500 ml bottle into tulip glass, bottled on 3/1/2016. Pours hazy dark ruby red color with a 1-2 finger fairly dense light khaki head with good retention, that reduces to a thin spotty lace cap that lingers. Light spotty lacing clings around the glass. Aromas of lightly tart cherry, cranberry, raisin, plum, red grape, caramel, brown sugar, toasted biscuit, nuttiness, light cocoa, pepper, oak, hay, straw, light red wine vinegar/funk, and yeast/toasted earthiness. Nice aromas with good balance and complexity of fruity/funky/spicy yeast, oak barrel, and dark/bready malt notes; with good strength. Taste of lightly tart cherry, cranberry, raisin, plum, red grape, caramel, brown sugar, toasted biscuit, nuttiness, light cocoa, pepper, oak, hay, straw, light red wine vinegar/funk, and yeast/toasted earthiness. Light fruity/acidic tartness and yeast/oak spiciness on the finish; with lingering notes of cherry, cranberry, raisin, plum, red grape, caramel, brown sugar, toasted biscuit, nuttiness, light cocoa, pepper, oak, and yeast/toasted earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Very nice complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/funky yeast, oak barrel, and dark/bready malt flavors; with a nice malt/tart/spiciness balance and zero cloying sweetness after the finish. Light-moderate dryness from acidity/spiciness as well. Medium carbonation and medium-full body; with a very smooth, moderately creamy/grainy, and lightly acidic/sticky/chalky balanced mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with minimal warming present after the finish. Overall this is a very good Flanders red/brown ale style. All around good robustness, complexity, and balance of fruity/funky/spicy yeast, oak barrel, and dark/bready malt flavors; and very smooth and easy to drink with the lighter acidity. A very enjoyable offering.

Poured from a bottle. Aroma is slightly acidic with some tart cherries and berry notes. Medium grain notes with toasted bread as well as some light caramel and faint chocolate. Some light under ripe apricot and stone fruit notes. Pours a brown with some dark, burnt amber hues and a moderately large, thick, tan head that recedes slowly to the edges. Faint lacing and no legs. Flavor has a medium light acidity with some light berry and cherry notes. Moderate malt character with a lot of toasted to burnt bread as well as caramel and some light chocolate. Moderately strong bitterness with a light phenolic note and quite a bit of astringency. Mouthfeel is medium bodied with medium carbonation. Moderate astringency and low alcohol warmth. Overall, the aroma on this beer is decent but the flavor has a weird, astringent and off character to it. Too much malt and not enough fruit and acidity.

Bottle - pours reddish amber tan head - nose/taste of oak, cherry, vanilla and touch of vinegar - light body