Magus, mõru, kohvi, kookos, kakao, nats mesine. Ok.

One of many dozens of Eclipse variants – there is just no beginning nor ending to this series, it seems. I stumble upon these (rather expensive) bottles every now and then – this one, now a five year old vintage, generously shared by Steve – but I have given up to try and maintain some sort of overview. Yellowish beige, mousy, medium thick head, opening and lacing in dots over a black beer with very thin mahogany edges. Aroma of soy sauce, melting black chocolate, very old dried coconut flakes, dried porcini, bayleaf, beef stock cubes, roasted walnuts in an old and faded way, cinnamon, nutmeg, marmite, whisky, cigars, dry peat. Quite pronounced umami in the onset, soy sauce-like due to age I assume, beef stock, but also sweet blackberry jam and fig notes, softly carbonated with a full, oily body; ‘deep’ and viscous pecan-nutty maltiness, lots of black chocolate and cold black coffee bitterness with umami and sweetness continuing (again, soy sauce); the coconut flakes that were apparently used here, are still noticeable in a faded, almost ‘soapy’ and sweetish nougat-like way, but only distantly so, with very little of the retronasal coconut effect I was hoping for. Marmite-, molasses-, bayleaf- and porcini-like flavours fill the finish along with woody notes and a strong bourbon-like heat (yet no overtly unpleasant wryness), peppery hops pop up and bitterness becomes more pronounced, but the sweet and umami effects linger on as well. Not lacking in complexity, a very solid stout as usual in this series, classically shaped at least in American context – but probably a bit too old already, with too much soy sauce effect and not enough coconut effect.

Bottle at Hair of the Dog, Phrom Phong, Bangkok. 2018 version. Poured a clear dark brown colour with little life. The aroma is roasty malt, liqouirce, big coconut, light red berry fruits. The flavour is moderate sweet with a smooth, rich, slightly oily, coconut, liqouirce, boozy alcohol palate. Full bodied with flat carbonation. Love the coconut. Awesome. Shame I didn’t have a bottle to myself!