Bottle shared by hopscotch. Pours dark copper with very little tan head. Lightly roasted malt and carmel aromas. Very sweet caramel flavor with some toasted malts, toffee and a little heat from the alcohol. Thick, syrupy mouthfeel with almost no carbonation.

12 oz. bottle courtesy goyrshkewych. Gracias! Also, rating #700. Viscous reddish brown pour with no head. Very faint carbonation. Earthy and malty aroma with some caramel notes. Sweet caramel taste, slightly tart, with dark fruit notes. Not very complex, but still very pleasant.

Sample, at the Mondial de la bière 2007, savoured June 1 2007; eye: dirty brown, no effervescence, clear, no head; nose: soya sauce, caramelized malt, light hops; mouth: caramelized malt, soya, finale in caramelized malt, full body, velvety, not much carbonation, quite salty; overall: quite good FRANÇAIS Échantillon, bue au Mondial de la bière 2007, savourée le 1er juin 2007; oeil : brune sale, pas d’effervescence, claire, pas de mousse; nez : sauce soya, malt caramélisé, léger houblon; bouche : malt caramélisé, soya, finale en malt caramélisé, corsée, veloutée, peu carbonatée, assez salée; en résumé : pas mal bonne

Sampled at the 2nd annual Michigan Winter Beer Festival, Lansing. I knew this was potent, but 13.5% ABV? Dark brown body, thin cream head. Strong boozy body with sweet caramels. Big time grapes, too. Potent alcohol finish. I liked this.

Draught tulip at the brewery on 4/7/06.
Dark amber through the middle, with a light layered effect of dark caramel and slightly-auburn-tinged mahogany. Dark beige colored head is small, receding quickly to cover and then nothing, with minimal, sticky lacing that is actually more of a liquid residue/film. Clarity is medium with no carbonation visible beneath the waves.
Initially both bready and yeasty in the nose, with some nutty/tannic, almond paste-like notes keeping things dry and a touch dull. But dry coffee-chocolate bounces back, miexed with sugar-plum sweetness and some light alcohol vapors. Strong yeast bi-product from the huge fermentation, though I’m not sure how to describe it, as it isn’t a flaw, just a character. Nutty, dry, bready. Well-attenuated from the nose, it seems, and this version is almost nonexistant on fruitiness sometimes seen in this style. Waves of toffee and lightly spicy hops combine, pleasantly, on the finish, sticking to the nose, as do the bready malts. Almost graham cracker-like, but sweeter than that, with light chocolate. Medium strength, overall, is the nose, but what is there is quite solidly built.
The lack of tart/boisterous fruits is apparent from the start, as bready, dry, well-attenuated malts are served over-top a thick, dextrinous body. Some banana is notable, mushy and somewhat sugary, but mild chocolate and toffee sugars invade, somewhat, as it progresses and warms, leaving a moderately sugary impression on the finish. Spicy hops provide no more than an extra layer of complexity, low in flavor and bitterness (crystal hops I think). The alcohol is well-masked, but hints of it arise on the finish, sharpening the flavor and actually loosening the sticky mouthfeel, which proves beneficial. But ultimately, I get a bit more breadiness and dry yeast qualities than I look for in the style. Carbonation is very low, with soft but noticeable bubbles. Sticky and bready and very big, though not overdone.
Certainly it needs more age, but the product thus far shows promise and with that in mind, I give a little leniency on my scoring.
Update. Drank another 2006 bottle on 12/21/16.
For 10 years old it held up wonderfully. No heavy soy and a pleasing acidity coming from somewhere (meladnoidins?) that helps balance it. Very rich but not intensely boozy for its size. Loads of raisin, plum, caramel and milk chocolate. Nice!