Fort point nitro, 12/7/22. Beautiful dark amber mahogany. Thick, creamy, smoked dark beige head is retained to eternity. Light oak, tons of interesting red fruits, mild oxidation, vanilla and moderate caramel and toffee. A well-aged (Foeder) barley wine with no trace of syrup or alcohol. Playfully fruity. Clean, very aromatic despite the huge, dense head. Oh yeah....wow, that's richer than the nose let's on with sweet brandy-laced creme brulee as the main force of malt flavor. Chewy and thick with a hint of syrup but high acidity on the finish preventing any cloyingness. Plentiful red berries, black pepper, slightly burnt toast and lingering intense raisin-vanilla. Alcohol warms and balanced the finish but is never overt or hot. Low oak in flavor, though no doubt some tannin contributes to balance, as well. They've done a hell of a job with the fruity specialty malt contributing a near perfect amount of acidity to balance, also. Pretty god-damned phenomenal, and all this without the help of any bourbon barrel.