Firm, thick, milky smooth mouthfeel, paired with a very high dextrin sweetness and feel, that's not sickly sweet, but nonetheless ample, defining and bold. Oats are noticeable, giving the beer depth and lending a touch of starch in the flavour. A slight acrid character is lifted from the palate by the beer's prickly carbonation. Robust. More rich blackstrap molasses with undertones of coffee, unsweetened bitter dark cooking cholocate, deep earth flavours, real faint aniseed, a mark of herbal (rosemary?) and a leafy/woody character from the hops that carries over into the mouthfeel; bitty, coarse, a bit pear-like. Bit of a "cola" edge appears where the beer peaks and begins to fade. Mineral flavours pull out of the thickness and embed themselves in the sweet-ish / woody finish.
94 points, BeerAdvocate (Jan 2003)
Dark brown color. Aromas of dried sour cherry, honeycomb, and buttery roasted nuts with a silky, fruity-yet-dry medium body and a long, stone fruit, tonka bean, latte, milled grain, and clay finish. Great flavor and style.
94 points, Beverage Testing Institute (Jan 2014)
Balanced and exceptionally smooth, this pours an opaque dark-brown color in the glass, with a glimmer of soft garnet and a dense tan head. Initial aromas of milky oatmeal and whole-grain bread are followed by nuances of sweet spice and dried fruit, almost like cinnamon-raisin bread. The mouthfeel is lush and creamy, but with good carbonation to keep the dense flavors of toasted grain, milk chocolate and lightly roasted coffee from feeling too heavy. Touches of sweet smoke and hop linger on the long finish.
92 points, Wine Enthusiast (Dec 2012)
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