Bottle. 2003 vintage. Pours a clear copper colour with a small off-white head. Dry malty, dusty yeasty aroma with hints of fruits and wood. Sweet malty dusty slightly fruity cherry flavor with some woody hints. Long malty aftertaste with woody hints.

Bottle. 2004 Vintage. Rich dark amber with no head. Sweet malt and peat aroma - nice subtle smoke. Rich sweet malt flavor with a great peat/smokiness. Light fruit. peat and sweetness lingers. Peat cuts the sweetness thats in the other flavored JW Lees ales. Rich body. Hides alcohol well.

1998. This is one of the best beers I have ever had. Aroma has intense fruit and port, including the aroma of sweet wine. Dark brown and low carbonation. Flavor has a lot more fruit as well as sweet malt and yeast. Exceptionally smooth and the alcohol is completely hidden. It is hard to imagine this improving; I am afraid the yeast would eat up some of that sugar and leave too much alcohol behind.

Thank you to Glenn ’Imdownthe pub’ for getting me a bottle of this the Dec’ 2005 vintage. This had the most wonderful aroma, at once I was instantly reminded of a Royal Tokay Dessert Wine. The most wonderfully sweet ’noble rot’ fragrance? Anyway I sat there like one of the Bisto Kids as I was lulled into that first magical sip, it was as if the snake out of the jungle book was drawing me in and I was captivated. Simply stunning flavour with wonderfull bittersweet tones punctuated by a delicious rich toffeenis’, there were molassess, rich dried fruits, gorgeous maltiness and oh so sticky this is top draw in fact it should be top shelf wrapped in a cellophane film, it’s positively naughty. I have only one regret having now finished this and that was that I had shared it, albeit it with two old school friends. Actually I have two regret, why when Glenn said would you like me to bring you back one of these, I didn’t say "don’t stop at one fill you boot good man, bring back plenty"