Bomber bought at De Caigny. The BBA version of this popular porter, waxed bottle neck and glossy label, clearly intended as a luxury beer. Pale yellowish beige, dense, very regular, creamy head, breaking in the middle but retaining endlessly on the edge; blackish robe with chestnut to reddish brown hue, not entirely opaque but still very dark. Rich sweet aroma rises up from the glass: molten milk chocolate, ’fondant’ chocolate sauce, quite subtle bourbon and equally subtle wood notes (furniture hidden somewhere under all that sweetness), vanilla (if not vanilla ice cream), nougat, Bailey’s, ’Haagse hopjes’, candied date, fudge, brandy, hint coconut candy, coffee with a lot of milk but soft coffee grounds suggestion as well, hazelnut oil, marzipan, much more subtle hints of bayleaf, dry tree leaves, cold tea bag, slight FFF somewhere, liquorish. Sweet onset (candied cherry, date, slight candied banana) balanced with a basic, dim sourishness underneath, low in umami flavors, softish carbo, very smooth, ’fat’, oily mouthfeel, creamy and filling. A creamy - and ever so slightly metallic - malt body flows effortlessly over the tongue, leaving behind sweet caramel, lightly nutty and again sweet (milk) chocolate flavors, probably just dark toasted malts blended with residual candi sugar sweetness, but dried a bit in the very end by some woody tannins as well as recognizably bourbon-like yet inoffensive alcohol, providing a lovely ’heart warming’ glow downwards after swallowing but also a faint burn on the lips so could have been better hidden; peppery hop bitterness is also left behind on the back of the tongue after swallowing, but subtly so. Perhaps a tad too sweet - even a bit cloying in the end, but otherwise a very enjoyable offering and a rich, opulent, generous example of imperial porter I will keep good memories of.

Can. Deep amber to copper colour. Moderate off-white head. Average retention. Nectary nose with notes of resin & grapefruit. Melon as well. Light to medium body. Average carbonation. Well balanced taste. Caramel malt sweetness cooperates with piny & grassy light to medium hop bitterness, that is however not that convincing at ending. Returnes on aftertaste. Generally very decent.

I hadn't had a rauch in awhile and then I saw Caldera Kettle Serie's Ür Bock Rauch for around a thousand yen for 650ml and figured I had to pick it up. Pouring a beautiful reddish Amber brown with a thick light beige head that lingers. The aroma is smokey honey glazed ham with some rich stone fruit notes. Full bodied with a raspy carbonation and a semi-sharp finish. The taste is smokey, oak, ham, honey, malt richness. I think Fujizakura tops this but it's a solid example of the style. ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone

Black with thin head. Aroma and flavour have plenty of vanilla. Also lots of dark roasted malts. Good stuff but not world class. Quite expensive too.

12 fl.oz can. Pours clear deep amber colour with a huge good lasting beige head. aroma of spruce, mild bitter hops, apricot. Taste of intense bitter hops, spruce, zest, apricot, long medium bitter finish.