Bottle with the hugest thanks to coyotehunter. Pours a reddish brown with a thin head quite a bit of carbonation and aromas of plum, wine, caramel and oxidation, but it’s fared pretty well considering its age. Flavor is sweet with lots of fruit and caramel malt. There us a little bit of chocolate that seems a bit out of place.

An amazing find just in time for the end of 2005 and the beginning of 2006. I had to open a bottle right away to make sure this beer isn’t pickled. The first "pffft" upon opening the cap was a relief. No noxious aromas on the pour. Beautiful. Success. The body is a bit light for a stout, a deep yet translucent garnet red-brown with dark yeast sediment taking gravity’s cue to the bottom of the glass. There’s even a thin ring of off-white carbonation clinging to the glass. The aroma is similar to a barleywine, with raisins, prune, and caramels backed by soy and toasty malts. A bit "aged" smelling and yeasty, but still pleasant. The body is nicely carbonated for a circa-1998 beer. Opens with the same prunes, raisin, and caramel, leading to faded esters and alcohol, leaving a somewhat charred, bitter aftertaste. I’m not sure how this beer changed over the years but it is more like a barleywine right now than a stout. I suspect this was well taken care of over the past seven years. I thought this was a real long-shot to find, but everybody’s capable of making an improbable shot.

Bottled, thanks Dr.Bill! Dark brown. Restrained malty nose. Caramelly and very malty with soft, velvetty texture. Toffee and salty bitterness in the finish. Well balanced and flavourful.