Bottle at craig’s, 1976 version. Pours black, nose is chocolate, soy sauce, wood, taste is sweet, chocolate, toffee, light smoke, soy.

The archetypical imperial stout and in that sense one of those beers I can only show a deep respect for. Even the label looks as if it comes straight from the 19th century and breathes the kind of nobility worthy of the Russian czars. Only tasted as old beer, at 21 years of age in the Kulminator (1983 vintage) and recently at 31 years of age (same vintage), thanks to former Hopduvel pioneer Toon Denooze who was generous enough to share one of his last private bottles with me (in fact Kulminator originally bought their stock from him). It still showed a thin beige head after 21 years, but the 31 year old version had no head at all anymore - which is perfectly natural for a beer that old, of course. Colour is ink black, with a brownish hue only visible under bright light and only at the edges. Dense, very strong and noble aroma, molasses, bitter chocolate, coffee, dried banana, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, walnuts... Very thick and oily mouthfeel, very vinous, with a very intense and condensated taste profile, thick roasted bitterness, molasses, chocolate, caramel, and the typical soy sauce saltiness one finds in very old, heavy, dark beers; finish of roasted bitterness, very dense and fat, lasting for a long time and supported by brandy-like alcohol. Very intense beer, still kicking ass at its Methusalem age. It is not hard to see how this has inspired so many others. I need to get me a bottle of that new version... But if you are into old beers and are still able to find this, do not hesitate.