By Jeff Evans

Nose

Creamy and sweet with a hint of vanilla and strong suggestions of orange-cream chocolates.

Palate

Surprisingly fruity, with more orange-cream chocolate character. It's sweet and warming overall, but not cloyingly so, with a lovely, airy body for its strength and a slight vinous catch.

Finish

Dry and fairly thick, with bittersweet chocolate.

Comment

A full-value, deep-ruby coloured, US beer that defies its strength with enormous drinkability.

By Robert Millichamp

Nose

Full of sweet malt aromas including sweet candy, caramel and molasses with vanilla hints over bitter dark chocolate.

Palate

Opens rich with full sticky malts countering well rounded warming alcohols. Hop bitterness struggles to balance throughout and undertones of figs, sultana and molasses enhance the complexity.

Finish

Round off into sweet brandy like notes with lingering dark fruit and burnt toffee.

Comment

Huge bodied and rich with a lovely array of sweet malt flavours that are not cloying.