Bottle at home. Aroma is dark malt, caramel, dark chocolate, rye bread, liquorice, raisins, roast, hint of vanilla, dark fruits. Flavour is moderate to medium sweet with a moderate roasty bittersweet finish. Body is just above medium. Good one!

Notes from 02/04/2009 I was about to trade for some of this when it started popping up on my local shelves. Note: Empty BB/BO date box on the bottom left corner of the label. Poured into my Ommegang Anniversary glass. Frothy coffee creamer-colored head that completely whitewashes the sides of the glass. A dash darker then the color of what Guinness passes for these days. The smell of malted milk balls, a touch of hazelnut syrup, & a ticklishly sharp edge of caramel & nutmeg. Smoke is at least somewhat evident in the taste, somewhat. I was looking forward to that part. Coffee backs that up in a bigger way then I'd like. Roasted sweetness is all up front, with minuscule flavors of cream, salt, & tin in between. An earthy bitterness accompanies a newspaper between your fingers(smoked?)finish. Minute amount of carbonation, & a thin feel, which is helpful, but it only evens out the dryness developing on my tongue. It tastes like a flat stout. Do with that what you will. Sam Adams Black Lager is a better choice at two bucks cheaper a six.

Backlog 4/10-2013. Clear, deep amber body under a big, foamy off-white head. Aroma has caramel, malt and fruit. Taste is sweet malt, caramel, sour fruit and balanced bitterness. Nice body with a kind of sweet and tart finish.

Good. Not so much pomegranate.

Notes from April 2009 I dust off my Warsteiner liter+ sized glass mug for this one. There were a couple surprise leftover Snickers minis waiting at the bottom for me. I think I remember drinking a good portion of a case of Spaten Ofest while giving out candy that night. Before I forget, 22oz bottle courtesy of SuperWhite92. :) Straight pour quickly builds a condensed milk-colored head to about an inch under the rim. The deep honey amber beer gains momentum & eventually levels out halfway, leaving a good two inches of slowly seceding felt-like head. Lacing is pretty sticky. Diving into the mug, I get the impression of tangy sourdough, salt, peppery yeast, a touch of grassy bitterness, & just a hint of clove. I quickly notice that the carbonation is low here. Taste is definitely sourdough-like, but with a little extra crustiness, paired off nicely with a backend of tingling bitter greens. Crackers on the finish help dry it out. Mildly sweet, hintingly bitter. A good bit more carbonation is all it needs. :)

Notes from June 2009 Bottle from SuperWhite92 :D Served into a standard cupboard tumbler. Almost an inch of nougat-colored head over a greasy brown body & amber body. Smells of sweet charred toffee, maple bacon, & high heat. A good bit of zest that feels out of place. Carbonation is very strong, alcohol is moderate to strong. Both are conflicting with my palate. Taste is of burnt dark chocolate & cola. Smoke is a bit acrid, but mostly subdued by the crusty malt. A touch yeasty. A leafy bitterness that is extensive & just weighs on my buds after a few glasses. I'm missing most of the expected bock-ish flavors I was looking forward to. The smoke doesn't taste meaty, peaty, or charred, just simply playing a monotone role underneath dominating bitterness. I have another bottle that'll sit around for a bit. Hopefully better things to come.

Notes from June 2009 Bottle into my Sly Fox tumbler. Blank BB date box on the bottom left corner. Purchased two months ago at New Beer. Two inches of fragile coffee creamer head. A just slightly hazed caramel amber color. Smells of caramel, itchy red pepper flakes, & salty bacon grease. More so in the background, I get some stale chocolate & a tease of bitter greens. Taste upfront with caramel & crackermeal, followed up with sweet smoke similar to hickory. The meatiness of the brew comes off more like smoked turkey then the expected bacon or sausage or rib meat. Moderately juicy & salivating. Just a twinge of bitter pine resin gives some extra dimension to a usually one-sided style. Frothy, slightly lower carbed mouthfeel & a chalky finish. Enjoyable. :)

Early rating from Beer Buddy app

Thank you Captain J. For hunting this down for me. Very low carbonation, malt bomb, dry a bit and leathery. Not too bad.