200ml draught, 10.5 % abv, at BD57. Deep dark ruby coloured body, naked surface, scattered lacing. Attractive aromas of dark fruits, and nutty chocolate. Nicely blended taste of dark fruits, dark bread, and chocolate. Smooth dark malt-fruity finish with hints of rum. Full bodied. Like it. (Oslo, 01.11.2023).

On tap at BrewDog Liverpool, pours A deep dark mahogany/dark brown with a small tan head. Aroma is loaded with spiced rum, tonka beans, and butterscotch — interesting combo. Flavour is much the same, being mostly of a function of the spiced rum upfront, followed by the tonka beans, and a big butterscotch character. The adjuncts make it tough to interpret as a barley wine, but it's a fun miscellaneous strong ale of some sort. I'm not a fan of spiced rum, but they manage to incorporate it pretty well here. Good.

Keg at BD Castlegate. It pours murky darkest brown to black with a medium khaki head. The aroma is intoxicating stuff, rich roasted malt, sweet yet savoury, vanilla Tonka vibes, refried beans, maple glazed donut, coffee grounds, cacao nibs, dried fruits, fruit cake and a healthy pour of rum & coke. The taste is bitter - sweet, sweet - sour, slick, toothy, chewy, plenty of dark fruits, cola cubes, rum & cola, warming booze, molasses, coffee grounds, chocolate cake, vanilla, Tonka chocolate cake, warming boozey heat, charred oak, tangy, vanilla and burnt malt with a fruity and warming, charred finish. Fulsome body and moderate carbonation. Plenty of flavour, but it doesn't sit harmoniously. It's fun for sure, just note balanced enough. Still kept me coming back for more.

Magus, mõru, vürtsikas, vahtrasiirup, linnaseline, mahe. Ok.

Sweet, bready, caramel, milky, vanilla, oak, woody, toasted coconut, alcohol