Brown bottle, 2012 vintage, gift from a stranger, bottle sharing at Brasserie du Bas-Canada - Hautes-Plaines, savoured on 17 February 2024; eye: coppery, limpid, no effervescence, no head, no lacing; nose : Sichuan pepper, sherry, malt, light chocolate; mouth: Sichuan pepper, sherry, malt, light chocolate, light alcohol warmth, finale in pepper with presence of sherry, full-bodied, average carbonation, mildly sweet, slick texture; in summary: quite likable FRANÇAIS Bouteille brune, millésime 2012, cadeau d'un étranger, partage de bouteille chez Brasserie du Bas-Canada - Hautes-Plaines, savourée le 17 février 2024; œil : cuivrée, limpide, pas d'effervescence, pas de mousse, pas de dentelle; nez : poivre de Sichuan, sherry, malt, léger chocolat; bouche : poivre de Sichuan, sherry, malt, léger chocolat, léger chaleur d'alcool, finale en poivre avec présence de sherry, corsée, carbonatation moyenne, moyennement sucrée, texture coulante; en résumé : bien aimé

Bottle: Poured a deep brown color ale with a small brown foamy head with limited retention and minor lacing. Aroma of deeply caramelized malt with some toffee notes with some dates and figs notes with Xeres barrel notes with some residual sugar notes. Taste is also a mix of caramelized malt notes and some dates and figs notes and Xeres notes with quite a bit of residual sugar and some cardboard notes. Body is pretty full with light carbonation with some warming alcohol notes. Enjoyable barleywine but a little bit too sweet for my taste.

At WFG 2021.1, day 1. Dark brown, flat, bit thin. Very boozy, thin mouthfeel. Flavourwise not very great, plenty of solventy barrel and a touch of raisin. Hint of oaky acidity. Not that great a beer, misses depth and body. Ah well, it happens.