Billie's Craft Beer Fest 2023, Saturday. Hazy purple red beer with a purple head. Aroma and Taste of red berries, blackcurrant, grapes, dry tart finish.

Blend of barrel aged strong stouts flavoured with vanilla, cinnamon and toasted hazelnuts; sampled at BCBF. Greyish-tinged beige, large-bubbled but loosely knit, open head on a pitch black robe. Aroma of caramel liqueur, cognac, black chocolate bars, Baileys, toffee, wet toast, hazelnut indeed, less cinnamon and even less vanilla, though still there. Sweet, syrupy onset, fig jam and candied dates, vague umami accent (Japanese soy sauce) with softish carb and very full, oily body; black chocolate, nougat, hazelnut paste and roasted walnut flavours ensue, with a coffeeish edge in the end without going all roasted bitter; hints of sticky plum jam, fudge and Chocotoff candy appear before a long, warming cognac-tinged boozy finish sets in, never thinning or burning – absorbed as it is by that thick dark syrupiness that makes up the core of this blend. Reminiscent of The Bruery’s Mélange series, among others, though perhaps a tad less refined.

Pours slightly unclear blonde. No real head. Scent is sweaty, lactic acid. Taste is mildly tart, sweaty, mild fruityness. Very mild. not great, but not bad. A very forgeteable beer.

Minimal säuerlicher Beginn, fast wässrig. Cremig, süffig, langweilig, kein Nachgeschmack. 14/6/9/7//7

Saison that is blended and clearly sour. But it is a lovely neutral. . __Billies craft beer fest 2023__

75cl bottle @ monthly tasting, Chez Sophie, May 23. Thanks Mike for this. Hazed deep purple appearance with a thin purple-tinged head. Red grape juice comes through prominently on the nose, continuing to influence the overall character of the beer nicely with a gentle sweetness. Measured sour edge. Doesn't taste anywhere near 9.4%. Really nice.