8.5

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

12 ounce bottle into snifter; no bottle dating, but is a recent release. Pours crystal clear nearly opaque dark brown/black color with a 1-2 finger finger dense and rocky khaki head with awesome retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Fantastic appearance. Aromas of big raisin, plum, prune, fig, date, apricot, red apple, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, bourbon, toasted oak, nuts, and dark/brown bread; with light notes of coconut, molasses, licorice, milk chocolate, cocoa, leather, tobacco, herbal, and yeast/roast/toast/oak earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of dark/bready/light roast malts, fruity yeast, and bourbon barrel notes; with great strength. Taste of huge raisin, plum, prune, fig, date, apricot, red apple, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, bourbon, toasted oak, nuts, and dark/brown bread; with light notes of coconut, molasses, licorice, milk chocolate, cocoa, leather, tobacco, herbal, and yeast/roast/toast/oak earthiness. Very mild herbal/roast bitterness and bourbon/oak spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of raisin, plum, prune, fig, date, apricot, red apple, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, bourbon, toasted oak, nuts, dark/brown bread, milk chocolate, cocoa, leather, tobacco, herbal, and yeast/roast/toast/oak earthiness on the finish for a while. Amazing complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready/light roast malts, fruity yeast, and bourbon barrel flavors; with a solid malt/bitterness and bourbon/oak spiciness balance; with no cloying flavors after the finish. Slightly increasing dryness from lingering bitter/spiciness. Light-medium carbonation and medium-full body; with a very smooth, creamy/silky/bready, and slightly sticky/chalky/tannic mouthfeel that is fantastic. Zero warming alcohol for 8.4%. Overall this is an amazing barrel aged scotch ale! All around incredible complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready/light roast malts, fruity yeast, and bourbon barrel flavors; very smooth and dangerously easy to drink for the ABV, with the minimally bitter/drying finish. Perfectly balanced rich malts and fruity yeast complexity; with great bourbon barrel presence/integration. Not overwhelming or boozy on barrels. A highly enjoyable offering, amazing spot on style example.