The Perfect Nose

22 ounce bottle into snifter; bottled in 10/2015. Pours hazy nearly opaque dark brown color with a 1-2 finger fairly dense light khaki head with good retention, that reduces to a thin spotty lace cap that lingers. Light spotty lacing clings on the glass, with a light amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big caramel, toffee, molasses, brown sugar, brown bread, raisin, plum, fig, apricot, red grape, melon, apple, vanilla, toasted oak, red wine, tobacco, leather, light pepper, and oak/toasted earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of dark/bready malt, fruity yeast, and cognac barrel notes; with great strength. Taste of huge caramel, toffee, molasses, brown sugar, brown bread, raisin, plum, fig, apricot, red grape, melon, apple, vanilla, toasted oak, red wine, tobacco, leather, light pepper, and oak/toasted earthiness. Light tart/tannic oak spiciness on the finish; with lingering notes of caramel, toffee, molasses, brown sugar, brown bread, raisin, plum, fig, apricot, red grape, melon, apple, vanilla, toasted oak, red wine, tobacco, leather, pepper, and oak/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Incredible complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready malt, fruity yeast, and cognac barrel flavors; with a great malt/oak spiciness balance and zero cloying sweetness after the finish. Some light dryness from tannic oak spiciness as well. Light carbonation and very full bodied; with a very smooth, creamy/silky, fairly slick, and lightly tannic balanced mouthfeel that is great. Alcohol is very well hidden with only a small warmth lingering after the finish with minimal booziness. Overall this is an outstanding cognac barrel aged English barleywine. All around awesome complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready malt, fruity yeast, and cognac barrel flavors; and very smooth to sip on for the huge ABV. Definitely a cognac bomb on the flavors with the big fruitiness; but still has plenty of sweet malt complexity to balance it. A highly enjoyable offering.