8.5

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

Bottle pours with dark mahogany colored body that supports a thin ring of bubbles. The aroma offers up smooth malts bleeding into vanilla and then a dash of dark fruity esters mixed with nuttiness. The taste delivers rich smooth maltiness and sweet supple vanilla goodness. The vanilla treatment enhances the experience rather than hinders it. Another sip reveals a thin layer of nuttiness in there too that has a crystal malt like edge to it. This remains balanced and smooth right into the finish. Well executed.