2005 Vintage. Pours clear copper with weak off white head. Without any effort a bold sweet malty and fruity aroma is offered up out of the glass. Upon further investigation sweet plums, prunes and figs are noticed backed up by molasses, wood, a hint of caramel candy and booze. The taste experience begins with an initial medium bodied mouth feel that grows thick and viscous into the finish. The fluid ushers in some wood and malty sweetness first before the dark fruity esters take over with sugar coated plums, figs, prunes and stewed raisins. About midway the fruitiness becomes more sweet boysenberry like. The malts seem to go from the initial sugary malt sweetness to caramel candy, mildly roasted malts and then toward molasses and maple syrup. Toward the finish the wood, maple syrup and sweet caramel malts mix with a sense of booze. I get a lingering sense of all the flavors going deep into the after taste. Very nice.

Sampled from a 9.3 oz bottle, 2005 vintage. Poured a slightly murky copper color, almost no head to speak of. Lots of floaties. Aroma was pretty subtle in terms of alcohol, with notes of dark fruits including raisins, lots of malts, molasses, and a smokey touch. Tastes like a decent whiskey. If I have any further vintages I’ll have to average them in.

Bottle. Thanks to bu11zeye for this one. Vintage 2004. Pours a dark amber color with an off-white head. Sweet malty and slightly alcoholic dark fruit aroma with some hints of apples. Sweet malty alcoholic dark fruit flavor with some weak hints of calvados. Sweet malty finish. Thanks again Markus.

The owner of Aldgate pulled this bottle out and shared it with the few of us at his pub that night. Black with deep tan head. Aroma is roasted malts, plums, raisins, caramel, and some sherry. Full, smooth body. Flavor is similar to the aroma with the dark fruits really showing through. Roasted caramel malts, tobacco. I couldn’t get enough of this brew.