Alaska’s most wanted....hmm...that’s funny as nothing was sent to the Juneau area this entire Autumn. I had to trade for this one.
I had in a pint glass and a Midnight Sun tulip. 12.7% ABV labeled on the bottle.
2013 vintage.let’s do this.
The appearance pours like motor oil (i.e. jet black pour has that \"glub glub\" sound to it)....in the pint glass and the tulip, about the same sized head = about a finger’s worth of foamy slightly tan/almost off white head that dies within about a minute.
The smell - well, its mostly bourbon, woo-wee, holy crap, boy is that over over powering or what, woo-wee...as it warms, there is some maple and molasses; lil’ bit of oakiness coming through, unsure how well it combines, though its not really combining to me, I do get some roastiness and some major vinousness/wine-ness to it, hmm.... yikes (I passed it to a wine drinker and she said this is very wine-like) uh-oh
On the palate, I just wonder if this could be any sweeter through the vinousness its already in, hmmmm...ok, is this how you want this thing MS, ok, no worries; however I will say this has an exceptionally sweet sticky aftertaste and a dry sticky sweet finish
Overall, would I have this again, no way, this is a wine in disguise at the moment, hmm....maybe if it aged a bit, it could come back to a slightly \"beer state.\" until then, this is actually pure crap fresh, if you like wine, try it fresh, if you like beer, age it and see what happens.

Keg at Blind Tiger, NYC, special keg beer at 5pm, 25/11/13. Pitch black with a big ole proper dirty tan head that thins a little but retains well. Nose is big roasty ballsacks, dark chocolate, light smoke, tar, earthy. Taste comprises big roast tones immediately followed up by a layer of sweetness, dark toffee fudge, dark chocolate, light boozey do. Full bodied, fine carbonation, booze coated finish. Solid impy work, not too hot for 12%.

Tap at City Beer Store, San Francisco. Colour is black with very small brown head. Aromas and flavours: Coffee, chocolate and massive roasted malts.

Bottled 650ml. Dark opaque color, small brown head. Roasted, licorice, soya sauce, tar in the nose. Full-bodied. Tar, rye bread, alcohol, soya sauce. Burning alcohol in the finish. Complex.

Black with beige head. Aroma is barrel with strong whisky note. Very malty flavor, fruit, Cape red, and malt and more malt. Alcohol burn is cancelled by a malty finish.

Bottle at Dean’s Birthday Tasting, August 2013. Poured a deep mahogany colour with a round glass hugging tan head. The aroma is dry roasted creamy malt. The flavour is medium to strong bitter with lots of liqourice and roasted malt on the malty bitter palate.