Massive thanks go out to BEERchitect for the chance to finally try this beer!
750 mL, corked & caged bottle, from September 2004, this was bottle #1466. Thick, heavy green glass with dimpled bottom. Substantial bottle.
Pretty much exactly as I anticipated to be honest.
The beer pours with a large amount of cloudiness and a significant amount of yeasty, floaties. Some carbonation seems to have dropped off (only a small pop on opening and it drinks with little life), but the head and retention are incredibly impressive with a really rocky, off-white crown on the brown body.
Nose and tastes come forward with some mild oxidation on top of what was once a really hoppy beer. The tastes have obviously become much less well defined and somewhat muddy, but for me that’s often preferable to a massive, smack you in the face hop bomb. There is a fair amount of sweetness and the beer still packs a pretty decent alcohol punch. Some carbonation seems to have dropped off (only a small pop on opening and it drinks with little life), but the head and retention are incredibly impressive with a really rocky, off-white crown on the brown body.
Purists will hate the fact that this beer is now 6 years old before it was consumed, but to be honest I still enjoyed it immensely and I bet that I would have like it less when it was fresh.