8.4

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8.5 | Flavor - 8.5 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5

12oz bottle from Tavour, cellared for a few years. Inky black pour with thin beige head. Aroma introduces subtle orange peel notes before the big boozy blast. Taste is roasty, fruity, oranges and lemons and lots of sweet caramelly flavor. The cognac barrel influence is there and it blends nicely.

7

Cloudy golddn pours. Cognac grapes, citrus bitters, really one of the best ones of the series

6.4

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5

On a flight at the Rock-In Bar (inside Whole Foods, Laguna Niguel) on 26th June 2024. Boy this is sweet, comes a murky, hazed purple brown colour, no head. Not what I expected at all, boozy, yes, but the raisin and fig sweetness came as a complete surprise.

7.9

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5

Panda at home, thanks to Kenny, 16/11/23. Almost clear copper with an off white cap that thins edgewards. Nose is caramel, good cognac kick, ripe fruit esters, dates, sugar coating. Taste comprises sweet malts, candied orange peel, lemon zest, herb, caramelised sugars, toffee crisp, touch of botanics. Full bodied, fine carbonation, semi drying close with a balanced kiss of alcohol. Fun boosty offering ... runs a touch sweet but kept in check.

8.1

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5

10th November 2023
Fairly hazy orange tinted deep amber beer, small tan head. Smooth palate, slightly soft but with good fine minerally carbonation coming through on the back end. Soft malts, a little creamy sweetness and some caramel. Soft cognac, rich and fruity. The orange bitter barrelling comes through at the end with a soft ripe orange that is very slightly medicinal, in a good way. Mild bitterness and mild citric zip on the fairly light finish. A very clever beer, not tasted anything quite like it. That's all well and good but unique doesn't always mean tasty and drinkable, no such danger here. The only hazard is how easily this slips down!

7.4

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5

12 oz. bottle, pours a murky dark amber orange brown with a tiny white head. Aroma is intense, with lots of orange bitter, cognac barrels, lime, and some sweetness. Flavour is extremely fruity and intense, with cognac barrels, lots of lime, orange bitters, and some sugars. This is typically not what I want in a beer, but this is done undeniably well. It's good in small amounts.

8.4

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 9 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5

Bottle 2022 vintage, No. 01. A coppery beer, a head is small and beige. Aroma has caramel, lemon, orange, some flowers, very aromatic, gin and spicyness. Taste has caramel, lemon, light spicyness and orange. Full bodied. Not stickyness, smooth. No alcohol. I like this Firestone's barrel-aging program, again a great beer. I have never tasted the Sidecar drink, but I can imagine, there are lots of same nuancees in this beer.

5.5

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 5 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 6

On tap @Thirsty Growler. Quite the lazy day. Dark brown, lacy, sort of clear goblet pour. Serious caramel, soy sauce, really boozy nose. Bittersweet, mostly sweet. Caramel, apple liquor, subtle smoke, constant acid, lingering faint tartness, pasta water starchy. Caramel candy finish. Just too sweet.

8

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8

Bottle. Pours hazy hazel, small beige head, some lacing. Aroma is bitters, caramel, orange peel, brandy. Flavor is medium sweet, light bitter. Merlin body.

8.2

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 9

Bottle. Bronze beer with a low dark cream head. Orange and cognac aroma with light oak. Cognac and orange flavor with light wheat and lemon. Medium bodied. Lemon and cognac linger with orange and light caramel.