Additional notes 03/16/24 (pictured)

Bottled 2010, so a 14 year old beer at this stage.

Light pop on opening, that’s a GREAT sign. A touch of gun smoke.

Pour is magnificent for a beer of this age. Head, is great (if not well-retained), coffee-colored, and body is a jet-black, light cancelling experience.

Before I get to the detail of the aged beer, here’s the overwhelming experience.

Two things; The beer has held up magnificently. There isn’t a hint of oxidation, it’s still (somewhat) carbonated) and it tastes almost exactly the same as my notes below.

Now, that unfortunately means that the beer still feels for me, and FOR A big stout, a little underwhelming.

This is odd – in the context of being a 14 year old beer, this is absolutely amazing; in the context of a big stout, and that fact that it apparently hasn’t developed much at all, and back then it was really underwhelming for the style, this whole thing is a bit of a paradox, and to be honest not very interesting.

As it warms it opens more, but still this beer isn’t what it could have been in the first place, even if it’s magnificent for a 14 year old beer.

Weird stuff. Really weird stuff. Wow.

Original notes 09/25/10

750 mL bottle.

The usual hoopla that is associated with DFH (relatively) limited releases that is beginning to leave me cold. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a big fan of DFH but the hysteria that has been building over a number of beers in the recent past is getting tedious. Ho hum.

Pour reports nothing. It’s jet black and there is not much head. Perhaps a few red highlights but so what. Good but standard.

Not a particularly rich RIS, in fact rather average. Solid roast notes, a decent splash of alcohol and perhaps some spice from the odd ingredients, but ultimately sort of unmemorable. I would not go out of my way for this, and in the end it does not stand out.

Again, don’t get me wrong this is a tasty, nice beer, but some of the hysterical yabbering about this beer has been a little ridiculous. By all means buy a bottle and enjoy it, but expect a standard, good RIS and leave it at that.

Ultimately, as my 11 year old would say, “whateva”.