Almost black beer and without head. Aroma has caramel maltyness, wood, herbs, liquorice. Taste has caramel, raisin, wood. Full bodied. Strenght is there. Maybe too simple and could be more complex. Anyway, very good beer, of course.

12oz bottle pours with a nice deep dark mahogany to black colored body that supports really no head at all. The aroma offers up inviting clouds of molasses, brown sugar stewed plums and dates and then a hit of chocolate malts blended with caramel. Yes. The taste delivers smooth slick sweet supple molasses and faint caramel bleeding quickly into sweet dark fruity esters. I get molasses and brown sugar dusted plums and dates. To midway a pleasing caramel note surfaces just as the modest booziness sets in with hints of smokiness and lightly roasted maltiness lingering into the after taste. Geez. This is dead on albeit the body is a tad thin.

Panda at home, thanks to Kenny, 15/12/23. Light black with a thin tan head that dissipates edgewards. Nose is ripe dark fruit rinds, spice, dates, figs, earthy, toffee, cocoa dusting. Taste comprises toffee fudge, spice, booze, dates, sticky toffee pudding, molasses, caramel, figs. Full bodied, fine carbonation, semi drying close with a balanced kiss of alcohol. Solid sipper.

6th December 2023
Near opaque dark amber - brown beer, a few tan bubbles have fucked off before I even finished pouring the brew. Smooth and slightly viscous palate, still has good fine minerally carbonation that arrests any perception of stodgyiness. Smooth rich malts, one of those Barleywines that blurs the edges with Imperial Stout town, there's a decent amount of malt chocolate here, dark and with a sweetness that suggests candy but is more than tempered by a strong er aged and savoury malt vibe. Tastes like many 1970s and 1980s beers opened recently, slightly boxy malts but here richer and fresher. Super ripe fruits come in and add richness towards the end which is also enlivened by some boozy spice. Another full on old skool delight from the Michigan stalwarts. More than holding their own against the 2nd and 3rd waves of the craft beer revolution. Delicious!

Bottle sourced from Drikbeer and drunk at home (23/09/2023) -Sweet malty with layers of sweet sticky caramel and toffee, dried fruit shred, brown sugar, medium body with low carbonation, this is not the BA version yet getting some almost port or bourbon like accents on the nose, spiced sweet warming malty finish.