UPDATED: NOV 30, 2020 2018 version aged in Moylan's bourbon barrels, 10.2% abv. Pours a turbid copper brown on tap with thin ring of bubbly tan foam that leaves light lace. Aroma of big bourbon barrel notes over sweet boozy caramel and molasses, a touch of dark fruit behind. Taste is sweet and boozy, mildly bitter, a dark fruit oxidized caramel base. A bit boozy, but not bad.

2018 side by side, score based on 2013: Marin old dipsea 2012. Poured an orange with a bubble. Aroma is light malts some spice. Taste is soft maybe past it’s time. Marin old dipsea 2013. Poured a dark brown with tan ring. Aroma is sweet malt vanilla toffee. Taste is malty sweet little fallen off, toffee vanilla.

2011 bottle. Aroma is prunes, grapes, burnt caramel, and bourbon. Tastes pretty oxidized. Fairly hot alcohol, big prune, some mild caramel and butterscotch. Decent overall. I bet it was way better a few years back.

22oz bottle, 2011 vintage pours an oily brown with no head. Nose has vanilla, lightly vegetal, caramel, brown sugar, booze, port, fortified wine. Flavor is bitter with soap and pine, sweet with caramel too, whiskey, vanilla, grappa. Finishes oily and still a touch hot.

From a bottle share at a gathering January 9, 2016. It s a clear dark amber With no head. The aroma is boozey and the taste is bourbon and finishes in a sweet molasses.

From a bottle at the Nuplastikk Returns DC gathering January 2016. Pours a murky mahogany. Bourbon aroma. Flavors of fruitcake, bourbon, oak and vanilla. Boozy finish.

Sample at Sour Sunday 2015. Dark brown with a small head. Aroma and taste of dried fruit, chocolate, vanilla, bourbon, oak and caramel. The mouthfeel was thick and the aftertaste long. A nice beer to sip.

A fantastic barleywine. Had the whiskey barreled version. Pours a super muddy brown with a thick tan head, pours almost like a nitro. Smells of caramel, vanilla, and whiskey. Taste is super creamy, with whiskey in the middle, and vanilla in the finish. Great dessert beer. Had in the bottle.

Bottle. Somewhat murky dark brown, with a thin head. Sweet brown sugar, dark fruit, plum, raisin, prune, caramel, bourbon, vanilla, some alcohol, and graham crackers. Pretty nice.

2009: All the faults of the base beer are nearly gone in this big boozy rendition. Still darker than most, and maybe still a touch thin - but so stinking smooth you don’t care. Booze, vanilla and dark fruit mostly. Nice sipper.