7.6/10
β
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Pours jet black into an English pint. Tan head recedes to skim surface. Milk chocolate and smoke aromas. Oily and slightly thin with upfront espresso and a lasting sour, roasted chocolate finish. Lots of flavor for 4%.
Tried
on 11 Sep 2007
at 20:41
7.8/10
β
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 8
No head, near-black beer with red highlights. Sourish, alcohol, fusels, ink, chestnuts or other nuts, apricot brandy aromas, great. Vinous flavour, liquorice, old cherries, plums. Chocolate (-malt). Fully slick and heavy body. Superb beer, impressive.
Tried
on 09 Sep 2007
at 15:31
7.2/10
β
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
Black hole colouring, no head. Heather and a some esters, sherry, licorice. Dusty malt. Mellow slick mouthfeel.
Tried
on 08 Sep 2007
at 06:49
6.4/10
β
Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
Cask@GBBF2007. Yellow colour, big creamy white head. Aroma is herbs, hoppy fruits and some vegetables. Flavour is very wooden, hoppy (flowery and fruity) along with grass and slight burnt notes. Leaves a nice wooden and flowery flavour in the aftertaste.
Tried
from Cask
on 04 Sep 2007
at 01:09
7.8/10
β
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
Bottle RBESG 07 ... Dark Black ... No doubt whiskey in nose ... SLight sourness ... rich and deep fruity malt ... wouldnt think 10% ... little spirit in linger.Independant rate a week later bottle at home.deep solid black;lots of roast malts, lovely smooth rich malts,syrupy toffee malts with a nice slight sour edge3.8Tk3 Bottle at home nov08... Deep black ... rich meaty roast malts nose ... light vanilla roast ... no real whiskey present ... lovely deep deep flavour ... sevr smooth ... medium to low carbonation ... medium to heavy body 4.0cask .... dark black thin tan head ...soft roast ...meaty toffee malt nose .... sweet toffee ... little chocolate ... definit whiskey this time ... soft roast ... light bitter ... rich and heavy .... almost a little honey 3.8cask at SRAF ... dark black ... thin tan head ... soft roast whiskey nose ... too thin ... to much whiskey up front ... light roast malts ... 3.4 Bottle at home ... Gyle 2... deep black ... thin lacing ... soft toffee chocolate roast ... light whiskey nose ... dark roast malt ... dark chocolate ...definite whiskey ... body a little thin ... 3.9
Bottle at home gyle 2 drunk on train feb 2015...deep black.. Thin tan lacing... Soft chocolate.. Heavy roast malts nose... Treacle... Bitter chocolate... Light bitter blackcurrant... Tiny oxidation... Light whisky tones 4.1
Cask at herriot watt beer festival 2025 ...dark black thin tan lacing ...soft sweet caramel roast ..soft whiskey nose ..dark chocolate roast malts ..soft vanilla chocolate ..soft whisky 3.8
Cask at the blue blazer ...dark black ...thick tan head ..(looks great )..soft sweet woody chocolate roast malts ..soft woody chocolate roast malts nose ..mellow 4.1
Bottle at home gyle 2 drunk on train feb 2015...deep black.. Thin tan lacing... Soft chocolate.. Heavy roast malts nose... Treacle... Bitter chocolate... Light bitter blackcurrant... Tiny oxidation... Light whisky tones 4.1
Cask at herriot watt beer festival 2025 ...dark black thin tan lacing ...soft sweet caramel roast ..soft whiskey nose ..dark chocolate roast malts ..soft vanilla chocolate ..soft whisky 3.8
Cask at the blue blazer ...dark black ...thick tan head ..(looks great )..soft sweet woody chocolate roast malts ..soft woody chocolate roast malts nose ..mellow 4.1
Tried
from Bottle
on 01 Sep 2007
at 09:44
9.6/10
β
Appearance 10
Aroma 10
Flavor 9
Texture 10
Overall 9.5
Rerate, 750 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 10%. Brewed 23rd Sept. 2008, bottled 10th Dec. 2008. Pitch black colour, moderate brown head. The aroma is still vinous (sherry), oaky and roasty - also notes of chocolate, vanilla, figs and dates, hints of Christmas spices. Full and rich mouthfeel. The flavour has loads of malty sweetness, a moderate roastiness, oaky and vinous notes (sherry and/or port), some chocolate and a hint of liquorice. Moderate hops in the finish. Terrific beer! Original rating: Bottle, at RBESG 2007 in Glasgow, Grand Tasting. ABV was 10%. Pitch black colour, brown head. Lovely vinous, oaky and roasty aroma, some sandalwood too. Perfect! Vinous, roasty and oaky flavour - a wonderful beer!
Tried
from Bottle
on 31 Aug 2007
at 14:09
5.5/10
β
Appearance 6
Aroma 5
Flavor 5
Texture 6
Overall 6
Bottle from Peckhams, Glasgow. Ruby red with lasting beige head. Aroma of dry malt and red berries are good, with some hop. A little bit of chalk. Doesnβt really work in the bottle. Good aroma, rest is disappointing. Some milk choc.
Tried
from Bottle
on 31 Aug 2007
at 10:59
7.5/10
β
Appearance 8
Aroma 9
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
Cask (return system) at The Abbotsford, Edinburgh. Copper to chestnut coloured beer, moderate head. Lovely malty aroma with loads of butterscotch. The flavour is malty with plenty of caramel and some butterscotch, low bitterness.
Tried
from Cask
on 31 Aug 2007
at 10:52
6.4/10
β
Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
Bottle at RBESG 2007. Very deep ruby/black with tan head. Very oily, intense. Good aroma, thick in mouth, biting sour/saltiness. Like licking a beach thatβs had an oil slick spilt on it. Hot alcohol. I wrote "pretty unstable," rather than pretty unsubtle, but I like the unstable bit.
Tried
from Bottle
on 31 Aug 2007
at 10:07
7.8/10
β
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7
Bottled at RBESG β07. Near black. Woody nose with some vinegar. Oily yet fairly slim. Sweet malt tartened by malt vinegarVinous with notes of molasses. Salty finish. Complex, or even complicated. Yet immature - already highly interesting and tasty.
Tried
from Bottle
on 31 Aug 2007
at 02:47