7.8/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 9
Texture 6
Overall 8
(Bottle 27,5 cl) Courtesy of boboski. Slightly hazy amber golden with a beige head. Fat, oxidized aroma with sugary notes of overripe fruit. Very full-bodied with a low carbonation and extremely sugary notes of caramel and fruit. Some fruity bubblegum also! No bitterness. 200608
Tried
from Bottle
on 23 Jul 2008
at 06:52
7.4/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
(Bottle 27,5 cl) Courtesy of boboski. Hazy amber golden with a small, off-white head. Somewhat special tobacco aroma - fresh tobacco leaves. Quite full-bodied, sweetish - even sugary - oxidized sherry notes and then again fresh tobacco. A little salty perhaps. Absolutely no bitterness. 200608
Tried
from Bottle
on 23 Jul 2008
at 06:48
8.5/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 9
Flavor 9
Texture 8
Overall 8
2004 vintage bottle courtesy of Kryptic drank in 2008: Poured a cloudy brown color ale with a small foamy head with light retention and some very minimal lacing. Aroma consists of sweet malt with some light ester of apples which are really well integrated in the beer. Taste is a nice mix between a sweet rich malt base with some nice apples ester coming from the Calvados. Full body with limited filtration with some low carbonation and no alcohol notes. The Calvados is really well integrated with the regular beer and does not clash or completely take over – really well done.
Tried
from Bottle
on 09 Jul 2008
at 14:08
8.4/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 9
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
Cask at Seattle International Beer Fest; Huge line that only half the people got a sample; Nose of scotch, dark fruitiness, caramel, and woodiness; clear brown with a small ring of tan bubbles; flavor was scotch, dark fruit, caramel, and a molasses note; finish fruity with some alcohol warmth. Best of the fest for me.
Tried
from Cask
on 07 Jul 2008
at 13:18
7.6/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
27.5 cL bottle. Pours hazy brown with a lacing white head. Dense fruity aroma, solid malt aromatic. Sweet caramel and mild fruity flavour. Solid malt flavour, light roasted. Ends with a long lingering yet light roasted malt flavour and quite smooth.
Tried
from Bottle
on 06 Jul 2008
at 08:39
7.4/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
27.5 cL bottle. Pours hazy amber with a lacing white head. Dense caramel malt and a solid overripe fruity aroma. Flavour is sweet caramel malt. Holds a more smooth toasted malt flavour compared to the sherry cask and also distinctively more vanilla. Also a tad more dry and towards wineous.
Tried
from Bottle
on 06 Jul 2008
at 08:38
7.1/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
27.5 cL bottle. Pours hazy dark amber with a lacing off-white head. Smooth dry and roasted malt aroma. Flavour starts sweet but soon reveals a solid berry fruity and light apple-ish note. This one is quite sticky sweet with a light vanilla note towards the finish. Sweetness totally masks the alcohol.
Tried
from Bottle
on 06 Jul 2008
at 08:38
7.8/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
27.5 cL bottle. Pours hazy deep orange with a lacing off-white head. Dense malt aroma and solid fruity but also smoked. Flavour is dry and light smoked. Once again extremely sweet caramel malt. Dense smoked flavour into the sweet finish.
Tried
from Bottle
on 06 Jul 2008
at 08:37
8.5/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 9
Texture 8
Overall 9
1998 bottle - The biggest concern with a bottle this old (9 1/2 years) is, did it hold up? Can it take so many years and does it seem like it could go even longer? I’m happy to say that the answer is a resounding yes. It pours dark brown with a thin, tan head. The aroma is primarily of sweet caramel malt with notes of dark fruit. The flavor is a powerful blend of big, sweet malt that’s intense without being too syrupy sweet, and some very tasty dark fruit and caramel notes. It’s full bodied, smooth, and mellow, truly a beer that ages well for a very long time. It deserves the attention showered on Thomas Hardy ales.
Tried
from Bottle
on 05 Jul 2008
at 19:11
8.2/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 9
Texture 8
Overall 8
2012-12-08, vintage 2004, 8 years old, 8-5-8-4-16=41
Brown color, dark, with small creamy head. Malt aroma, with light notes of caramel, and very light vinous impression; it reminds me some good mead. Good body, round, full malty, sweet, with caramel flavor too, vanilla, fudge, light nutty touch, and light vinous touch; the alcohol perception is well managed, just a warming feeling; the oxidization is very low.
Excellent. Of tonight’s parallel tasting, this one is the most complex and dynamic.
2008-06-20, vintage 2004, 4 years old, 8-4-9-4-16=41
great thanks to Papsoe for sharing!
Hazy dark amber color. Sweet malt aroma, with raisins and very light tobacco. It has a full mouthfeel, with full malt flavor, very sweet, classic English Barley Wine, with minimum bitterness and sweet raisins. Very syrupy at the end, even if there is some more caramel and bitterness. At the end there is a light woody touch. The sweetest one of the 4 special editions. Excellent.
Tried
on 04 Jul 2008
at 12:24