Got in a trade with larryi86. 750 ml bottle into tulip glass, bottled in 8/2019. Pours fairly hazy deep reddish orange/copper/amber color with a 1-2 finger fairly dense and fluffy light pink head with good retention, that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a moderate amount of streaming carbonation retaining the cap. Aromas of big juicy/tart/tangy black currant, blueberry, fruit skin/seed, lemon, lime, orange, peach, plum, pear, melon, apricot, red/green apple, red grape/wine, tequila, agave, peat smoke, leather, brine, hay, straw, grass, wheat, cracker, white bread; with light notes of peppercorn, lacto funk, and yeast earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of black currant, blueberry, fruity/acidic yeast, mezcal barrels, and moderate pale/wheat malt notes; with big strength. Taste of big juicy/tart/tangy black currant, blueberry, fruit skin/seed, lemon, lime, orange, peach, plum, pear, melon, apricot, red/green apple, red grape/wine, tequila, agave, peat smoke, leather, brine, hay, straw, grass, wheat, cracker, white bread; with light notes of peppercorn, lacto funk, and yeast earthiness. Light fruity/lactic tartness, fruit tang, and oak tannin spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of tart/tangy black currant, blueberry, fruit skin/seed, lemon, lime, orange, peach, plum, pear, melon, apricot, red/green apple, red grape/wine, tequila, agave, peat smoke, leather, brine, hay, straw, grass, wheat, cracker, white bread, light peppercorn/lacto funk, and yeast earthiness on the finish for a while. Awesome complexity, robustness, and balance of black currant, blueberry, fruity/acidic yeast, mezcal barrels, and moderate pale/wheat malt flavors; with an awesome malt/tartness, tangy fruit, and oak spiciness balance; with no puckering/astringent flavors after the finish. Light-moderate increasing dryness from lingering tart/tangy/spiciness. Medium carbonation and light-medium body; with a very smooth, moderately creamy/grainy, and fairly crisp/acidic/tangy/tannic mouthfeel that is great. Zero warming alcohol for 6%, with minimal lingering barrel booze after the finish. Overall this is an awesome fruited barrel aged kettle sour. All around awesome complexity, robustness, and balance of black currant, blueberry, fruity/acidic yeast, mezcal barrels, and moderate pale/wheat malt flavors; very smooth and easy to drink with the mellowly acidic/tangy/tannic/drying finish; nicely soft, and mellowly lactic/tannic. Awesome balance of juicy/jammy fruit, lacto complexity, and barrels; with great pale/wheat malt backbone against acidity. Mild residual sweetness with crisp acidic/tangy/tannic dryness. A really enjoyable, and impressive style example. This was very interesting, never had mezcal before. Similar to tequila, but with a smoky scotch character.

Got in a trade with larryi86. 750 ml bottle into snifter, no bottle dating. Pours opaque dark brown/black color with a 2 finger dense and rocky khaki head with fantastic retention, that reduces to a large cap that lasts. Nice dense foamy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Fantastic appearance. Aromas of big dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, molasses, toffee, roasted nuts, toasted biscuit, and dark bread/crust; with lighter notes of vanilla, licorice, raisin, prune, fig, date, smoke, charcoal, wood, herbal, grass, peppercorn, pine, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of dark/roast/black/bready malts and light-moderate earthy hop/fruity yeast notes; with big strength. Taste of huge dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, molasses, toffee, roasted nuts, toasted biscuit, and dark bread/crust; with lighter notes of vanilla, licorice, raisin, prune, fig, date, smoke, charcoal, wood, herbal, grass, peppercorn, pine, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness. Light-moderate pine, herbal, grassy, peppery, roast/charred bitterness on the finish. Lingering notes of dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, molasses, toffee, roasted nuts, toasted biscuit, dark bread/crust, vanilla, licorice, dark fruit, smoke, charcoal, wood, herbal, grass, peppercorn, pine, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Incredible complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/black/bready malts and light-moderate earthy hop/fruity yeast flavors; with a fantastic hop/char bitter/sweet balance; and no cloying/acrid/astringent flavors after the finish. Lightly increasing dryness from lingering hop/char bitterness. Medium carbonation and fairly full body; with a very smooth, creamy/silky/velvety/bready, and fairly sticky/chalky mouthfeel that is fantastic. Slight lingering resins though the glass. Mild increasing warmth of 9.5% after the finish. Overall this is an incredible Russian imperial stout. All around fantastic complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/black/bready malts and light-moderate earthy hop/fruity yeast flavors; very smooth and dangerously easy to sip on for the big ABV, with the mellowly bitter/charred/drying finish. Amazingly soft/silky feel for the ABV, not overly bitter/charred. Amazingly well rounded rich dark/black/roast/bready English malts; great earthy hop presence/balance, and restrained fruity yeast. Light residual sweetness with lingering hop/char bitter dryness. A highly enjoyable offering, and amazingly spot on style example. Reminds me of North Coast Old Rasputin a lot, but way toned down on the bitter hops.

5th Dimension for the win! Classic shiznit. Hazy as.