8.4

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8.5 | Flavor - 8.5 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5

10th December 2025
Tasting at CBJ, thanks to me. Opaque dark brown beer, small bubbly dark tan. Some lumps of what tastes like chocolate!!! Smooth viscous palate, decent fine carbonation. Smooth rich milk chocolate. Very mild coconut. The apple brandy is hard to pick up. This tastes like chocolate liqueur. Okay, the apple brandy comes through on the back end after the bulk of the chocolate attack is over. Off its tits 3 Sons goodness.

8

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8

8.3

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8.5 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5

Bottle split at Craft Beer Junction, thanks to Kenneth, 10/12/2025.
Pitch black topped with a khaki cap that veers to the edge.
Nose is rich roast, charr, chocolate shavings, green pepper.
Taste comprises chocolate, spice, charr, toasted brown sugars, caramel, light chilli, mellow bourbon rip.
Full bodied, fine carbonation, drying close with a balanced rising boost.
Solid sipper.

8

Appearance - 9 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5

500ml @ Ryan's.
Aroma: American oak, bold, some dark fruits, a bit of brown sugars.
Taste: along the same lines, smooth, a little of booze.
Overall: good one.
P.S. It's getting a bit perfumy while warming up. Not sure wth is that, so lowering the rating a bit.

8.1

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5

Poured from 500mL bottle (bottle lists abv as 13.3%; "Spending over 20 months in Four Roses bourbon barrels"). Near black with minimal beige head. Soft dark sugars, very smooth bourbon character, feint hint of toffee, dangerously smooth. As it warms, it begins to exhibit some light perfumey floral vanilla notes (which actually detracts a little bit). Gives imperial stout-barley wine blend vibes. Enjoyable.

Panda at home, thanks to Kenneth, 29/11/2025.
Golden blonde topped with a white crown.
Nose is bitter orange, citric tinged straw, papaya, mandarin, grass.
Taste comprises bitter orange, grass, grapefruit, pine needle, mandarin, ripe melon.
Medium bodied, fine carbonation, light drying close spiked with modest juicy come grassy hop bitterness.
Tidy DIPA with a good WC vibe ... although another US brewed beer with NZ hops where they seem scared to use them (or pay for them)?

8

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8

473ml can. Clear golden yellow with a white head. Aroma of orange and grapefruit, pine, a little vinous. Taste is very citrusy, plenty of orange, grapefruit, a dash of lime, citrus peel, white wine and dank herbs, decent piney resinous bitterness lingering in the finish. Medium bodied. No sign of the 9% ABV at all really. Great collab.

8

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8

8

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8