The first aromas that swell out of my glass are of chocolate syrup, Mexican vanilla bean pith and warming alcohol. As the beer warms. the aroma evolves into dried black figs, warm, gooey brownies, dark roasted coffee beans, warm, fresh-cut white oak, and fresh soy sauce. Opaque with a brown-colored, fine head that fades, this beer does create a two-inch thick Belgian lace that persists indefinitely.
When tasting, one is first hit with aged prunes then dark roasted coffee beans and espresso. The finish is briefly warm Mexican vanilla with whipped cream before bitter cocoa powder and bitter espresso characters take over and coat the mouth in the aftertaste. Alcoholic heat covers everything. Starting up front, the alcohol tingles in the mouth, leaving one with a hot and drying burnt sensation. The mouthfeel is very thick with very high, tongue-prickling carbonation.
Overall, cellar this beer for at least two years before cracking it open. Right now the coffee, heat and astringency need time to come together and mellow out.