Black. Medium palate. Tall, lacing foam. Light bourbon in the flavor and aroma. No so much that it ruins the beer. Sort of delicate, and subdued flavors. Enjoyable.

Bottle. Short, off-white head, mostly diminishing atop a hazy ruby brown body. The aroma was heavy with candi sugar and dark fruits, plum and fig. Notes of caramel, cherry and a hint of clove and mustiness. The flavor was moderately to heavily sweet and lightly bitter. It finished moderately sweet and lightly to moderately bitter with some hot alcohol throughout. A vinegary taste floats underneath the sweet, almost cloying, flavor. Medium to full body with a smooth texture. Modedrate carbonation. Good, but the flavors do not blend together as well as they do with the best of the Belgian strong ales.

Another rare bottle from Acknud. Pours opaque brown/black with a 4-finger dark tan head. Primary aroma is coffee! Secondary aroma is chocolate. Full bodied with creamy/frothy carbonation. Flavor is coffee, coffee, darkly toasted malt, coffee, and I can’t taste anything else. It moderates, but finishes quite coffee. This is a good kick in the head stout. Arguably underrated.

Just another fantastic bottle from Acknud. Or so I expect. Here goes: Poured really black with quit a dark tan head. It’s the aroma of smooth burnt toasted malt. Full bodied with almost chewy carbonation. Flavor is suggestive of those expensive Paradox barrel stouts. Notes of chocolate, wood, bourbon and vanilla. Whoops. I just figured out why barrel is in the name. Finishes smooth and somewhat astringent - or maybe that’s my mouth trying to suck up the last flavor bits from my gums. Seriously, it is very good. Right in there with the Paradox and arguably much above Old Engine Oil Special Reserve. Hoosiers definitely rule.

Vanity, what is vanity, is it wanting to rate a beer with the word Beastie in it just because your internet screen name is beastiefan2k. Nah. But I did want to try this at GABF, but never got around to it with all the other good beers around. Then a shining opportunity came when Schroppfy rated this and well he had a bottle for me to rate, score! Well, this pours completely black and very thick. The visible thickness of the beer is a welcomed surprise. The head is small but strong with a sticky thick lacing. The head itself is a nice brown color. The aroma has a lot of chocolate and strong wood alcohol essence but the alcohol is not too strong for the thick, lightly roasted stout-y aspects. Also there is a thick cereal sweetness. In the taste that wood alcohol essence grows, so it interferes with the other chocolate flavors. However, the my favorite part is the mouthfeel on this brew. Its just so thick and lusciously velvety. There is a reduced carbonation and it is tongue coating. I feel like the Venom’s alien symbiote is taking over my tongue. This is probably the best BA low alcohol beer I have ever had, not much competition there though. Hmmm... now I need the Beastie Barrel Porter, damn my vanity.
12oz bottle into a Chimay miniature goblet.

Bottle. Black with dark tan, wispy head, mostly diminishing. Aroma of dark chocolate, roasted malts, vanilla and a hint of bourbon and oak. The flavor is moderately sweet, lightly to moderately acidic and lightly bitter. It finishes moderately bitter. Tastes of sweet chocolate with a nice touch of bourbon. Medium body with a creamy texture and moderate carbonation. Very slight metallic aftertaste with its dry, roasted malt finish. Good.

12 ounce bottle shared by CrellMOset. Thanks! Pours a deep red color wioth a medium head. Poor head retention and lacing. Aroma of caramel, candi sugar, pear and other fruit notes. Taste is assertive hops, huge malts, including brown sugar and toffee, as well as raisin and other dark fruits. Very sticky texture. Medium bodied.

Thanks to decaturstevo for sharing this one at his Februmergency Tasting. Deep gold body with a whit head. Toasty, nutty (almost peanuty) malty aroma. Nutty with a nice bitter balance.

Golden-brown colour. The aroma is heavy on the molasses and alcohol. Sweet, figgy taste with hints of piloncillo and tobacco. Chocolate and overripe pear in the finish. Not bad.

2008 Bottle thanks to bu11zeye. Pours with a creamy, thick light brown head and great lacing. Hazy brown body. Aroma of bananas, chocolate, toffee and a bit of dried cranberry. Taste is a bit metallic with dark fruits and spice. Bitter Finish. Syrupy mouthfeel with light bubbles.