Very deep dark brown and copper coloured body with a nice brown and slight ruby tint when held up to a light, all with a small two centimetre tall tan head that fades quite quickly to just about nothing on top. Aroma of alcohol, pitted fruits, prunes, figs, plums, grain, bourbon, vanilla and a dose of oak, but the sweetness and alcohol dominate. Full-bodied; Rich, dense mouthful, predominantly of sweetness, but also some more pungent alcohol and oak flavours along with some bourbon, grain, figs, earth, vanilla and prunes, but the alcohol and caramelised sugars really come through near the end. Aftertaste shows alcohol, caramelised sugars, grain, malt, earth, oak, bourbon, whiskey and a big dose of both figs/raisins and some noticeable vanilla pod flavours. Overall, a nice and incredibly strong beer that goes down quite easily, but is stronger than I can imagine with the harshness definitely rubbed off the edges and still showing some punch, but less so in the edges with the malt being a bit more easy to get down. Still, nice to try and perhaps a good amount of pungency for the style, but if you are seeking a lighter beverage or want to drink this immediately, you are probably better with a different beer. I sampled this 75 cL bottle purchased from Total Wine in Tampa, Florida on 03-January-2014 for US$11,99 sampled at home in Washington, just a few hours before hopping on a flight back for Florida on 25-December-2017, Christmas Day.