750 ml bottle into snifter; 2017 vintage bottling, 14.5%. Pours dense pitch black color with a 1-2 finger dense dark tan head with good retention, that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Light spotty soapy lacing clings around the glass, with a light amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of huge nutty dark roasted coffee, milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, fudge, coconut, bourbon, toasted oak, molasses, and dark bread; with lighter notes of smoke, char, licorice, cherry, raisin, and roast/oak earthiness. Incredible aromas with fantastic complexity and balance of dark/roast/bready malt, coffee, and bourbon barrel notes; with big strength. A bit of booze in the aromas as it warms, but not overwhelming. Insanely intense on the coffee. Taste of huge nutty dark roasted coffee, milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, fudge, coconut, bourbon, toasted oak, molasses, and dark bread; with lighter notes of smoke, char, licorice, cherry, raisin, and roast/oak earthiness. Light-moderate roast/char/coffee bitterness and light bourbon/oak spiciness on the finish; with lingering notes of nutty coffee, milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, fudge, coconut, bourbon, toasted oak, molasses, dark bread, smoke, char, light licorice/dark fruit, and roast/oak earthiness on the finish for a while. Incredible complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malt, coffee, and bourbon barrel flavors; with an awesome roasted bitter/sweet balance, and zero acrid/astringent roast flavors after the finish. Light dryness from roast bitterness and oak spiciness, lightly increasing through the glass. Light-medium carbonation and very full body; with a very smooth, creamy/silky, and lightly slick/chalky/tannic balanced mouthfeel that is awesome. Alcohol is well hidden; a small pleasant warmth with minimal barrel booziness lingering after the finish. Overall this is an insane barrel age Russian imperial coffee stout! All around incredible complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malt, coffee, and bourbon barrel flavors; very smooth and dangerously easy to sip on for the huge ABV. Very intense fruity/nutty/earthy coffee complexity; with the same amazing malt/barrel balance of the base beer. Never overly boozy, tannic, or drying on the barrels. A highly amazing offering all around.

2016-12-12. A bottle on Black Christmas 2016 at 12 Kings. Pours an almost black with no head. Aroma is lots of coffee and roasted seeds. Taste is sweet with lots of coffee notes. Slightly boozy. Good stuff.
8-4-8-4-15=39

2017-11-11. A bottle received as like an extra from Nick M. (thx, man!!!). Bourbon and coffee bomb aroma. Taste is bourbon, coffee, fruity notes. Great stuff.
8-4-8-5-16=41

Tasting at Matt’s; LAB series 1-2015
Dark brown color, near black, small head. Amazing aroma of coffee beans, dark chocolate.
Drier and leaner than the De Molen beers, also because of the high alcohol content, but it has an equally good dark chocolate flavor, mild coffee presence, and a hint of liquorice.
Excellent.

750mL bottle, pours black with a small tan head. Aroma is loaded with rich coffee, lots of dark fruitiness, and some vanilla-like sweetness. Flavour is rich and complex, with deep dark dried fruits, rich espresso, a touch of cocoa and a little vanilla. Thick, viscous palate, with wonderful balance. Lovely stuff.