Subsidiaries
8.3/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8.5
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
Bottle at home, 2nd January 26. Pours a dark yellow golden brown. Aroma is barrel, vinous, caramel and dark fruits. Taste is smooth, dark fruits, caramel, sweet, wood and liquor, slight vinous
Tried
from Bottle
on 03 Jan 2026
at 12:47
8.4/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8.5
Flavor 8
Texture 9
Overall 8.5
Bought from Bine and Vine, bottle #8811.
Pours a clear beautiful amber with a fine layer of foam. Some lacing, retention is quite good.
The smell is oaky, fruity with dark fruits and apples, caramel malt sweetness. Great aromas.
The taste is sweet up front from caramel, almost honey like, oak is there bringing a charred aspect, apples that bring a slight tartness, but that French oak seems to be the star of the show.
Aboot full bodied, adequate carbonation, it seems to have a dryness that I didn't recognize before.
I would drink this again.
Pours a clear beautiful amber with a fine layer of foam. Some lacing, retention is quite good.
The smell is oaky, fruity with dark fruits and apples, caramel malt sweetness. Great aromas.
The taste is sweet up front from caramel, almost honey like, oak is there bringing a charred aspect, apples that bring a slight tartness, but that French oak seems to be the star of the show.
Aboot full bodied, adequate carbonation, it seems to have a dryness that I didn't recognize before.
I would drink this again.
Tried
from Bottle
on 28 Dec 2025
at 15:02
8.5/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 9
Texture 9
Overall 8.5
Bottle thanks to allmyvinyl.
Appearance - deep amber to brown with not much head.
Nose - raisins and figs. Mixed peel, possiby some spice. Chewy toffee and honey.
Taste - luscious figs and raisins immersed in honey and caramel.
Palate - medium to full bodied, sweet and luscious. Sweet finish.
Overall -
Appearance - deep amber to brown with not much head.
Nose - raisins and figs. Mixed peel, possiby some spice. Chewy toffee and honey.
Taste - luscious figs and raisins immersed in honey and caramel.
Palate - medium to full bodied, sweet and luscious. Sweet finish.
Overall -
Tried
from Bottle
on 28 Dec 2025
at 13:43
8.4/10
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Appearance 7
Aroma 8.5
Flavor 9
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
From Bine and Vine, bottle #26709.
Pours a clear amber with a tiny head of foam that shrinks quickly to a small island in the middle and ring around the glass.
It smells of caramel malt, dark fruits, brown sugar, bits of vanilla and maple syrup.
The taste is includes all that I listed in the smell. Alcohol is noticeable. No sense of any bitterness or tartness. Wonderfully sweet and complex.
Not quite full bodied with good carbonation despite the lack of foam, I would drink this again.
Pours a clear amber with a tiny head of foam that shrinks quickly to a small island in the middle and ring around the glass.
It smells of caramel malt, dark fruits, brown sugar, bits of vanilla and maple syrup.
The taste is includes all that I listed in the smell. Alcohol is noticeable. No sense of any bitterness or tartness. Wonderfully sweet and complex.
Not quite full bodied with good carbonation despite the lack of foam, I would drink this again.
Tried
from Bottle
on 25 Dec 2025
at 14:59
8.3/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 9
Texture 8
Overall 8
2025 Bottle. As in 2024 this edition is on French Oak.
Nose is toffee, apples, hint of caramel, pear drops, earthy note. Taste leads sweet, then a hit of a tart vinous, sherry note, leading to caramel, nuts, bread, prunes, stewed fruit pear drops, spice, woody barrel, in a drier than expected and spicy finish.
Lovely.
Nose is toffee, apples, hint of caramel, pear drops, earthy note. Taste leads sweet, then a hit of a tart vinous, sherry note, leading to caramel, nuts, bread, prunes, stewed fruit pear drops, spice, woody barrel, in a drier than expected and spicy finish.
Lovely.
Tried
on 25 Dec 2025
at 00:58
8.6/10
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Appearance 7
Aroma 9
Flavor 9
Texture 9
Overall 8.5
275ml bottle from The Hop Shop, Aberdeen - clear copper body with no head. Lots of boozy fruit cake and malt loaf vibes, really solid dried stone fruit taste, prunes, dates. Warming and fun.
Tried
from Bottle
from
Westhill Service Station (Hop Shop Aberdeen)
on 24 Dec 2025
at 20:41
9/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 10
Texture 10
Overall 9
cask at the Jolly Judge ...deep amber ...thin white lacing soft sweet caramel crystal toffee nose ..big juicy sweet fruit ...soft sweet caramel toffee fruit nose
Tried
on 21 Dec 2025
at 14:57
7.8/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7.5
Flavor 8.5
Texture 8
Overall 8
From Bine and Vine bottle #41091.
Pours murky rust brown with ever so few foam islands. It still managed a wee bit of lacing.
The smell is oxidation with lots of non sweet caramel, toffee, leather, wood.
The taste is caramel malt, sweeter than what the smell suggested, toffee, leather, dark pitted fruit that didn't bring any vinous notes. Even the oxidation that I mentioned in the smell is muted. Yay.
The mouthfeel is full, no carbonation but I reckon that I don't miss or need it here.
Overall, I am very pleased.
Pours murky rust brown with ever so few foam islands. It still managed a wee bit of lacing.
The smell is oxidation with lots of non sweet caramel, toffee, leather, wood.
The taste is caramel malt, sweeter than what the smell suggested, toffee, leather, dark pitted fruit that didn't bring any vinous notes. Even the oxidation that I mentioned in the smell is muted. Yay.
The mouthfeel is full, no carbonation but I reckon that I don't miss or need it here.
Overall, I am very pleased.
Tried
from Bottle
on 20 Dec 2025
at 14:39
8.8/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 10
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 9
Bottle. Nose is outrageous, fruit cake, figs, port, almonds, brandy, brown sugar, cherry, hints of red wine, lightly nutty. Taste is boozy, brandy, almonds, fruity, hints of cherry, cough syrup, touch of pear drops, a little spice, stewed fruit Christmas cake. Its a sweet, brandy and fruit finish.
The barrel is very prominent, but it works so well. This is an outstanding beer.
The barrel is very prominent, but it works so well. This is an outstanding beer.
Tried
on 15 Dec 2025
at 22:57
9.1/10
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Appearance 9
Aroma 9
Flavor 9.5
Texture 9
Overall 9
Bottle no #00916. Nose is sherry, hint of blasamic which quickly fades, stewed fruit, raisins, spice, fruit cake. Taste is honey, spice, hint of summer fruits, caramel, leading to stewed fruits, pear drops, almond, faintest hint of marzipan, more caramel, hint of dough in the finish, touch of fudge and then a slight balsamic / sherry note in the finish which stops it being cloying.
This is even better than I remember the 2024 edition. Genuinely brilliant beer, best I've had in a very long time. Subtle well balanced, bursting with complex flavours. Exceptional.
This is even better than I remember the 2024 edition. Genuinely brilliant beer, best I've had in a very long time. Subtle well balanced, bursting with complex flavours. Exceptional.
Tried
on 13 Dec 2025
at 21:47