Opaque, bright black beer with languid carbonation lays a substantially restrained, fawn head that barely spreads on the surface. The gentle lacing dies rushedly away and leaves the glass untouched. The first inhale experiences strong espresso, crushed coffee beans and raw chocolate, accompanied by peppery chili powder and a tiny pinch of vanilla. The scent is reasonably layered but not particularly intensive. Let's keep the fingers crossed that the gustatory profile raises the level to where it deserves to be. The taste, indeed, is powerful and tears the package into pieces that take me in different directions: the dominant element is chili chocolate from Central America. The chocolate is really dark and a little bit soft as it half-molten. The chili shows off visibly but politely: it's fruity, gentle and voluminous. Additionally, I get faintly roasted coffee beans, a good pinch of vanilla and licorice creme filled pastry. Alcohol is perfectly hidden: I couldn't believe my eyes when I read that the ABV amounts to as high as 17.5 %. The body is medium-full. The beer finishes with a tad bitter mocha, loads of half-molten dark chocolate and hefty but gentle chili that piles up quickly and then loses intensity almost immediately. Vanilla still lingers modestly on the frontal sides of the tongue. The aftertaste nourishes the tastebuds for long. The mouthfeel is truly strong, significantly spicy, intense and satiating. It's also attractively smooth, oily, medium-thick as well as faintly burned. Furthermore, the mouthfeel is somewhat layered, not particularly complex but still yields varying sensations. This must be conflictual to the people: some people surely dislike the powerful chili whereas I, as chili lover, enjoy this. Big time. NOTE: The barcode leads to Odd Side's "Grandpa's Apple Pie"

Chocolate, vanilla and peppers in the aroma. Bourbon barrel aging isn't apparent in the aroma. Taste has bourbon right up front, followed by vanilla, chocolate and the ancho chile peppers. The peppers are a little bit warming in the mouth, but don't burn on the way down. This one is a bit boozy, but you have to expect that at 17.5% abv. The chocolate is there, but somewhat subtle. The vanilla is stronger, bordering on artificial. It's a good beer, but I think some time in the cellar will do wonders for this. I'll wait a year or so and try my last bottle. 4/5