2000 Batch (01-May-2000) (8.8% abv):
Crimson/amber coloured body with no head at all. Strong aroma of pit fruit, toffee, malt and powerful must. Full-bodied; Chocolate, caramel, must and pit fruits dominate the taste. Aftertaste is VERY mild-time did its job to cut the alcohol taste. Very mellow after 4 years time...this beer is great right now. I sampled this 7 ounce bottle purchased a few years ago at Premier Gourmet in Buffalo, New York on 24-December-2004, more than 4 and a half years after it was brewed. Score for this rating: 8,3,8,3,15

2003 Batch (11-March-2003) (8.8% abv):
Ruby/copper colour with a thin off-white head. Very strong aroma of pit fruit, caramel and alcohol. Medium to Full-bodied; Strong alcoholic flavour with subtle pit fruity taste. Aftertaste shows some malt and pit fruit sweetness. Overall actually quite good fresh! I had this beer in Knoxville, Tennessee on 28-September-2003 courtesy of Haddon90, Thanks Phil!
Rating for this tasting: 9,4,8,4,15

2001 Batch (7-January-2001) (10% abv):
Dark copper colour with a very nice ruby colour roaming throughout. Thin tan head which dissipates very quickly. Strong aroma of pit fruit, caramel, alcohol and malt...very nice. Medium to Full-bodied; Flavour of alcohol, prunes, raisins, malt, caramel and even a slight sour cherry taste. Aftertaste is very warming (because of the alcohol) and leaves a bit of the sweeter flavours inside the mouth. A tiny bit watery after waiting a few seconds after the beer is a bit warmer, but it is still a very respectable barley wine. I remember this beer to be a bit better than this...so perhaps it died down a bit with the age. I tried this at cellar temperature. This particular beer was brewed on 7-January-2001 and I purchased it at Beers of the World in Rochester, New York.

2002 Batch (8.8% abv):
Small 7 ounce size. Dark brown in colour, smells like a strong ale. Tastes like a strong belgian ale. Sweet tones, nice aftertaste!

Great hazy orange colour, amazing smell. Hoppy, fruity taste...very smooth finish as well! A great overall 'summer' IPA, where the taste is quick and somewhat hoppy, but not overly drying. Not a horrible Imperial IPA which will leave you full beyond belief, but one that compliments a good seafood dish or something along those lines.

31-October-2003 Batch: Very dark brown in colour, almost black. A nice tan head develops and stays atop for a long while. Smells of vanilla, cloves and anise come out from the beer. The taste is equally as complex: roasted malt, cinnamon, cloves and vanilla are very noticable. The hops aren't very noticeable, but the malt is very evident. This was the first vintage of this beer I had, but I was pleasantly surprised, and am looking forward to next year! I bought this 12 ounce bottle in July at Beers of the World in Rochester, New York.

Dark ruby colour. Nice, light brown head. Spicy aroma. The flavour is spicy, very spicy. Lots of nutmeg and cardamom. Gets Porter-like in the finish.

Bottled. Mahogany colour, little head. Hoppy, spicy aroma, rich on nutmeg. Rather sweet, but with clean malt profile and notes of chocoalate. Thorouhgly pleasant and complex with lingering bitter finish.