75cl bottle from Bierwinkel De Hopduvel in Gent. F: big, egg-white, long lasting. C: orange gold, light hazy. A: mellow fruity, orange, peach, bit woody, biscuits, honey, bit rum like. T: full malty base, mellow orange, peach, woody, bit rum, nice warming alcohol, dry on the palate, biscuits, vanilla touch, honey, sherry, low to medium carbonation, nice balanced and tasty BA BSA, fully enjoyed.

Bottle from Geers. #2168. Clear dark golden with a huge, frothy, off-white head. Aroma of apricot jam, marmalade, honey, candied orange peel, pear, wet wood, bourbon, brioche, vanilla. Taste has sweet estery apple, pear & apricot in a jam-like, honey malty body; spicy wet clove phenols & bitter orange peel in the middle against a woody backbone. Floral hoppy finish, slightly dank even, turned around by wood & spices, lingering candied fruits & touch of vanilla, quite heating whisky-like alcohol in the throat. Medium to full body, oily texture, soft carbonation. A typical Belgian Ale yet on steroids, I'd say. Could most probably do with ageing but this was enjoyable.

(Irish) whisk(e)y barrel aged version of Troubadour Magma for its ten years of existence, albeit apparently “without the typical exotic citrus aromas”: was the recipe altered in its hop department, because the brewers did not find it worthwhile to add the usual Simcoe, considering it would fade anyway during the barrel ageing? Anyway, one of only 10,000 bottles made, shared with Craftmember. Medium thick, complex shred-lacing, snow white, stable head on an initially clear, warm orange blonde beer with disparate string of fizz, turning misty with sediment. Aroma of soggy biscuit, old dry cake, Armagnac and even rum much more than whisky, banana peel, Rambol cheese, hand soap, freshly whipped unsweetened cream, hint of old stale orange juice or even sweat, touch white chocolate, chewing gum, dry oak wood indeed. Sweetish onset, hints of halfripe banana, apricot and orange, lively carbonated with a light sourish undertone and full, smooth, bit glueish mouthfeel; caramelly and biscuity, bit bready and slightly bubblegummy middle phase, increasingly warmed by booze, again much more rum- and even brandy- than whisky-like. Hints of white chocolate, clove, vague marmalade, soap and cheese unexpectedly accompany the finish, while a mild vanilla-ish woodiness is noticeable, though not very strongly so; the cheesy aspect I suppose comes from the hops, being distorted because of the (barrel) ageing. The booze remains altogether relatively gentle, not hindering the overall’s beer drinkability – something I can certainly appreciate. Different from what I was expecting, remarkably drinkable for such a strong wood-aged beer even if the wood aspect itself remains altogether fairly subtle; showing some complexity and distinction, and I wonder what this will be like in a year or two, as previous encounters with Magma variations on 75 cl bottles have proven that they tend to age well, at least in my personal experience. In this young form, however, I cannot help but feeling that I was expecting a bit more...

Clear darker amber beer with a huge, dense, quite stable yellow head. Alcoholic nose, old wood, fusels. Bit fresh green leaves. Aromas, strangely enough, seem all rather volatile. Very seriously alcoholic, boozy taste; alcohol making what is supposed to be an IPA quite sweet. It's not even recognisable as whisky. Bit orangerind, some fruity esters, bit like drier Cointreau, Grand Marnier, Mandarine Napoléon, etc... Alcoholburn, very slick to oily feel, good carbonation, long if mild throatburn. No guys, sorry. This is not what Magma needed. On paper, whisky barrel aging might have sounded a great idea, but it just doesn't come together.

Pours a bit unclear, amber. Small white head. Smell is sharp, mild booze from the barrel. Mild oak. Taste is full, sharp booze. Not matching the beer that well. Oak, vaniline. Mild bitterness and hoparoma. Honey sweetness, a bit unbalanced i'm afraid.