8.1

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

750 ml bottle into tulip glass; no bottle dating, but was released June 18th after being bottle conditioned for 6 months. Pours lightly hazy/cloudy deep reddish copper color with a 1-2 finger dense khaki 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 big caramel, vanilla, toffee, toasted oak, red wine, brown sugar, brown bread, light nuttiness/chocolate, raisin, plum, fig, herbal, and oak/toasted earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great complexity and balance of dark/bready malt, red wine/oak, and moderate fruity yeast notes; with great strength. Taste of big caramel, vanilla, toffee, toasted oak, red wine, brown sugar, brown bread, light nuttiness/chocolate, raisin, plum, fig, herbal, and oak/toasted earthiness. Light-moderate herbal bitterness/oak spiciness on the finish; with lingering notes of caramel, vanilla, toffee, toasted oak, red wine, brown sugar, brown sugar, light nuttiness/chocolate, and oak/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Damn nice complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready malt, red wine/oak, and moderate fruity yeast flavors; with a great malt/bitter/oak spiciness balance and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Light-medium carbonation and medium-full bodied; with a very smooth, moderately creamy/bready, and slightly slick/sticky mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with only a light-moderate warmth lingering after the finish. Overall this is an excellent oak aged imperial red ale. All around great complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready malt, red wine/oak, and moderate fruity yeast flavors; and very smooth and easy to sip on for the big ABV. A very enjoyable offering.