2003 bottle The beer centers around a strong alcohol taste and very bitter. Has hints of fruit in the aftertaste. But the fruit and alcohol are what make this beer sell and it really is a monster. 6/3/6/4/15.

Re-rate: very special keg, at Blind Tiger, 1998 vintage, 9 years old at the time I drank it. I always wondered how this would age and again was very surprised to see another Brooklyn beer age wonderfully. It has really subsided in the alcohol department and became a mellow sipper. The bitterness has gone down, probably due to the hops, which are not present anymore. Very British-esque barleywine with caramel and light alcohol raisin inherit to the style. I would have never guessed its this old, no sign of age at all. It’s not earth shattering and I do not like it fresh so it is definitely a step up.7/3/7/4/15.

Nice hazy yellow colour with a pale white head which dissolved VERY quickly. Served with a lemon at a bar (from draught). Smells bland as any other wheats would. The taste is almost exactly like the smell. No yeastyness, no complex taste and worst of all, no 'wheatie' characteristics! Worth a shot, but not a great wheat by any mean.

Jet-black, no transparancy. Dark brown, creamy head, very stable. Nose: chocolate, indeed, mocca, sweet. Also burnt barley. Very outspoken burnt taste, cigar ashes. Retronasal, it is ever so clear black chocolate, as if it were added. The malt sweetness here is completely masked by the roasted malt bitterness. Very thick mouthfeel. Alcohol remains hidden. Aftertaste gives bitterness again, both the chocolate and the malt, but I seem to get some hops here too. No doubt this is a very nice beer, from a very nice guy. But compared to some other Imperial Stouts (Harveys, DFH, Bass) I find it a bit onedimensional.

A black beer with a chocolate brwon head unfortunatly it disappears quite fast. The aroma is nice; sweet, smoked, and acidic. The flavor is fantastic; smooth, yet powerful, chocolate, smoke, dryness and woodyness - gives it character.

A dark brown, almost too dark to look thru, beer with a nice light brown head. The aroma is very sweet - like most Brooklyn brews. The flavor is acidic, sweet at first, but then the chocolate, smoke, dryness, and woodiness hits you - great flavor. OK palate - great at first and end - but a little weak in the middle.

Probably the finest American-made dry stout I've had. Tastes very similar to Guinness, but without the bitterness. Slight chocolate undertones with a nice, dry finish.

Dark in colour, but not completely opaque. Definate malty aroma throughout. Good taste, slightly hoppy, but definately malty!! A good overall beer, not overwhelming like a normal Stout, but clean enough to drink a couple of!

A dark orange beer with a fine head. The aroma is fruity and yeasty. The flavor is sharp, lightly sweet and nice bitter - very filling for an IPA

2012 Vintage Bottle: Nice crisp ruby and copper coloured body with a thin, oily tan head. Aroma of deep pit fruits, alcohol, oak, malt, scotch, cognac, brown sugar and some mild metallic notes. Full-bodied; Deep rich oaky and whiskey flavours at first with some pit fruits, malt, vanilla and light herbal notes throughout showing a good complexity. Aftertaste focuses more on the cognac, whiskey and toffee than anything else - some pit fruits and a bit of earth, but that’s about it. Overall, a nice barley wine for sure, but still showing some rough edges despite ~two years in the bottle. I sampled this twelve ounce bottle purchased from Whole Foods in Washington (Foggy Bottom), DC on 10-January-2014 for US$2.49 sampled at home in Washington on 12-March-2014. 2012 Bottle // Purchased January 2014 // Sampled March 2014 This Rating: 8,4,8,3,15 -- Original Rating: Nice deep amber colour with no head--but that could be from the still pour. Aroma is very nice, detectable sweetness and a whole bunch of fruits! Nice taste, somewhat ’woody’ and ’piney’, but a nice overall taste, albeit a bit strong even for eleven percent abv. Definately worth a try though, especially for < $3 in a bottle at home! Rating for this sample: 8,4,7,3,15

Comments A amber beer with a fine head. A nice malty sweet aroma. And a filling nice malt sweet and slightly bitter beer. A great pale ale.