Bottled 04/05/06 (stamp on neck). 12 oz bottle.

Crystal clear, copper colored pour with a small amount of carbonation at first, but this, like the small head, fades very quickly.

As others have noted, a certain brandy like aroma.

Definite smokiness in the taste (the oak?), along with plenty of alcohol, but it drinks suprisingly smoothly. I think the smoothness is due to the vanilla and maple advertised on the label, but it doesn’t really manifest itself as a taste, more of a “feeling”. Actually rather fruity. Mouthfeel is slick, and that’s fine considering the ABV, and to be honest it’s actually rather nice – not cloying at all.

Nice beer, but too strong for me to enjoy more than one of in any one session. Another example of DFH’s innovation. They truly are a brewery at the cutting edge of American 21st century brewing.