UPDATED: JUN 21, 2021 Not feelin’ the Vanilla Black Note tonight. Not that it’s a bad beer, but it seems rougher around the edges than original Black Note, a little sweeter, a little warmer, with a pronounced tart cherry middle that feels out of place. Enjoyable, but a step down from the normal version.

UPDATED: JAN 24, 2021 355ml bottle @ Ardes. Thanks VastActiv! Poured pretty much black in color with a thin off white head. Roasted malts, vanilla in aroma and flavor. Bourbon strong on the nose. Sweet and smooth. Chocolate, warmth. Lovely.

UPDATED: JAN 23, 2021 355ml bottle. Smooth, roasty and warming with hints of bourbon, oak, vanilla, toffee, syrup and sweetness. Soft and quite balanced.

UPDATED: JAN 23, 2021 (Bottle, 0.355 l - bottled on 19.11.2019, thanks VastActiv, at Arde, 20210123) The beer poured black. Its head was medium sized and lightly brown. Aroma had burnt malts, vanilla and wood. Palate was full bodied and lightly sticky with medium carbonation. Flavours were burnt malts, dark chocolate, vanilla, wood, ash and bitterness. Aftertaste had vanilla, wood and bitterness. A delicious brew with woody notes.

UPDATED: JAN 23, 2021 Bottle at Ardes residence, Helsinki. Color is very dark brown with small brownish head. Aromas and flavors: Vanilla, dark chocolate, some coffee and roasted malts. Soft and nice.

UPDATED: DEC 23, 2020 9600th review! 12 ounce bottle into tulip glass, bottled on 11/19/2019. Pours dense pitch black color wit ha 1-2 finger dense and fluffy tan head with fantastic retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Nice dense spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Fantastic appearance. Aromas of big milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, vanilla, cream, toffee, bourbon, toasted oak, roasted nuts, and dark bread/crust; with lighter notes of coconut, licorice, molasses, raisin, prune, fig, date, leather, tobacco, smoke, char, herbal, grass, pepper, and yeast/roast/oaky earthiness. Minimal booze in the aromas as it warms. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of dark/roast/bready malts, vanilla, bourbon barrel, and light earthy hop/fruity yeast notes; with big strength. Taste of huge milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, vanilla, cream, toffee, bourbon, toasted oak, roasted nuts, and dark bread/crust; with lighter notes of coconut, licorice, molasses, raisin, prune, fig, date, leather, tobacco, smoke, char, herbal, grass, pepper, and yeast/roast/oaky earthiness. Mild herbal, woody, grassy, peppery, roast, charred bitterness; and bourbon/oak tannin spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, vanilla, cream, toffee, bourbon, toasted oak, roasted nuts, dark bread/crust, licorice, molasses, dark fruit, leather, tobacco, smoke, char, herbal, grass, pepper, and yeast/roast/oaky earthiness on the finish for a while. Amazing complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malts, vanilla, bourbon barrel, and light earthy hop/fruity yeast flavors; with a fantastic roast/hop bitter/sweet balance; and no cloying/acrid/astringent flavors after the finish. Lightly increasing dryness from lingering bitter/tannic spiciness. Medium carbonation and full body; with a very smooth, creamy/silky/velvety/bready and lightly slick/sticky/chalky/tannic mouthfeel that is fantastic. Mild increasing warmth of 11.5%, with minimal lingering barrel booziness after the finish. Overall this is an amazing barrel aged imperial stout. All around amazing complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malts, vanilla, bourbon barrel, and light earthy hop/fruity yeast flavors; very smooth and dangerously easy to drink for the ABV, with the mildly bitter/drying finish; amazingly soft/silky feel. Amazing balance of super rich malts, vanilla, and bourbon barrel presence/integration; with solid earthy hops, and restrained fruity yeast. Not overly sweet/heavy from lingering dryness. A highly enjoyable offering, and amazing style example as expected of the brewery. Did not prefer over the base beer at all.

UPDATED: MAY 31, 2020 Aromas dominated by bourbon and vanilla, with lessor notes of chocolate, coffee and dried fruits. Taste includes all of the above plus a fair amount of sweetness (perhaps just a tad too sweet) and definitely boozy. Marvelously complex.

UPDATED: MAR 14, 2020 12 oz. bottle. Packaged 11/19/2019. Pours a medium, well retained, beige head, with layered lacing, over a clear dark brown (SRM 40) body......nose is roasted malt with cocoa, chocolate, coffee, raisin, currents, vanilla, mild bourbon.......taste is chocolate, cocoa, fruit tones with raisin, current notes, vanilla, light bourbon, mild coffee, slight hop bitter finish. Mouth feel, medium slightly creamy body, alcohol tones, moderate carbonation. This is a complex, easily drinkable, strong alcohol beer.

UPDATED: FEB 12, 2020 Bottle - pours black tan head - nose/taste of vanilla, sweet chocolate, roast - medium bodied

UPDATED: FEB 9, 2020 Bottle. Dark brown almost black. Very light head. Aroma chocolate and vanilla. Taste chocolate, coffee, heavy vanilla. Really tasty.