OK - this being retired, no reason to do things half-way. Opting for a 1983 bottle. Wenn schon, denn schon. Fully ink-black beer with small amber brown head (stable, after 25 years!). Overpowering dark malts, concentrated portwine, and - sorry - urine, as well as quite fruity (grapes). Ink taste (too!), walnuts, tannines, woody, dark fruits, sweet & mild bitter. In the finish, some very nice pastry-like sweetness emerges. Syrupy, oily, slick MF and super-condensed. When this was relatively recently brewed, I didn’t think much of it. Time has worked wonders - but did it for the beer - or for me?

Bottled, 1992 vintage. Intransparently black. Sweet and very chocolaty. Salty, rich and thick with loads of licorice in the finish. Mature and intensely flavourful, the rawness of this beer when young is long gone.

2018-02-14, vintage 1993, 24 years old, 6-3-5-2-11
Brown and flat. Intense aroma of brown sugar, some molasses, leather, also some cardboard and soy sauce. Oily mouthfeel, the flavor is not too strong, but it's leathery, some liquorice, light soy sauce, very light acidity.
Interesting, but too old.

2013-02-12, vintage 1992, 21 years old, 10% ABV, 8-3-7-3-16=37
It pours a oily black color, flat and with no head. Aroma of leather, roasted malts, a hint of soy sauce. Full bodied, but the mouthfeel is oily, and there is no carbonation; flavor of roasted malts, dark caramel, some chocolate, unfortunately some liquorice too, and then an impression of leather and tobacco; moderate bitterness, probably most of it derives from the dark malts; there is some residual sugar, nice stickiness on the lips; the final is getting just weaker.
Undoubtly a bit old, but it's still very enjoyable and historical.

2013-02-07, vintage 1983, 30 years old, 9.5% ABV, 7-3-8-4-16=38
Black color, with small carbonation and hardly any head. Mild aroma, some roasted malt, oxidization and also light sourness; later a touch of feety cheese (Hervé). Good flavor of roasted malt, chocolate; the mouthfeel is lean and dynamic, also with that light lingering sourness; the carbonation is low, but still present; correct bitterness, probably from the roasted malts; very light liquorice in the end, leather, with moderate oxidization, lightly salty; in the final it gets a bit drier and there is a light astringency, and some alcohol perception.
Clearly aged, but still interesting.

2004-05-25, vintage 1992, 12 years old, 10.5% ABV, 9-5-9-4-17=44
Dark heart, thin brown head. Deep aroma of liquorice and roasted malt, sweet and mature; malt, caramel, Porto wine; light raisins, cinnamon and mace; very light phenol. Wonderful liquorice gum, notes of roasted malt, cinnamon, cookies; still well sweet but not cloying. Balanced final, a bit short and requiring a stronger bitterness.
Great for its balance; could be improved by a better hop touch.

Sweet, strong, tar-like, excellent!.........................................

Rich, intense, fruity - you'd hardly know it came from such a big brewer. A wonderful aging beer. I just had a bottle from 1983 and it was one of the top 5 bottles of beer I've ever had. The rating is for this beer under normal circumstances.