22 ounce bottle into snifter, bottled in 2014. Pours fairly crystal clear dark ruby red, light copper/brown color with a 1-2 finger dense and rocky khaki head with fantastic retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Dense soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Fantastic appearance. Aromas of huge raisin, plum, prune, cherry, fig, date, apricot, red apple, red grape, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, nuts, toasted biscuit, and brown bread/crust; with lighter notes of licorice, molasses, vanilla, cocoa, leather, tobacco, herbal, floral, grass, pepper, and yeast/toasted earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of dark/bready/light roasted malts, fruity yeast, and light earthy hop notes; with big strength. Taste of huge raisin, plum, prune, cherry, fig, date, apricot, red apple, red grape, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, nuts, toasted biscuit, and brown bread/crust; with lighter notes of licorice, molasses, vanilla, cocoa, leather, tobacco, herbal, floral, grass, pepper, and yeast/toasted earthiness. Very mild herbal, grassy, spicy, roasted bitterness on the finish. Lingering notes of dark fruits, apricot, red apple, red grape, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, nuts, toasted biscuit, brown bread/crust, licorice, molasses, vanilla, cocoa, leather, tobacco, herbal, floral, grass, pepper, and yeast/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Amazing complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready/light roasted malts, fruity yeast, and light earthy hop flavors; with a solid malt/bitterness balance; and no cloying/astringent flavors after the finish. Slightly increasing dryness from lingering bitterness. Light-medium carbonation and fairly full body; with a very smooth, creamy/silky/bready, and slightly slick/sticky/chalky mouthfeel that is fantastic. Zero warming alcohol for 9.8%. Overall this is an amazing wee heavy! All around incredible complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready/light roasted malts, fruity yeast, and light earthy hop flavors; very smooth and dangerously easy to drink for the big ABV, with the mildly bitter/drying finish; amazingly soft feel. Perfectly balanced between super rich malts and fruity English yeast complexity; with mild earthy hops. Not overly sweet/heavy from lingering dryness. A highly amazing offering, and world class style example. Really blew me away vs expectations, one of the best I've had in the style. Aged wonderfully after 5 years. Best beer I've had from them, so it's unfortunate they closed. Really enjoyed their big beers.

Nice sweet, puckery, slight funk and nice sour notes.