On tap. Pours black with moderate tan head. Aromas of oak and coffee. Flavors of green oak, dark spice, raw bourbon, dried coffee and dried roasted malts. Spice seems to accentuate the oak. Dry.

Bomber received in trade. Thank you Bytemesis! Pours oily pitch black with a creamy mocha head that leaves a small trace on the glass while dissipating. Smell is malty and slightly spicy with roasted malts, burnt caramel, freshly baked cinnamon buns, chocolate chip cookie batter, Schwarzwald cake, vanilla fudge, charred wood, dark roast coffee, luxurious dark chocolate, toasted coconut, cardamom, nutmeg, moist soil and bourbon alcohol. Taste is sweet, bitter, malty and slightly spicy. Mouthfeel is soft, fat, velvety, round, tiny spicy and roasted astringent, slightly boozy and full bodied. Finish is sweet and bitter with roasted malts, burnt caramel, freshly baked cinnamon buns and gingerbread, vanilla fudge, charred wood, dark roast coffee, dark chocolate, toasted coconut, cardamom, nutmeg, allspice, hay, moist soil and bourbon alcohol. Fat rich luxurious chocolate cake with coffee, bourbon and just the right amount of spices. Loving Kentucky Dark Star with a passion I was afraid this would be it but ruined by insane spice use. This is not that! This is Kentucky Dark Star with gently added spices adding some insane complexity to the beer. It’s not better than the perfect base beer but this is insanely good and a very interesting take. Bloody hell...

To the right. Damn!!! Almost as good as regular Kentucky dark star but with the added complexity of spices who both add to and deduct to it.

Bottle. Pours black tan head. Nose/taste of vanilla, cinnamon, oak, clove, spices, roast chocolate, bourbon and flaked oats. Medium body.

Thank you, Sebastian.
This was poured into a snifter.
The appearance was a nice looking dark brown close to black color with a slim half finger off white foamy head that dissipated within about a minute. Light lacing skimmed the glass nicely and slid into the body.
The smell had a nice dark sweet malty light cocoa to sweet roasted coffee with a bit of a dark chocolate embodying a nice depth of vanilla and cinnamon.
The taste was sweet and took the spice to the underside to balance. It’s quite sticky in the aftertaste but leads to a slightly sticky yet spiced finish.
On the palate, this one sat about a medium on the body with a mostly sipping quality about it. It’s practically perfectly carbonated. Oh wow!
Overall, this is probably one the best bourbon barrel aged oatmeal stouts I’ve ever had. Move over Firestone Walker’s Velvet Merkin, new kid in town.

On tap at Seattle Winter Beer Festival 2014, pours black with a small brown head. Aroma is very spicy, with bourbon, and vanilla. Flavour is heavy, with notes of bourbon, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla. Thankfully, the spices aren't too dominating. The base beer's wonderful was remains. Excellent, but my least favourite of the KDS's.