Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 7.5 | Texture - 7 | Overall - 8

Aged bottle of this wine barrel aged Flemish stout, the first vintage of which came out in 2012; had this young too, but the 2014 vintage - at ten years of age - was significant enough to briefly do a 'batch rating' of it. From a 75 cl bottle shared by Erwin P. at Rock Circus in Ghent. Still producing moussey, pale grey-beige foam, opening and dissolving; murky chestnut brown robe with dark brown-beige glow. Lovely 'old' and maderised aroma: very old caramel candy, medium dry sherry, tawny port, oxidized red wine, balsamico, old brown bread, black cherries, tea, dark plums, some wood. Sweet onset, dried plum, medlar and fig jam, softish carb with very smooth, creamy mouthfeel; rounded caramelly and toffeeish malts, 'Koetjesreep' and hints of brown bread and hazelnut, under strong sherry- and madera-like oxidation, old red wine in a most noble and elegant way. Very mild wood and hop notes but the oxidized dark malts really get all the credit here. I was not as impressed by this when it just came out, but after ten years of ageing, it has admittedly acquired a lovely portorisation, even accentuating the basic sweetness a bit. Surprisingly good after ten years.

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5

On tap @ Kulminator. The 2014 version, in a tall tullapy vase Buffalo glass, of course. Looks reallgood. A denseish beige big lasting and lacing head over a dark deep cola brown body. A nice woody sourish aroma initially. Some tones of butter also unfortunately. Dark dried fruit and a little lingon berries. Like it, despite that slightly off butter tone. It's near flat, only soft prickling on the carbonation and it feels nice oily in the mouth. Tastes quite nice. Woody and lots of dried dark fruits. Licorice and something almost herbal in the back. Chocolate brownie. It just works perfectly with the fiddle playing music here at Kulminator. Nice. 09.03.2017

Porto,