At my son's house watching the Astros win in a ninth inning miracle. I had this beer before, back in April. I read my review and I'm wondering if another 6 months in the bottle makes a difference. Aroma, at 15.3%, is a powerful alcohol forward beer. Has sweet malt that combines both raisin and cinnamon. Texture is surprisingly thin. With a heavy malt base, that's generally common with heavy alcohol beers, this one is much lighter in texture and resembles a porter more than a heavy Stout. First taste gives me a blast of the 15.3% alcohol. Doesn't even try to hide it. Comes straight at you. As the alcohol makes the pallet somewhat raw, it allows the cinnamon to excite the sinuses. After the first envelopment of the mouth, the middle reveals a sweet malt, molasses and roasted coffee. The alcohol gives a gentle warming burn that slowly drifts to the stomach. The middle lasts and reluctantly fades into the distant finish with very little change. This beer, from first to last, is what stout beers lovers hope to find. Care was taken to create this product. Extremely alcohol dominant at first, but the balance of the other flavors that followed was perfection. I also loved that the alcohol was not the expected bourbon, but a straightforward Tennessee whiskey. Different flavor and a welcome divergence from the norm. Somehow, this reminds me more of a fine glass of malt whiskey than coming from a bottle of beer. I am not one to gulp volumes of beer. I prefer to sip, to savor, to explore the nuances of someone's creation. This wasn't an experiment of "let's try this and see what happens". This was the result of experience and perseverance and knowledge. This is the result of years of what didn't work, and what does. You can literally taste the hard work that results with this brew. (Dogfish beermaster, I hope to someday meet you.) If you find this beer, buy it.

We've waited long enough, Ryan and I have waited long enough to open this. Expensive 15.3% special edition beer from Dogfish Head. Bottled in August 2022. Small, deep brown head. Aroma gives sweet, very deep roasted coffee. Texture is soft but has a crisp, dry quality. First sip is intensely coffee, roasted to the point of being burnt. A brief oak flavored maple appears then disappears. Then has a distinctive separation as it goes into the middle which is a heavy malt conveying a raw dark chocolate. A blanket of enveloping alcohol coats the entire mouth. Not surprising at 15.3%. As it travels into the finish, the coffee re-emerges to combine with the dark chocolate with a smooth blending sensation. The mouth is left bitterly dry while the alcohol travels to excite the back of the throat all the way down to the stomach. No hiding this alcohol. Flows straight to the head in a dizzying flash. Taste is excellent, from coffee to oak flavored maple to dark chocolate malt. Not complicated, very straightforward. Excellent!