9

Appearance - 10 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 10 | Overall - 9

draft - Thin, long lasting head, some lacing. Aroma of roast malt and bourbon. Pours opaque, pretty much black. Tastes lightly carbonated with a nice, full body. The malt and hops are well balanced. Roasted malt, coffee, and chocolate flavors as is typical for the style, but the barrel aging makes a huge difference as the bourbon flavor really comes through. Very smooth, nice and warming, and leaves a pleasant malty finish. The bartender tells me the alcohol content is over 10%. If that’s accurate, wow, it doesn’t taste like it. Well done. The dec. 08 version was every bit as good with smooth, wonderfully balanced bourbon. World class is right.