I had a few of these fro the first time back in the Summer of 2010, but this review is from a 12 oz bottle.
Pour is a dark brown with blackish, red highlights and a resplendent, high, mocha colored frothy head. Head retention and lace are both very good.
An extremely solid, malty nose suggests depth, and a lot of it.
Tastes don’t quite deliver what the nose suggested, but still give a hearty malt based beer with some alcohol and a decent dose of bitterness. A tiny amount of oxidized, sweet liquor character that I was not expecting. Finish has more malts and the beer feels quite filling and expansive.
This is a beer that whilst although not heavy, certainly has some depth and delivers a malty experience that others in the style shy away from. Sort of a cross between a Wee Heavy and an American Strong, the beer is much more subtle than some American versions and brings plenty of malt to the table.
Interesting.