One of several barrel aged versions of Laugar's classic imperial stout Aupa Tovarisch, this time for more than a year on port barrels. Medium sized, regular, mocha-beige, bit creamy, small-bubbled, opening head on a pitch black robe. Intense bouquet of chocolate liqueur, tawny port, liquor-filled Belgian chocolates, toffee, candied cherries, Irish coffee, vanilla (oak wood), cashew nut paste or even hazelnuts, brandy, shoe polish, espresso, fresh paint, liquorice, almonds, green banana somewhere, soy sauce, Poire William, figs soaked in 'jenever', vague hints of charcoal, black pepper and glue. Concentrated onset, sweet but not overly so, candied cherry, blueberry jam and fig, vague sourish edge and a very light and brief touch of umami (beef stock) gone again in an instant; soft carb, full oily mouthfeel but thinned by booziness already in an early stage. Slick black-chocolatey, walnutty and toasty maltiness with a toffeeish edge, sweetish but immediately with a roasty-bitter element to it which increases towards the finish, becoming black coffee-ish in the end, when everything is dried by woody tannins and soaked in quite strong booze - not feeling that port-like at all, more calvados- or even gin-like, though the port does push through retronasally in the end, very recognisably so even. Leafy hops add underlying but strong bitterness highlighting both the booze and roastiness, but there are some solventy effects (wood glue, varnish) too which I would rather have skipped. The peppery, wry and astringent, heating effect of the alcohol, in spite of the port being there aromatically, is a bit too pronounced here for my personal liking - this to me is certainly no improvement when compared with the basic Aupa Tovarisch. Some of that chocolatey sweetness lingers, but the astringency, bitterness and heat are much stronger. I was hoping for a more 'rounded' effect in which the port would be more present purely in the taste as well and not just in retronasal aroma. Maybe time in the cellar can shave off some of that wryness and harshness, but in this form, a bit disappointing for me, even though it remains, by all means, a complex, layered and powerful stout.

Caña en cerveteka Danna León 17..08..2024 (r00) Amarillenta anaranjada turbia con espuma blanca. Sabores amargos secos y ligeramente resinosos pa ser una NEIPA. Poco afrutados. Buena

Tap @Singular, Bilbao. Black, small beige head. Roasted aroma, choc, some dried fruit, aome alc and a little caramel. Bittersweet flavour, chocolate, dried fruit, roasted malt, licorice, alc warmth, brown sugary sweetness. Quite some warmth, actually.

Sample (thanks omhper!). Black colour, mediumsized beigeish brown head. Aroma is liquorice, chocolate, some toast and mild wooden tones. Flavour is chocolate, liquorice, toast, some syrup and mild alcohol. Creamy and coffeeish too in the aftertaste. Rather sweet beer, though aroma hides that fact quite well.

--Sample, thanks oh6gdx! -- Black, minimal head. Aroma of licorice and port. Mid sweet wwith full body and clean, rounded mouthfeel. Licoricem treacle and coffee, some syrup, Warming port wine finish. A half decent beers improved by beatiful barrels,

Tap at Beerhouse, La Latina, Madrid, 4th June 24. Pours hazy orange. Aromas of mango, citrus, juicy. Very decent and tasty