Small yellowish rim over ruby-highlighted deepbrown beer. Vinous, liqueur-ish, brandy-like nose. Some roasted malts notes, a truckload of brandy/distilled notes, woody, oak, and, of course, specifically Bourbon. Immediately warming, vanilla and oak tinted taste, sweetened milk with brandy, raisins-smitten, and molasses, but the last blending in perfectly with fruity notes from all kinds of forbidden, exotic dark fruit. Rich, luxurious, viscous fluid; alcoholexplosion in the throat. This is a "lager" - bottomfermenting for the pro’s. I know scores of original Doppelbocks, that ought to look here to know how it could be done (better). Many, many thanks to RodgerD for this series

Pours viscous dark-brown, cloudy, with no sign of a head. Again old brandy casks, but nice ones, or even, the storage room in the distillery, smelling la part des anges . Black chocolate, but no bitterness in the aroma. Superb rich brandy taste, cake, Christmas pudding, raisins, rum-soaked sultana’s, oranges pricked with cloves on brandy. Sweet, syrupy but NOT cloying. Rich, velvety, syrupy MF, alcohol (and fusel-)burn. Ah - this one is as I like them to be. Great, luxurious, decadent. My type - like the kind of woman I cannot afford.

2006 bonus bottle from Stoutlover72 drunk on 3/8/07
My first bottle of Drakes. It’s been a long time coming. Fantastic appearance. One of those beers that initially looks like it’s going to pour a small, rapidly dissipating head, but then the head just keeps growing even after you’re finished pouring. Sloppy lacing all over the glass and very strong retention complete the picture. Head is a light coffee-brown atop a very dark tan body with some slight maroon-mahogany tints on the edges. Clarity is high with some light sediment left at the bottom of the bottle.
This was definitely one of the more unique beers I’ve had in terms of contrast between aroma and flavor. The aroma is dry, moderately bitter, floral and citric hops with a splash of pine tar, lightly juicy, but mostly crisp and dry. It leaves almost no trace of malt sweetness or even dark malts. Just a pinch of coffee aroma with warming, with a little bit of crusty brown bread. Definitely smells like an IPA and I wouldnt even guess the beer to be dark if I was smelling it blindly. Perhaps a bit too dry and leafy, overall, for my preferences. I’d like a bit more juiciness or fruitiness from the hops. But it’s still very sniffable and well-done.
Flavor. Wow, this is 180 degrees different than the aroma would suggest. Deep, deep, sumptuous maltiness for a brown ale. Rich chocolate, caramel and coffee notes all collect on the palate, with a very creamy, malty texture. Hops don’t dominate, yet are apparent enough in the flavor, without adding any overdone bitterness/acidity. Lightly juicy floral notes and some soft citrus tones all help add complexity and give it a distinctly West coast feel. Crunchy coffee and vanilla notes with just a slight bit of molasses dryness continue on the finish, with soft pale malt sugars lingering as well. If all Drakes beers are this well-malted and balanced in flavor, I’m in for a treat. No alcohol/flaws noted.