Bottle. A- Soft citrus, apples, grapes, white wine, roses, soft caramel. A- Golden orange color, clear liquid, minimal fizzy head. T- Subtle white grape, buttered rum, toffee, subtle oak, slight sweetness. P- Medium body, average texture, average carbonation, balanced finish. O- This is the kind of beer Empyrean needs to constantly brew to put them on the map. Between these Barrel Aged beers and the Carpe Brewem stuff they’ve show they can do good things. This had a lot of flavors and aromas going on, a lot of which I can’t wait figure out, but they’re delightful. That typical barleywine aroma is an example. Very good and a lot of subtle flavors. Can’t tell this is 11%. Overall, a solid offering.

5 oz tulip taster glass draft at the Burg and Barrel in Overland Park, Kansas. The pour is nitro brown black with a solid nitro light tan head. Thick coating on the glass as the beer drinks down. The aroma is soft roast along with a bit of sweetish toast. The taste is very Guinness like with soft char roast along with some softly sweet malt and a mineral finish. The palate is light bodied, oat silk, nitro flatness and the mineral finish. Decent as a Guinness tribute.

Draft at Old Chicago, Omaha, NE. Color is pitch black, thin lacing down the shaker glass. Aroma is burnt sugar, mild roast, dark chocolate and maybe coffee like tones.

The body is pretty good, fuller side of medium. The flavor is indeed sweet with lactose sugar noticeable under the chocolate and coffee grinds. Very little roasted malt, could use a tad more in that department. Sweet but not overly done. Pretty nice classic example of the style and easy to drink.

Draft. Color is nearly black, thin lasting white head and good lacing. Aroma is sun tale vanilla extract, mild roast, light chocolate.

Subtle vanilla throughout the entire sip. Body is normal for the style. Very subtle roasted malt. Mouthfeel is smooth and silky.

Sampled at a festival. Coffee stout. lots of coffee and also sweet. I get a little chocolate. the lactose works in this beer, and I do not always like this. This was solid. I did not pick up any barrel character.

From a 12 oz bottle. Pours a murky dark brown with an ecru head. Thin flavored with just a hint of vanilla.

From a 12 oz bottle. Pours a clear copper with an off white head. Aroma of alfalfa. Floral flavors. Bitter finish.

12 ounce bottle into pint glass, best before 1/2016. Pours slightly hazy deep reddish brown color with a 1-2 finger dense light khaki head with good retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Light spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of caramel, toffee, brown sugar, toasted biscuit, light nuttiness/chocolate, plum, pear, apple, and herbal/toasted earthiness. Nice and pleasant aromas with good balance and complexity of dark/bready/roast malt and light-moderate fruity yeast/earthy hop notes; with solid strength. Taste of caramel, toffee, brown sugar, toasted biscuit, light nuttiness/chocolate, plum, pear, apple, and herbal/toasted earthiness. Light herbal/spicy/roast bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of caramel, toffee, brown sugar, toasted biscuit, light nuttiness/chocolate, and herbal/toasted earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Nice complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready/roast malt and light-moderate fruity yeast/earthy hop flavors; with a great malt/bitterness balance and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Medium carbonation and body; with a very smooth, fairly creamy/bready, and slightly sticky/chalky mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with zero warming present after the finish. Overall this is a nice English brown ale style. All around good robustness, complexity, and balance of dark/bready/roast malt and light-moderate fruity yeast/earthy hop flavors; and very smooth and easy to drink. A nicely enjoyable offering.

12 ounce bottle into pint glass, best before 9/2015. Pours lightly hazy very dark brown color with a 1-2 finger dense khaki head with good retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a moderate amount of streaming carbonation retaining the cap. Aromas of milk chocolate, cocoa, coffee, vanilla, toast, brown sugar, brown bread, light dark fruit, and herbal/toasted earthiness. Okay aromas with solid balance and complexity of dark/roast/bready malt, vanilla, and light earthy hop notes; with very poor strength. Taste of milk chocolate, cocoa, coffee, vanilla, toast, brown sugar, brown bread, light dark fruit, and herbal/toasted earthiness. Light herbal/roasted bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of milk chocolate, cocoa, coffee, vanilla, brown bread, and herbal/toasted earthiness on the finish for a short bit. Good balance, robustness, and complexity of dark/roast/bready malt, vanilla, and light earthy hop flavors; with a good malt/bitterness balanced and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Medium carbonation and body; with a very smooth, fairly creamy/bready, and slightly chalky mouthfeel that is good. Alcohol is very well hidden with zero warming present after the finish. Overall this is was a pretty solid English porter style. All around good complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malt, vanilla, and light earthy hop flavors; and very smooth and easy to drink. The aromas were nearly non existent, but the flavors were well done and pleasantly enjoyable.