Aroma: “A lot of ripe banana with some booze and dark chocolate plus maple, tart raspberry, and cherry.”

Flavor: “Lots of dark chocolate. More overripe banana. The barrel is more of a supporting role. Very sweet and rich beer that’s balanced by the barrel and the alcohol. More rich than sweet. Decadent.”

Overall: “The base beer character is an afterthought. This comes across more like a dessert aperitif. But there’s great dark fruit complexity paired with a rich underlying alcoholic warmth, and the aged beer and barrel qualities add to the richness and give you a unique and interesting beverage. In the end, the strong ester profile is fun, but also a bit odd. It’s great how the maple is fermented out to provide just complexity without adding sweetness.”