Aroma: “Boozy freshly emptied barrel aroma (like wet oak) comes up first. Then there’s a big spice component—chai, cardamom, cinnamon, black pepper, fennel, and juniper, specifically. Moderate coffee and chocolate aroma mixed with light chili aroma and nuttiness.”

Flavor: “Big raisin character with some slight banana character at first sip. Then, rich caramel and toffee come through in the flavor. Still a lot of booze and spices, cardamom and cinnamon especially as a well as pine and juniper. Fairly sweet, which slowly fades into the finish. Fairly low bitterness.”

Overall: “Interesting and complex, with a touch of mildly competing spices that nonetheless offer a different experience than your standard barrel-aged barleywine. It’s saved by the caramel and toffee sweetness.”