5.4

Appearance - 4 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 5 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 5.5

750mL corked bottle with Eyedrinkale and Walt on 9/29/2005. Pours a rather lifeless, heavy, maroon-amber-chocolate brown colored beer. Watery, tan head is very quickly dissipating and though some legs travel down the glass, no lacing is left behind. Aroma of dirty yeast, borderline bacterial, but this only in the background. Up front there are blood oranges, spoiled/spoiling tangerines and oranges, soft but strong liquor and tons of prunes, raisins, caramel and buttercream. Flavor is very vinous, with more prunes, raisins and thick, sweet caramel. Notes of oranges and vanilla on the end, with a fair dose of alcohol apparency. The textrue wants to be thick and rich, but the lack of carbonation, and heavy liquid just gives it an uninspired, loose, unpleasant feel. Like others say, it could have a slight infection. The lack of carbonation and some dirty flavors are possible signs. Or it could just be that these guys were over their heads in brewing this high gravity of a beer. Oddly, I didn’t mind the beer that much, having notes reminiscent of English barleywines and old ales, which I really enjoy. If you can get past all of the buttercream, vinousness, syrupy sweet candied fruits and lack of carbonation, it’s passable, I guess. . .