch76. Jet black body, filmy beige layer. Dark malty smell with a touch of both earth and barrels. Oak and chocolate malty flavours, hints of smoke and ash. Bourbon and resinous hops towards the ending. Well bodied. Pleasant sipper (Shared with Cunningham at a hotel room in Chelmsford 18.02.2017).

9

Great example of barrel-aging. Great stout. Nice blackcurrants. Soft malts. German iicorice. Eaay drinking. Top barrel-aging.

6.6

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5

Bottle. Pours a dark brown with small beige head that lasts. The aroma is strong spice, dark fruit, oak, bourbon. Medium mouth, bourbon, roast, cocoa, boozy finish, good.

7

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7

Bottle thanks to ygtbsm94 shared at Anchorage Feb ’15 Tasting: Poured almost black with an off white to tan color head. Aroma was sweet stick dark fruit raisin and fig, caramel malts, vanilla, and bourbon. Taste ends up with a boozy dark fruit dominance with some sweet caramel and vanilla presence.

7.2

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 8

375ml bottle. Bourbon caramel deep aroma. Brown-black body. Creamy beige head. Almost some deep prune. I get more Belgian Dark than Imperial Stout. Pretty smooth and easy, the initial aroma had me thinking otherwise. Smooth brown chocolate, bourbon candy. Good.

8.5

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 9

From notes, consumed on 7/29/2013. 375 ml bottle into a Belgian snifter. Black with a finger of tan head, great lacing. Aromas of coffee, roast, chocolate, slight bourbon. Tastes of medium bourbon, caramel, dark chocolate, roast. Medium-full body with a dry and warm finish.