Tap at Sugar Maple. Deep opaque burgundy-brown. Soapy, patchy beige head. Carbonation is very soft and natural/mellowed out. Thick molasses, oaky bourbon flavor. Almost creeping into Old Ale territory. Lots of dark fruit tones. The non-existent carbonation brings it down a notch, but this is still a solid beer, very enjoyable to sip at. Sweet butterscotch bourbon, very nice, mellow despite the ABV.

On tap at Sugar Maple barleywine fest. Pours a cloudy earthy caramel brown with no head whatsoever. Aroma has sweet grains, caramel, toffee and warming bourbon with a bit of an alcohol burn. Flavor has bread, bourbon, toffee and a good amount of alcohol burn.

Draft @ FoBAB 2009, Chicago, IL. Pours a dark amber color with a small off-white head. Has a sweetish malty vanilla and weak chocolate aroma with hints of bourbon. Sweetish malty caramel and chocolate flavor with hints of vanilla and bourbon. Has a sweetish malty slightly hoppy finish with hins of bourbon in the aftertaste.

Heaven Hill Version. On tap a Stone’s Oakquinox. Pours with no head and a hazed amber-copper body. Aromas are spritzy and boozy with oak, vanilla and caramel. Flavors of caramel, vanilla, tannins, fruity (dark fruit, esters, pear), bourbon. Decently dry, oak, tannic with low carbonation.

Draft. Rich amber beer with a cream colored head. Bourbon and chocolate aroma with vanilla. Chooclate and vanilla flavor with light vanilla. Medium bodied. Chocolate, bourbon, and light vanilla lingers.