Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5

Got in a BIF from jdell15. Rated blind. 12 ounce can into snifter, 2016 vintage canning. Pours hazy deep ruby red/copper color with a small off white head with decent retention, that reduces to a thin ring of lace that lingers. Slight spotty lacing clings on the glass, with a light amount of streaming carbonation. Good appearance. Aromas of big caramel, brown sugar, toffee, bourbon, vanilla, toasted oak, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, clove, biscuit, and brown bread; with lighter notes of coconut, roast, molasses, raisin, plum, fig, date, herbal, and oak/toasted earthiness. Some booze in the aromas as it warms, but not overwhelming. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of dark/bready malt, spices, bourbon barrel, and light fruity yeast notes; with great strength. Taste of huge caramel, brown sugar, toffee, bourbon, vanilla, toasted oak, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, clove, biscuit, and brown bread; with lighter notes of coconut, roast, molasses, raisin, plum, fig, date, herbal, and oak/toasted earthiness. Light herbal/spice bitterness and bourbon/oak spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of caramel, brown sugar, toffee, bourbon, vanilla, toasted oak, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, clove, biscuit, brown bread, coconut, dark fruit, herbal, and oak/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Incredible complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready malt, spices, bourbon barrel, and light fruity yeast flavors; with a nice malt/bitter/spiciness balance, and zero cloying sweetness after the finish. Slightly drying from bitterness and bourbon/oak spiciness. Light-medium carbonation and fairly full body; with a smooth, creamy/silky, and lightly slick/syrupy/sticky/tannic balanced mouthfeel that is great. Alcohol is fairly well hidden; a light-moderate increasing warmth and some booziness lingering after the finish. Never overwhelming. Overall this is a fantastic BBA pumpkin spiced English barleywine. All around awesome complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready malt, spices, bourbon barrel, and light fruity yeast flavors; very smooth and easy to sip on for the huge ABV, despite the fairly warming/boozy finish. Really rich and complex with awesome balance of all flavors; nothing is overdone or feels out of place. A highly enjoyable offering.